HOMELESS FACTS AND LINKS

Family homelessness is an ever-increasing problem nationwide.  Many families are only one paycheck or one illness away from not being able to make their rent.  Eviction soon follows.  This is a particular problem for single mothers who very often have little or no family support. Additionally, they often have difficulty sustaining quality, affordable child care which puts their employment at risk. These single mothers are part of the labor force of "the working poor."

Before the St. Paul 's Center opened, there were only two shelters in Rensselaer County that could house a small number of mothers and their children together.  These facilities were filled to capacity at all times.  The homeless families housed at the Center are those that would otherwise be placed in motels or separated with the mothers going into single women shelters and the children being placed in foster care because of the lack of facilities equipped to shelter mothers and children together.

Motel life is isolating, an added stressor to an already overtaxed parent which can lead to child abuse and can exacerbate existing conditions.  The accessibility to support services is limited. There is also a greater likelihood that the family will come into contact with drugs and prostitution. 

In motels, families lack kitchen facilities and must spend their limited funds on whatever fast food is readily available. This negatively impacts nutrition.  Public transportation is often not available to get them to a supermarket.  Cabs are expensive.  Mothers in motels have little opportunity to learn or practice cooking, meal planning or budgeting skills.  Normal household activities, e.g., laundry, shopping, doctor's appointments, become Herculean tasks, adding to the mother's frustration and often leading to depression.  Again, this can put the children at risk.

Children living in motel settings are separated from their friends and normal day-to-day activities and can quickly become bored and disruptive.  They fail to benefit from socialization, educational offerings and positive role models that would be available in a congregate setting. 

In addition to providing a safe, supervised, home-like setting, the goal of the St. Paul 's Center is to help the families acquire the skills they need to move on to successful independent living and offer exposure to good parenting skills that will enhance parent-child relationships. The Center staff also models good communication and negotiating skills that will help the mothers in their dealings with landlords, social service providers and employers.