As 2009 comes to a close, Family Shelter is wrapping up its 30th year providing emergency food and shelter, transitional housing, and counseling to Columbia’s homeless families with children. Although this time of year brings an overwhelming amount of community support in the form of gifts and celebrations, we remain concerned at the prospect of continuing to tackle the growing problem of family homelessness in 2010 with very limited resources. Like many local non–profit organizations, Family Shelter is struggling to provide desperately needed services while experiencing a substantial decline in donations.

The National Coalition on Family Homelessness reports that there are approximately 1.5 million homeless children in the United States and families make up 34% of the homeless population. The National Coalition for the Homeless reports that families are one of the fastest growing segments of the homeless population and approximately half of homeless children are under the age of 5. So far this year, Family Shelter has served 124 families, but has received 576 requests for assistance. After exhausting their few options, homeless families living in cars, homes without heat, overcrowded apartments, and other unfit places often end up on the doorstep of the Family Shelter hoping that one of our 15 rooms is available.

Currently, much attention and money has been given to the Midlands Housing Alliance’s plans to redevelop the Salvation Army site. This important project is critical to Columbia’s success in addressing homelessness and should be supported by the community as a whole. However, the project will not provide any support to homeless families with children or funding for agencies like the Family Shelter that are forced to continually do more with less. As the economic downtown continues to affect parents living in poverty, I believe that we must take a hard look at what more can be done for the children who end up homeless.
Jonathan Artz, LMSW
Executive Director