Federal housing officials estimate that families make up nearly 40% of the 3.5 million people who experience homelessness every year.  However, the actual number is even greater, because doubled-up families and those who stay in motels are not counted as homeless by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Finding the “Hidden Homeless”

Many shelters will not take families, or will refuse to take in families with older boys or fathers. The HUD definition ignores their plight. When these families are left with no other option but to live doubled-up with family or friends or in motels, it appears as if their needs are being met in the community. In reality, these alternative arrangements become unofficial homeless shelters, with a difference: families become the “hidden homeless,” missing from the federal homeless survey and disconnected from the assistance that could help them regain independence and stability.

Meeting the Needs of all the Homeless

Another challenge facing homeless families is HUD’s focus on “chronic” homelessness-- single adults with disabling conditions who have been homeless either continuously for one year, or four or more times in the past three years. These adults make up about 10% of the overall homeless population, but communities are often pressured to focus on the “chronic” homeless even if their community identifies other needs like homeless families.  As a result, federal resources directed toward homeless families have been reduced across the board, and many rural areas are hit even harder -- where families, single mothers and children make up the largest group of people who are homeless.

The Hearth Act (Hr 840) - Make Homeless Families Count

An effective federal response to homelessness will help communities respond to homelessness in rural, suburban and urban areas by providing greater flexibility and more resources. It will help make HUD homeless policy more sensitive to the needs of all people experiencing homelessness, including families and single adults.

The HEARTH Act (HR 840), which was introduced earlier this year by a bipartisan group of legislators, will “Make Homeless Families Count.”  The HEARTH Act expands the HUD definition of the homeless by including people who are living in doubled-up situations or in hotels/motels due to lack of adequate alternatives. The HEARTH Act, without being overly prescriptive, allows communities to set their own priorities for housing and services based on their needs, not a rigid “one size fits all” solution set by HUD in Washington, D.C.

Find your Congressperson’s Contact Information
Read the HEARTH Act

Download the Make Homeless Families Count Poster

To receive updates on Making Families Count and other issues impacting low income families, click here to send an email to the Director of Community Education and Public Policy.