The Changing Face of Homelessness
Part 2

In his book "Class: A Guide to the American Status System," literary critic Paul Fussell wrote that poverty and wealth were the only social status that children inherit from their parents.

In the case of poor families, that inheritance leaves a legacy of physical, social, psychological and intellectual problems.

"Homelessness is really devastating, especially for kids. It throws a big handicap on their future. It's bad for all, but kids are especially vulnerable to it," said Marc Leslie, research and data analyst for Homeward, a local coordinating agency for the more than 90 organizations that serve the homeless.

Leslie said that at any given time, 1,600 people experience homelessness in Greater Richmond; 350 are children.

In the metropolitan area, Leslie said that 34 percent of the total homeless population are families. Of that number, 65 percent are children, 33 percent are mothers and 2 percent fathers.

Close to 90 percent of homeless families are headed by a single mother, he said, and the average homeless family contains a young mother, roughly 28, with two children, most of whom are younger than six.

The vast majority -- 80 percent -- of homeless mothers are black, many work, and most earn less than $10,000 a year, according to Homeward's figures.

Few have finished high school, which restricts work opportunities largely to minimum-wage jobs.

Children face their own set of difficulties that come from being homeless.

For example, preschool aged homeless children are three times more likely to have developmental delays and have a higher incidence of depression, anxiety, withdrawal and aggression, Leslie said.

Roughly 20 percent of homeless children aged three to six have psychological problems serious enough to warrant professional help, which they often do not receive.

Some have so many worries and fears in their life that they develop somatic symptoms such as headaches and eating and sleeping problems, he said.

That's because they experience traumatic events such as frequent moves, evictions, domestic violence and separations from their family.

And homeless children suffer from more chronic and acute illnesses such as upper respiratory infections, asthma, anemia, skin infections and stomach problems.

Many receive only sporadic and episodic health care. Most families rely on emergency rooms, walk-in clinics or community clinics for care and usually only when the illness has gotten so bad it can no longer be ignored.

The children also have more hospitalizations but are less likely to have health insurance.

Leslie said the homeless-provider network in Richmond offers a safety net arranged in a "continuum of care," which ideally helps a homeless family make the transition to permanent housing.

Temporary shelters that house a family from 24 hours to 90 days are the first step in the continuum.

Four shelters take families: Caritas, ESI Connections, the Salvation Army and the YWCA.

Next comes transitional housing, such as Flagler Home.

These programs shelter families -single or two parent -- for up to two years while the adult gains an education and employment.

At that point, ideally, families go into either permanent supportive housing, in which social workers continue to provide supports, or their own home.

Leslie said on average, families remain homeless for 10 months, and just over a quarter experienced a prior episode of homelessness.

"Families and kids are especially well cared for in the system," he said. "They have a higher rate of success in working through the system and becoming independent again."

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