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.
Navigator Checklist
The Navigator Checklist gives people experiencing homelessness and navigators an easy-to-read tool to help new-entrants understand the process for accessing services and housing which helps the system leverage an individual’s agency and reduce the duration of homelessness. Navigators and other intake workers can direct clients using a standardized checklist. This provides clients with accurate resources and opportunities for self-resolution.
Impact:
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When there is a standardized way of presenting information, there is transparency between service provider navigators and clients regarding what services are available and how to access them.
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When information is provided in an accessible way, clients are able to navigate the system and connect to services independent of navigators.
