Advocacy Network to End Family Homelessness
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Advocacy Network to End
Family Homelessness
The CMM
Advocacy Network to
End Family Homelessness was formed in response to the worsening housing
and homelessness crisis in Massachusetts.
The
Network is committed to eliminating the root causes of family
homelessness through public education and advocacy. As a result of calls
from Network members, lawmakers added Network programs to their priority
lists and tallied more phone messages than they had ever received on
homeless prevention issues.
Based in Concord and Acton, the Network also includes participants from Sudbury, Carlisle, Lincoln, Stow and Bedford. The Network is a model for other areas and welcomes inquiries and members from all locales.
Homeless families are the fastest growing homeless population in the U.S. today.
A recent study (Massachusetts Department of Education) found that the
number of homeless children far exceeds those counted in the shelter
census, the usual basis for assessing the extent of the problem. In
addition to shelter residents, many children and families with no
permanent place to live struggle to survive doubled or tripled up with
friends or relatives; reside in camp grounds or cars; or move from one
person's house to another every few days.
The Numbers:
In Massachusetts:
1,400 families with nearly 3,000 children are in state funded family shelters each night; half are preschoolers, half are of school age.
Overall, 96,000 children have no permanent home, according to a July 2007 report, A Snapshot of Homelessness in Massachusetts Public High School, by the Massachusetts Department of Education. Click here for the report.
Housing a family in a shelter for a year costs roughly $36,000. The average shelter stay is about 71/2 months.
Nearly one-third of homeless parent work but don't earn enough to support their family.
Nationally:
Every year 600,000 families with 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the United States. This is half of the homeless population. (National Alliance to End Family Homelessness)
Homelessness Hurts Children
(National Center on Family Homelessness)
Homeless children get sick and go hungry twice as often as other children.
Homeless children struggle in school.
Compared to other students, homeless children who are able to attend school are:
Four times as likely to have developmental delays.
Twice as likely to have learning disabilities.
Twice as likely to repeat a grade, most often due to frequent absences and moves to new schools.
Why Families Are Homeless
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Housing is not affordable for many low-income families:
The U. S. economy has caused rents to soar, putting housing out of reach for the poorest Americans housing out of reach for the poorest Americans (National Center on Family Homelessness.)
A person making minimum wage $8.00 per hour has little chance of affording a two bedroom apartment in Massachusetts which would take an income $21.88 an hour.
In Massachusetts, 50,000 very low-income households are on the 5-year waiting list for the federal Section 8 housing voucher program. The program’s funding was repeatedly slashed in the last two decades. Households with Section 8 certificates pay 30% of their income for rent.
118,831 households in Massachusetts earn less than 30% average medium income which, for a family of three in Boston, is $22,750. These families often pay half of their income for rent and utilities.
The supply of affordable housing is declining while the demand remains high (National Center on Family Homelessness.)
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A family’s apartment may have been converted to a condo.
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Close to two-thirds of homeless mothers have been victims of domestic violence sometime in their lives.
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A family might have experienced a fire in their apartment and can’t find another at a price it can afford.
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A parent might have been laid off or had her work hours reduced.
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A parent may be unable to get a child care voucher to pay for day care while she works and market rate child care is draining her budget.
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A family may have been evicted when, because of insufficient income, they were unable to pay back rent or utility bills.
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A mother may be unable to work regularly because of a child’s recurring illness or disability.
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Governmental financial support, such as public assistance, is too little to make ends meet and frequently ends before people have sufficient training for jobs that pay a living wage.
SOLUTIONS THAT PREVENT AND REDUCE FAMILY HOMELESSNESS
For many families, a sufficient income averts homelessness. That income can come from employment that pays enough to support a family or from a combination of earnings or public assistance supplemented by some public benefits to cover the costs of rent, utilities, day care, medical care and/or other expenses. Depending on the reasons a family is homeless, or is at risk of becoming homeless, there are many programs and services that can help. Unfortunately, most are severely underfunded and require significantly more dollars so they can come closer to meeting the need.
The Advocacy Network to End Family Homelessness chose its priority issues based on these principles:
A stable place to live is essential to family well-being and economic progress.
Education and marketable skills are central to holding a living-wage job.
Prevention is extremely important and pays off in dollars saved and in human suffering avoided.
CURRENT ADVOCACY FOCUS
The Advocacy Network chose to concentrate on the following key homelessness prevention programs funded through the state budget. The Network’s activities are part of statewide efforts to advocate for more adequate funding for these lifeline programs. Sharing our opinions about the importance of adequate financial support for the programs made a difference in the final dollar amounts allocated to them in the state budget.
Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT), a homelessness prevention program initiated in 2005 by the Massachusetts Legislature, provides up to $3,000 in flexible funds to low-income households in emergency situations to allow them to stay housed or move from a shelter into an apartment.
