A 2006 report by the National Council on Disability on the effects of Hurricane Katrina and Rita highlighted that disabled people were disproportionately affected because their needs were overlooked or disregarded during and after the disasters. Families with disabled children experiencing homelessness are adversely affected because they have to rebuild their lives without special assistance from relevant stakeholders. The challenges faced by such families during emergency response (inability to evacuate because transportation is inaccessible, lack of wheelchairs, insufficient information and communication of safety for visual and hearing disabilities) are compounded by the perceived neglect during the recovery phases, particularly in schools that the children attend. The situation highlights the lack of effective measures to assist families with disabled children in ensuring these children enjoy their basic rights like any other child in the US.
The affordable housing crisis is deepening in areas experiencing disasters and stricken by poverty. Families with children with disability struggle to get by. Majority of these families spend at least half of their limited income on rent. Few resources are left for other basic needs such as food, healthcare, transportation, or savings. Reports indicate that homeless children are more likely than their peers to develop acute and chronic health problems including asthma, hyperactivity/inattention, and behavior problems. Coupled with their families’ limited income, these health problems incapacitate these children from accessing quality education or achieving better performance. The significance of the problem is evident through data showing that there were 1.26 million homeless school children in the US in 2012. Collaborative efforts by families and teachers are needed to enhance understanding among the latter about the predicament of these children. Such approaches will inform policy development with the challenges and needs of these children in mind.
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However, solutions in the learning environment cannot address the root cause of the problem – homelessness. School boards can act as advocates of families with disabled children experiencing homelessness. School boards can facilitate passage of concerns of these families through appropriate channels to elicit a positive response. This can prove to be effective in the prioritization of these families by homelessness assistance programs. However, these families have reservations about housing that must be explored and addressed. For instance, their preferences for familiar neighborhoods near children’s schools, family, friends, transportation, and stability must be respected (Fisher, Mayberry, Shinn et al. , 2014). In addition, families have been determined to be least comfortable and more likely to leave transitional housing such as FEMA’s hotel shelter program. Complete and equitable recovery efforts start with ensuring people with the greatest need have access to housing solutions in the form of safe, decent, and affordable rental homes. Families and schools cannot provide these solutions, but can play crucial roles in making the problems of these children beard and addressed.
References
Fisher, B. W., Mayberry, L. S., Shinn, M., & Khadduri, J. (2014). Leaving homelessness behind: Housing decisions among families exiting shelter. Housing Policy Debate , 24 (2), 364-386.
