Lack of affordable housing and welfare reform are among the causes, says Claudia Coulton, social welfare professor at Case Western Reserve University s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. About 30 percent to 50 percent of their income is spent on housing, forcing some families to move or be evicted when they can t pay, Coulton says. It s growing, says Zashin, Project Act s coordinator. We ve got more parents and more school personnel contacting us and telling us about additional families. More families also are doubling up by moving in with friends and relatives for short stints.
Shelters limit the amount of time a family can stay to as little as two weeks.
Each situation can add to the number of times kids change schools, the National Coalition for the Homeless reports. Project Act served 292 students in September, Dannis adds some changed schools up to eight times during the period. Change can hurt Multiple moves are hard enough for adults, says Sharon F. Fields, program director at Bishop William M. Cosgrove Family Center for the homeless. It s extremely painful for children. Each child responds differently to homelessness, says Zashin.