Homelessness continues to …show more content…
The National Center of Family Homelessness and Doorways for Women and Families has documented the impacts of homelessness on children. Children without a home are sick four times more often than other children, and have four times as many respiratory infections, twice as many ear infections, five times more gastrointestinal problems, and are four times more likely to have asthma. Homeless children also go hungry twice as often as other kids, and 53% have psychological problems including anxiety, depression, or withdrawal. That figure drops significantly, to 17%, for school-aged kids who have a …show more content…
There are 172 homeless children in Chittenden County (this includes Burlington and South Burlington) alone, and COTS launched a #172 Campaign to help raise awareness of this pressing social concern.
Programs include shelters for individuals, shelters for families, transitional housing, permanent housing, emergency grants for rental and mortgage payments. People also receive assistance with work force training, budgeting, navigating the welfare system, accessing affordable childcare services, parenting classes, computer training, creative writing groups, women’s groups, individual tutoring, cooking and grocery shopping, and healthy food demonstration.
There are three programs partly or in full run by the Committee on Temporary Shelter in Burlington, Vermont which include the Housing Resource Center, Family Supportive Housing, and COMPASS (Comprehensive Assistance toward Self Sufficiency). The Housing Resource Center helps people seeking affordable housing and rental assistance. HRC staff help connect people to resources and support before they are evicted, or their homes are foreclosed on. The Family Supportive Housing is a transitional housing program for families to restore their bad credit and landlord references. This program has successfully reduce shelter stay for families,