Home Is a Right, Not a Dream.
Homelessness is a real global issue in many so-called developed societies and it is increasing because of high living standards which have become over-valued with weak wages in our supposedly evolved modern era.
Homelessness Is a Global Issue.
Homelessness is now a global issue where you might see people sleeping in the streets because they can’t afford homes amid the soaring prices of rent, the living standards and the stagnant wages. The global rate of homelessness is staggering, with an estimated 318 million people homeless worldwide, and about 2.8 billion in 2024-2025 lacking adequate housing. This phenomenon is usually seen in highly condensed populated cities across the world in developing and even developed countries hitting records.
For example, in the United States, New York City has the largest homeless population (88,025 people), followed by Los Angeles (71,320), Seattle, San Diego, and Denver, all with over 10,000 homeless individuals. Smaller states like the District of Columbia show a high per capita homelessness rate (725 per 100,000 residents), and states like New York have rates at 527 per 100,000. California cities such as Long Beach, San Jose/Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Oakland/Berkeley, Fresno, and Bakersfield have some of the highest proportions of unsheltered homeless people. Among European countries, the highest rates per 10,000 people are in France (30.7), the Czech Republic (28.4), and Germany (25.8), driven by factors including housing market pressures and social welfare systems.
Sources: United Nations, Development Aid, USA Facts, Security.org, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).
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Mothers with Children Are One-Third.
The homeless population in the United States is highly diverse, encompassing single adults, families, and children. The majority of this population consists of single adults, specifically 51.3% being single males and 24.7% being single females. Families with children make up a substantial part, constituting roughly 23% of the homeless population, and they are recognized as the fastest-growing segment. Approximately one-third of all homeless individuals, totaling about 259,473 people, belong to families that include at least one adult and one minor child, most often mothers with children.
The challenge for children is rapidly increasing; nearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a given night in 2024, marking a 33% increase from 2023. Furthermore, around 5% of the total homeless population are minors who are unaccompanied by adults. In terms of gender distribution, the population is composed of approximately 59.6% cisgender men and 39.2% cisgender women, with the remaining portion identifying as transgender or nonbinary individuals.
On another note, racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented within this group. For example, Black or African American individuals constitute over 30% of the homeless population, despite being a significantly smaller share of the overall U.S. population.
Sources: USA Facts, NIH, Campaign for children, ICPH.
It Is Tough on Children.
Over 85% of homeless families are headed by women, overwhelmingly single mothers. The vulnerability is especially pronounced among young women, as 44% of homeless individuals aged 18 to 25 who identify as women are either pregnant or already mothers.
A principal factor driving mothers into homelessness is domestic violence, with a staggering 80% to 92% of homeless mothers reporting a history of physical or sexual abuse. This is compounded by severe economic challenges like underemployment, low wages, and a lack of affordable housing, which creates extreme housing instability. African American mothers, especially Black mothers, continue to represent the highest proportion of homelessness within this segment. Another exacerbating point is that homeless mothers have histories of prior homelessness or time spent in foster care, significantly increasing their risk of repeated housing crises.
The stark effects lived by the homeless children is severe because they suffer from mental illness as they have lived most of their precious moments in the streets without feeling protected. About 50% of homeless children under age four show delays in cognitive, speech, and motor skills, which is 3 to 4 times the rate of housed children. Homelessness exposes children to “toxic stress,” disrupting brain development and emotional regulation. High rates of depression, anxiety, and aggression are observed, with nearly half of school-age homeless children showing these symptoms.
This reality is powerfully illustrated in the Where Home Never Was documentary, produced by the Girls’ Voices Program, which chronicles a mother and daughter’s struggle for survival, not just financially, but also emotionally and mentally, during their time on the streets.
Sources: Green Doors, Chapin Hall, National Homeless, ICPH, National League of Cities, Social Justice, NIH.
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In 2025, 13.5 million viewers experienced the voices of women and girls through our films. Your support ensures that next year, even more stories are told.
What’s There to Help Them?
Homeless mothers and children in the U.S. receive support through a coordinated framework of services that combines immediate relief with long-term systemic reform. Direct aid is delivered via specialized programs that offer shelter, housing, counseling, life skills training, and reintegration support.
Specific support programs like the Second Story initiative provide comprehensive services for young mothers aged 16–24, offering stable housing for up to 18 months. This housing is paired with intensive case management, parenting education, counseling, budgeting instruction, and employment assistance to help the families regain self-sufficiency.
For mothers needing more intensive intervention, programs such as the Los Angeles Mission offer a 12-month rehabilitation model that provides shelter, meals, clothing, and life skills education, followed by transition support focused on social reintegration and reunification with their children. Additionally, under the federal Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, pregnant or parenting youth (ages 16-21) can access maternity group homes that provide safe transitional living, along with focused support on parenting, child development, and health and nutrition services.
Beyond direct aid, there is a strong consensus among specialists and policymakers that comprehensive policies and infrastructural reforms are essential to prevent and reduce homelessness on a national scale. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) has published a strategic plan with the ambitious goal of reducing homelessness by 25% by 2025. This plan targets systemic improvements, including maximizing the use of federal housing assistance, increasing access to affordable, safe, and accessible rental housing, and improving eligibility and referral systems nationwide.
Complementing the national strategy, community-based strategic plans utilize grassroots input to tailor local solutions for specific populations, such as youth, families fleeing domestic violence, and people with disabilities. Simultaneously, legislative efforts, like the proposed 2025 Prevent Homelessness Act, aim to solidify housing protections, expand critical assistance programs, and proactively target vulnerable populations.
Sources: second-story, acf, Spokane Regional Continuum of Care 2025-2030, Destination Home.
“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked, and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is the greatest poverty.”
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