homelessness
...units (Daskal, 1998). Between 1995 and 1997, rents increased faster then income for the 20% of American households with the lowest incomes (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development). When no other housing options become available the only other decent place for these families to go is a shelter until they can get back on their feet, and many times there are rules that might break up a family. Homelessness frequently breaks up families. Families may be separated as a result of shelter polices which deny access to older boys or fathers. Separations may also be caused by placement of children into foster care when their parents become homeless. In addition, parents may leave their kids with relatives and friends in order to save them from the ordeal of homelessness or to permit them to continue attending school regularly. This break up of families is well documented: in New York City, 60% of residents in shelters for single adults had children who were not with them (Shinn and Weitzman, 1996) There is solid evidence that the number of homeless women has increased and that they now may constitute between 15-25% of the homeless population. Many of these women have left children with family, friends or even foster care homes, in a desperate attempt to put their lives back on track and eventually take care of their children again. Some of these women are victims of spousal abuse or are chronically mentally ill. Homelessness is a different experience for women then it is men in part because severe psychopathology is more widespread and more intense among women (Richard D. Bingham et al. 56). Susan a woman I interviewed expresses the many hardships that women have to go through while living on the street to be true. “I was abused by my live in boyfriend, whom I had 2 children with.” “I stayed in the relationship because of the children and had no where else to go but the streets.” “When he punched me in the face and knocked out 3 of my teeth in front of the children and then hit our daughter who ran over to see if I was ok I knew it was time to get out.” I have been homeless for 3 months now and it has been really hard, my children are with my sister who was not able to take me in.” While out here I have seen a lot of things that I would rather not talk about.” “There are women our here selling their bodies just for little money so they can eat dinner that night.” Women are more susceptible to sexual assault, theft and pregnancy; their simple chances of survival are diminished. Women don’t have the equal chances on the street, as men have. The minute she is out there on her own she is a very easy target even with out being homeless, so being homeless only makes her more vulnerable. But women are not the only ones out there that suffer from these struggles. Homeless youth become homeless for a wide variety of reasons, some of the common avenues into homelessness for youth include: becoming separated from her/his already homeless family, leaving home to escape physical or sexual abuse, and being thrown out of home by parents/guardians for various reasons. These paths into homelessness are clearly linked to some of the personal challenges of the youth and their experiences in various institutions. Many youth come from homes where their parents/guardians have a substance abuse problem: in California, 35% of parents of homeless youth have an alcohol problem, 29% have a drug problem. Large numbers of homeless youth come from families that have experienced persistent poverty, often in single-parent families. Abuse of these youth before leaving home is rampant: a full 23% of...