Let’s Talk About It

In the last issue of The Promise, Paul referred to homelessness as “the H word.” It’s a charged word that means countless things to people. So…let’s talk about family homelessness. Who are these families?

Families face homelessness in Bergen County every day. Some grew up poor; some came from money. Some went to college; some never finished high school. There are families with one child and families with several. Some made bad decisions; some were the victims of circumstances outside of their control. They come in all skin tones, practice their own religions, and speak many different languages. You get the point.

When someone talks about families who are homeless, the only thing you know is that, at that moment, they do not have a permanent place to live. THAT’S ALL! Anything else is something added based on one’s own experience or what has been read in the paper or seen on TV or on social media.

This may not be the picture you had in your head. Certainly, others hold the same misconceptions and may never have even considered the fact that working families with children – from Bergen County – are, in fact, facing homelessness.

Let me tell you about the families who are accepted into the programs that Family Promise of Bergen County offers.

1. ALL ARE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
2. All of the families have at least one family member who is working.
3. All have a desire to make changes to their lives.
4. Together, we can see a path forward to self-sufficiency.

Only those who fulfill all four of the aforementioned criteria are considered for admission to our programs. Families who do not meet these criteria are referred to other programs within the county.

I hope this article has been helpful. If you have any specific questions about family homelessness or the programs we offer, please email me, Kate Duggan, at kduggan@begenfamilypromise.org.