Alameda County Healthcare for Homeless Families Assessment

Homelessness in the United States continues to grow at an alarming rate, with an increasing number of this population consisting of children, adolescents, and young adults transitioning out of foster care. Homeless youth and families face consistent health problems more frequently than the average population and lack continuous access to health care. Increasing access to healthcare by homeless youth and families remains a difficult task particularly because homeless youth and families are a largely marginalized, isolated, and alienated population stigmatized by society. In Alameda County, 6,215 people, including 1,755 children, met the community's definition of homelessness, with 43% of the homeless remaining in a family with children (Alameda Countywide Homeless Continuum of Care Council, 2005). What remains unknown are the approximate numbers of homeless youth and families residing in Alameda County, many of whom are living “doubled up” with relatives and friends, therefore remaining marginalized from official homeless counts. Doubled up families face many of the same barriers for obtaining stable housing and accessing health services as homeless families. This research will assess access to pediatric healthcare among homeless families compared to doubled up families, advocating for expanding homeless services and the Department of Housing and Urban Development definition of homlessness to include families that are living in doubled up situations with family or friends due to economic reasons.