According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, families experiencing homelessness are generally similar to other, housed families living in poverty. In fact, many poor families – homeless or not – share similar characteristics: they are usually headed by a single woman with limited education, are usually young, and experience high rates of domestic violence and mental illness.
Some families living in poverty fall into homelessness as a result of some unforeseen financial challenge – such as a death in the family, a lost job, or an unexpected bill – which creates a situation where the family cannot maintain housing.