Physical health can act both as the cause of homelessness, as is the case with many victims of abuse, and as the result. Homeless families face a myriad of health concerns including a fifty percent asthma rate among homeless children, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, inadequate medical care, low birth weights, and poor nutrition, to say nothing of the devastating emotional health ramifications.

60% of homeless mothers have experienced family violence at some point in their lives, making the connection between domestic abuse and homelessness undeniable. The effects of this trauma is clearly debilitating not only to these mothers but also to the 40% of homeless children who witness it.  One in ten homeless families have at least one child in foster care, and a full quarter of homeless families have an ACS (Administration of Children's Services) case open.  Meanwhile one in three homeless parents are themselves foster children. The connection between homelessness and foster care is clear.

Children Having Children: Teen Pregnancy and Homelessness in New York City While teen mothers make up only 5 percent of the country as a whole, they make up half of the homeless family population. An astonishingly high number of them do not know about birth control, much less how to provide for a family. These young mothers need guidance and support if they are to ensure a better life for their children.

The Hidden Migration: Why New York City Shelters Are Overflowing with Families Another look at the connection between foster care and family homelessness, this report reveals the disturbing consequence of decreased foster care in New York City.

Multiple Families: Multiplying Problems- A First Look at the Fathers of Homeless Children This discussion of the men in homeless children's lives reveals a disturbing trend of detachment, hardship, and further instability.

A Welfare Reform- Foster Care- Homelessness Connection? The Story of "Lag Families" and "Limbo Children" in San Diego This analysis of data from San Diego shelters exposes a troubling phenomenon of parents losing their children to foster care as the result of a reduction in their welfare benefits.

Day to Day...Parent to Child: The Future of Violence Among Homeless Children in America The vast majority of homeless mothers have experienced domestic violence either as children or adults. Their children are very likely to have witnessed or been the victims of violence as well. Shelters must become places where families learn to cope with trauma and replace the pain and frustration of violence with self-investment.

A Trail of Tears: Trapped in a Cycle of Violence and Homelessness This informational pamphlet provides an overview of the myriad issues victims of domestic abuse face as well as the special obstacles that homeless families who have experienced violence must overcome on the road to recovery.

The Age of Confusion: Why So Many Teens Are Getting Pregnant, Turning to Welfare, and Ending Up Homeless Even though the majority of homeless mothers say they plan to use birth control, the grim reality is that only a slim minority actually follow through on that intention. These mothers need more than awareness; they need proactive family planning, support, and education.

The American Family Myth: Every Child at Risk Today one in every four children is born to a single mother. One third of those mothers are teenagers. While the erosion of the traditional family structure is hardly limited to the nation's poorest families, it does have the most serious implications for them, as it translates into even greater instability for homeless children.

Homelessness: The Foster Care Connection The connection between homelessness and foster care is undeniable. A high percentage of homeless mothers are themselves the product of foster care. The Family Crisis Nursery, a unique and innovative program, was designed to help these mothers keep their children out of foster care and keep their families together.