ENDING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN MONTANA: The Battle to Provide Housing and Assistance.

AuthorHerling, Daphne

More than 1.5 million youth in the United States experienced homelessness during the 2017-18 school year. It's the highest number recorded in over 10 years, according to a National Center for Homeless Education report.

Housing first has become the rallying cry to address the issue. Historically the approach has been one of managing homelessness, which has shifted to ending homelessness by providing housing. This has resulted in the federal government developing policies and funding mechanisms to avoid someone becoming unhoused by offering immediate, temporary supports to make sure a family can continue living with relatives, staying in their rental unit or elsewhere during a situation which might result in a bread winner losing their job. No matter the circumstances facing young people and their families who are experiencing a housing crisis, service providers are looking first at how to get them into housing. Once there, they can focus on other issues that might be present.

Children and youth who experience homelessness have profound challenges. In addition to stabilizing their housing situation, they need the tools and emotional support to survive without succumbing to the long-term effects of trauma. There are significant impacts on all people who experience homelessness, but children are especially vulnerable as they do not have the mechanisms to process and cope with the stress. Parental stress levels affect their children as well, especially when homelessness is a factor.

Homelessness adds a significant challenge to accessing health care and emergency rooms often become a primary source of care. Frequent moves resulting in changing addresses, lack of internet access to complete online applications, changing health care providers and lost or misplaced records, such as vaccination records or birth certificates, all create barriers.

Exposure to violence also has a dramatic effect. Children who witness violence are more likely to exhibit frequent aggressive and antisocial behavior, increased fearfulness, higher levels of depression and anxiety, and have a greater acceptance of violence as a means of resolving conflict.

Federal data from 2018 shows that in Montana there were 1,404 people experiencing homelessness--of those, 422 were families with children. Families with children represent approximately one-third of the total homeless population in both the United States and the Treasure State. In addition to families, there are 119...

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