· Due to the huge demand for RAFT assistance, RAFT ran out of funds half way through the last two years. Increased funding will help more families avoid homelessness or reduce the length of time they are without a more permanent residence.
State Budget Outcome: RAFT funding was increased from $3 to $5 million per year and then maintained at that level for a second year (Fiscal Year 2008 which runs from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008). This $2 million increase resulted in more than 1,000 additional families annually being assisted either in keeping their housing or in leaving a shelter. Residents in subsidized housing remained eligible for RAFT.
Adult Basic Education, ABE, provides literacy and English proficiency services to adults. ABE includes English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), General Education Development (GED) programs, and adult basic education (non-reader to pre-GED), with targeted services in Workforce Development, Family Literacy, and Transition to Higher Education.
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The yearly cost of adult basic education is about $2,000 per person. Insufficient marketable skills are often the gatekeepers that prevent families from leaving a shelter more quickly or avoiding homelessness early on.
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About 24,000 people are on the waiting lists for Adult Basic Education programs due to underfunding. Waiting lists vary from 2 to 8 months for Adult Basic Education and 6 months to 2 years for English for Speakers of Other Languages.
- Click here for Adult Basic Education fact sheet
State Budget Outcome: Funding was boosted by over $1 million in the most recent state budget (Fiscal Year 2008), allowing 1000 additional people to receive ABE training annually.
Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, MRVP, is the state’s rental assistance program. It aides low income households in paying their rent in private market rate apartments and helps developers build housing for low-income families.
- Click here to read the Mass Rental Voucher Program fact sheet
State Budget Outcome: Mass Rental Voucher Program funding was increased by $2.5 million in FY2008 budget, from $28.5 million to $32.0 million. As a result, over 350 new households (mostly homeless families and domestic violence survivors) will have a housing voucher that gives them permanent, stable, safe housing. In addition, 400 units of affordable apartments were preserved as affordable by funding a small rent increase in the rental voucher.
The new homelessness
prevention initiative proposed by the Mass Coalition for the Homeless, funded in
FY2009 at $5 million.
With this funding, Dept. of Transitional Assistance will be able to intervene
EARLY with clients to assess needed services and connect clients rapidly with
those services, preventing housing crises before they occur. Homeless prevention
both avoids the trauma of homelessness and eliminates the costs of months in an
emergency shelter.
Click
here for
Early Warning Homelessness Prevention Program fact sheet.
Funding to implement the recommendations of the Mass. Commission to End Homelessness at $8.25 million as a new line item in FY09 budget. The Commission recommended:
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Ending the widespread use of shelters and promoting more prevention resources and permanent housing opportunities for those in need.
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Creating flexible resources to stabilize, divert, and re-house those who are experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.
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Increasing housing production and affordable housing opportunities statewide.
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Establishing regional coordinating entities, utilizing existing resources and community networks.
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Developing a uniform assessment tool to be used by state and non-profit organizations to better target available resources.
A PROGRAM OF LOCAL CONCERN: Funding for Sylvia's Haven, a shelter for victims of domestic violence, was restored to $100,000 with the help of Advocacy Network and others’ phone calling.
ANNUAL COMMUNITY FORUMS
The Advocacy Network also organizes community education on family homelessness through its annual interfaith forum co-sponsored by congregations, schools, and community groups in Concord, Acton, Sudbury, Lincoln, Stow, and Carlisle.
Family Homelessness - You Can Make a Difference! (2005)
Ninety attendees heard: a formerly homeless woman describe her faith journey; an advocacy expert speak on how a few phone calls to your legislator put an issue on their priority list; Representative Cory Atkins highlight the difficult lives of low income people; and an advocate from Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership describe the lack of availability of Section 8 housing certificates.
Click here to read the article about this forum.
Click here to see the video about this forum.
Solutions to Family Homelessness: A Roundtable Discussion with our State Legislators (2006).
Three of our local legislators – Senator Pam Resor, Representatives Cory Atkins and James Eldridge spoke to 60 attendees on major issues affecting homelessness on an evening when outside temperatures hovered around 5 degrees. The lawmakers highlighted the growing problem of homeless families and explained how federal and state policies can prevent and ameliorate family homelessness.
- Click here to read the article about this forum.
Overlooked Strategies to End Family Homelessness: What Works and Why (2007)
First hand accounts were given by: two mothers who benefited from adult basic education programs (ABE); directors of two community college ABE and transition to work programs; and, a leading state house advocate from the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education for adequate funding for these services. These talks focused on the key role adult education plays in preventing and ameliorating family homelessness. Panelists suggested actions the 90 audience members can take to reduce long waiting lists and assure that sufficient learning programs and community support services are available for those who want and urgently need them.
- Click here to read the article on this Adult Basic Education forum.
- Click here to see photos from this forum.
