Women are disproportionately represented among Montana’s homeless families. They are typically young, very poor andundereducated. The most common reasons for homelessness among families with children were domestic abuse and poverty.Many are single parents. In 2008, 299 survey respondents were members of homeless families with children. Together they identified an additional 581 family members, for a total of 890 members of homeless families: 76 percent of respondents were female.
75 percent of all 890 identified members of homeless families were female.
21 families with children spent the night of January 31, 2008 outside, in a car or other place not fit for human habitation. These families included 25 children under age 5.
There were 215 single heads of homeless families with children identified in 2008: 90 percent of these single parent respondents were female.
92 percent of all members of single parent households with children were female (549/599)
32 percent of single parents respondents for whom this information was provided had not completed high school; 70 percent had a high school education or less.
13 single-parent families with children spent the night of January 31 in a car, abandoned building or other place not fit for human habitation. The families included 32 children under age 13; 5 family members were pregnant.
Homelessness: The state or condition of being without permanent housing, including living on the streets, staying in a shelter, mission, abandoned buildings, or vehicles or other unstable or non-permanent situation. An individual or family may also be considered to be homeless if that person is doubled– or tripled-up.- Definition consistent with McKinney Vento and Health Care for the Homeless definitions
Resources on Family Homelessness and Unattended Youth
