411 on homeless

I saw a statistic that said the average length of stay in the shelter system dropped. This is a testament to the positive work that has been done to better match families with the services they need. We know much more about homeless families now and why they become homeless. While it’s still complicated, we know that families become homeless for different reasons, but that they can often be identified as families who are experiencing different kinds of poverty. Situational poverty is created by an event or temporary condition that impacts a family. For example, job loss, divorce or illness. These families for whom a brief stay in a shelter, along with the minimal services, are what they need to regroup and regain permanent housing.