Helping the Homeless Child in School (2008)
The forum looked at how the lack of permanent housing affects school children and youth. The presenting forum panel included a young mother who, growing up, attended 13 different schools because of her family’s housing dependence on others for their housing; a high school teacher with homeless students in her classroom; a Boston social worker and a Framingham social worker directing programs for the homeless student, and the executive for the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. At the close, three state lawmakers charged the audience to contact their state legislators regarding the importance of reducing family homelessness in Massachusetts. If that can be done, more children can achieve educational and developmental equality with their peers.
How the Advocacy Network Tackles the issues
Public Education
The CMM interfaith Advocacy Network to End Family Homelessness expands understanding of the causes of family homelessness and highlights its remedies -- through its annual forums, media coverage of the forum, and letters-to-the-editor written by Network members. Network members also include information on family homelessness and its remedies in their congregations’ newsletters and websites.
Email Action Alert List
The Network develops advocacy strategies that encourage our state legislators to strengthen important family homelessness legislation. Through its Email Alert List, The Network notifies members (open to anyone who is interested) at times when it is important to contact state house lawmakers about key homeless prevention programs being deliberated on Beacon Hill.
The Network’s Steering Committee, which is open to all interested people, meets monthly with guidance from Miriam Stein, MSW, the advocacy consultant to Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries. New members are very welcome at the evening meetings held at Trinitarian Congregational Church in Concord.
NETWORK MEMBERS’ VOICES ARE HEARD
Responses from State House Lawmakers:
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After our second forum where Senator Pam Resor spoke, she wrote a letter to all her Senate colleagues urging them to support increasing RAFT funding to $7 million.
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Representative Cory Atkins wrote to us stating her strong support for our three homelessness issues. She also told us that our phone calls and emails brought our three issues to her priority list.
Comments from Advocacy Network Members:
Advocacy Network Background: click here for more information.· The Advocacy Network has provided a meaningful way for me to connect with our political leaders and play a role in some positive changes for homeless people in MA. – Alice Lehmann
· Sen. Susan Fargo told my husband, when she called, that she had never before received so many calls on one issue as our calls on increased RAFT funding. – Jane Blumberg
· I have learned that most citizens' calls and letters to legislators are from people who will be directly affected, in their business, school, neighborhood, etc. So this kind of advocacy-- for others who are not likely to speak for themselves-- is especially important. – Judy Hill
· What is really special to me is it feels like we are really making a difference and seeing some changes because of our calls. That feels empowering and it proves that getting involved as a group is a good way to be heard! – Ann Jacob
- Faith Community Guide Distributed to Congregations: Family Homelessness – You Can Help - Volunteer and Advocacy Opportunities a Faith Community.
Family Homelessness Advocacy Opportunities:
With a small amount of effort, you can help increase vital state funding for important family homelessness legislation.
Wow, I called Sen. Fargo's office, first time I'd ever done this – I felt empowered, and the office was very supportive. – Dr. Gary Cushing
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Click here to receive email alerts about times to contact my State House lawmakers about homelessness issues.
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Click here to receive email announcements of Advocacy Network meetings, events, and activities.
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Click here to join the Network Steering Committee. Meetings are held one evening a month at Trinitarian Congregational Church in Concord.
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Click here to download the Faith Community Guide:
Family Homelessness – You Can Help Volunteer and Advocacy Opportunities for a Faith Community. -
Click here to receive a phone call and more information from an Advocacy Network leader.
Leader Contact Info:
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N. Carl Miller (Network Coordinator), 978-369-3755, ncmiller@gowebway.com;
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Jane Blumberg, 978-369-8520, janie@media.mit.edu;
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Jean Bell, 978-369-5018, jeangordonbell@earthlink.net;
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Frank Austin, 978-263-0812, franklyn.austin@shawgrp.com,
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Shirley Ormsby, 978-263-2169, shirleyormsby@comcast.net,
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Eric Lind, 978-443-9130, ericlind@earthlink.net
Advocacy Network Steering Committee:
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Judy Hill, Ann Jacobs, Deana Kohl, Carl Miller, Emily Mitchell, Bob Nelson, Peter Nelson, Polly Vanasse – Trinitarian Congregational Church, Concord MA
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Jane Blumberg, Deb Dormitzer, Alice Lehmann, Mike Palin – First Parish in Concord MA
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Jean Bell, Garvin Moore, Arthur & Barbara Walker – Trinity Episcopal Church, Concord MA
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Frank Austin – Church of the Good Shepherd (Episcopal), Acton MA
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Shirley Ormsby – St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish, Acton MA
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Eric Lind, Rev. Richard Harding – Sudbury United Methodist Church, Sudbury MA
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Lisa Richards, Nancy Sanderson – Open Table Concord MA
CMM 474 Centre Street Newton, MA 02458 Phone: 617-244-3650
email:
info@coopmet.org Alexander Levering Kern, Executive Director:
akern@coopmet.org
© 2008 Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries. All Rights Reserved.