Homeless Families in Washington State: A Study of Families Helped by Shelters and Their Use of Welfare and Social Services

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services conducted a study to collect information about homeless families in the state who are relying on shelters. Information was obtained from census reports from all shelters in the state, from interviews with a parent from each of the 411 fam...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors Lowin, Aaron, Demirel, Sinan, Estee, Sharon, Schreiner, Bari
Format Report
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Management Services Administration Research and Data Analysis Division, Olympia, WA 01.12.2001
Subjects
Employment
Family Financial Resources
Family Needs
Family Violence
Homeless People
Housing Needs
Mental Health
Needs Assessment
Poverty
Public Health
Social Services
State Government
State Surveys
Substance Abuse
Washington
Welfare Services
Washington
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Summary:The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services conducted a study to collect information about homeless families in the state who are relying on shelters. Information was obtained from census reports from all shelters in the state, from interviews with a parent from each of the 411 families living at the shelters, and from a review of administrative records of welfare eligibility. A comprehensive description is presented of the characteristics of families helped by the shelter and the types of social services they have received. It also reviews issues that local welfare offices and shelter providers face in trying to meet the needs of the homeless families. Issues include domestic problems; employment histories; mental health status; alcohol and drug use; and other living arrangements. Despite many successful efforts, it concludes that more work remains to be done to bring state, local, and private resources together to meet the needs of homeless families. (Contains 1 appendix and 66 tables.) (JDM)