Cycles of Risk
People who grew up in precarious home environments are more likely to raise children in similar contexts, although that’s not necessarily their intention. The risk factors associated with homelessness are especially dangerous in this way; they get passed down generationally. Studies have found a strong relationship between the amount of childhood maltreatment and family dysfunction that homeless parents experienced and the amount that their children were experiencing. Poverty has also been also associated with child maltreatment, indicating that young people are growing up exposed to the same risks their homeless parents did.
For example, women who were abused as children are more likely to become targets for violence as adults through no fault of their own. If they have children with abusive partners, then their children are at risk for poverty, abuse, residential instability, foster care placement, and many other predictors of future homelessness, creating a cycle of risk that’s extremely difficult to break out of.
The Toiletries Delivery is enabling a couple of our HACA members to build, test, and develop a toiletries delivery service that fills the gaps they see in the existing homelessness system. This process is helping us understand how we can proactively enable people experiencing homelessness to help themselves by developing opportunities for them to help their community.
The Toiletries Delivery is enabling a couple of our HACA members to build, test, and develop a toiletries delivery service that fills the gaps they see in the existing homelessness system. This process is helping us understand how we can proactively enable people experiencing homelessness to help themselves by developing opportunities for them to help their community.
Providers are unable to collaborate because there is a lack of formal partnering, processes, and tools like shared databases. The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a shared database, but not everybody has access to the same data. Each agency is using another 2-3 databases to track their data in addition to HMIS.
"The best way to get things done is my relationships."
- Ryan, Case Manager
“I like to be very collaborative. If I find out my client has a case manager elsewhere...I call and see how we can work together. Some are extremely onboard. Others refuse to engage.”
- Rosa, Case Manager
Listen to Rosa talk about Provider Collaboration:
Check out these other pages to learn more about the factors that lead to homelessness and the resources available to people currently experiencing homelessness: