Interested in supporting our Policy Department? Click here to donate to PEC!
JUST RELEASED
It's a Building Early Links for Learning Listening Party!Watch the Building Early Links for Learning Listening party by clicking the image to the right!
Parent Workshop: COVID 19 and young childrenWe recently facilitated a workshop about COVID 19 for parents with young children. If you missed you, click on the image to the right for the recording!
Kathy Desmond's Testimony from Congressman Evans' Roundtable DiscussionCongressperson Evans organized a discussion about children experiencing homelessness and early childhood education. The discussion was streamed live on Facebook and can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/RepDwightEvans/videos/268126620851346
Brain Gain: The Brain Body Connection and Early Childhood DevelopmentThis report summarizes “Connecting the Brain to the Rest of the Body: Early Childhood Development and Lifelong Health Are Deeply Intertwined,” a working paper produced by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.
|
|
Brain Gain: Young Children's Home Learning During the PandemicThis report summarizes “Young Children’s Home Learning and Preschool Participation Experiences During the Pandemic,” a study by Dr. Steven Barnett, Dr. Kwanghee Jung and Dr. Milagros Nores from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education.
|
|
Listen to our Children's Work Group Discussion!The BELL Team put together a podcast of last Friday's discussion at the Children's Work Group Early Childhood Committee. It features our Iyisha Weaver and Sarah Vrabic discussing with a state official the issues around opening up chlid care during the time of COVID 19.
These recordings of a recent Children's Work Group Committee Meeting will keep you abreast of the state of children's homelessness in Philadelphia.
|
|
Results!Read BELL’s Infographic and review their FY 2019 results, recommendations and activities.
BrainGain@PEC Studying the Philadelphia PIT and HICThis report summarizes Philadelphia’s Point in Time (PIT) count and the Housing Inventory Chart (HIC) as they relate to “persons in families” experiencing homelessness (as defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
|
|
BrainGain@PEC Can home visiting impact family homelessness?This report summarizes “Home visiting program impacts on reducing homelessness among young mothers,” a study published in 2018 and written by Tufts Interdisciplinary Evaluation Research (TIER) and Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University. PEC summarized the report to inform Pennsylvania’s community involved in family homelessness and home visiting.
|
|
BrainGain@PEC Pennsylvania Does Well In National Homeless Funding CompetitionHUD uses a funding competition to award McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance grants that fund regions throughout each state in the United States. In 2018 Pennsylvania received just over $108 million in Continuum of Care (CoC) funding, a 26% increase since 2012.
|
|
FAMILY PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: A NEEDS ASSESSMENTMAUREEN A. HAYES, PH.D., THE TRISKELE CONSULTING GROUP
This study was conducted by The Triskele Consulting Group under a sub-contract from the People’s Emergency Center, funded by the William Penn Foundation. This report examines the challenges and needs of young children in the most vulnerable group among families that have been homeless: Permanent Supportive Housing. |
|
BrainGain@PEC: Differences between Urban and Suburban Homelessness Among Children and YouthThis BrainGain compares reports by Pennsylvania’s Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) Regions 1 and 8. Overall, Philadelphia identified 7,112 children and youth in FY 2018, and Region 8 identified 4,809. However, in many categories, homelessness in suburban Philadelphia is more pervasive than in the City of Philadelphia.
|
|
|
|
Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness in Pennsylvania up by 22% from Last Year - BrainGain PA Department of Education SY17-18 Report Part IIThis BrainGain reviews a report by PA Department of Education. The number of children and youth who experienced homelessness in school year (SY) 2017-2018 was 36,823 -- an increase of 6,559 children compared to SY 2016-2017.
|
|
7,112 Children and Youth in Philadelphia Experienced Homelessness during the 2017-2018 School Year - BrainGain Philadelphia School District SY17-18 Report Part IThis Brain Gain reviews a report by the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). The number reported above is an increase of 529 children compared to the 2016-2017 school year. If the average classroom contained 33 students each, this number would fill 216 classrooms.
|
|
BELL Featured in National Journal Zero To Three Special Edition About Children Experiencing HomelessnessPEC and Dr. JJ Cutuli, a PEC Visiting Scholar, authored an article on the Building Early Links for Learning (BELL) project in the special Zero to Three journal focus on children experiencing homelessness.
|
|
National Journal Zero To Three Publishes Special Edition About Children Experiencing HomelessnessThe national journal Zero To Three dedicated its March journal to address the needs of young children experiencing homelessness. This edition includes PEC’s Building Early Links for Learning (BELL) project, and contributions from PEC Visiting Scholars Dr. Janette Herbers, Dr. Sara Shaw, and Dr. JJ Cutuli.
|
|
BrainGain@PEC: Pennsylvania exceeds national growth rate for identifying students who experience homelessnessA newly released report from National Center for Homeless Education shows that in the United States, the number of students experiencing homelessness increased 7 percent since the School Year 2015, while Pennsylvania increased by 14 percent. Read PEC's summary here.
|
|
BrainGain@PEC: Children and Youth Served by Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services in Philadelphia during Fiscal Year 2018This report shows the total number of children and youth served by the Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services (OHS) during Fiscal Year 2018, which includes those who are experiencing homelessness as well as those who are housed and residing in OHS-supported housing programs. #FamiliesCount
BrainGain@PEC: FY 18 Data Snapshot from the Philadelphia Office of Homeless ServicesData listed in this report is found in the Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services’ “FY 18 Data Snapshot” with the exception on the charts and graphs, and other data points as noted. The data was released to December 7, 2018 in meeting attended by the Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services (OHS) and providers.
|
|
Linking Homelessness Vulnerability Assessments to Housing Placements and Outcomes for YouthPEC is summarizing this report in hopes that local stakeholders will become interested in reading the complete report and understand the importance of this research document. This report is the “first comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the connection between vulnerability scores, housing placement (of youth/young adults who experience homelessness), and stability of housing outcomes.”
BrainGain@PEC- Homelessness in High School: Population-Representative Rates of Self-Reported Homelessness,
|
Photo by Stanley Morales pexel.com
Youth advocates meeting with the Philadelphia School District
|
Philadelphia is using an array of strategies to end homelessness.According to the Office of Homeless Services, Philadelphia’s Homeless System served over 15,000 persons in FY2017 in emergency, transitional, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing programs.
|
PEC's volunteers at the 2018 Point in Time Count
|
BrainGain@PEC: 6,583 Children and Youth in Philadelphia Experienced Homelessness during the 2016-2017 School YearThis new information comes to us from reports by the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) and the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). This is an increase of 819 children compared to the 2014-2015 school year. People’s Emergency Center summarized these reports to inform the region’s leadership about children and youth experiencing homelessness.
|
|
BrainGain@PEC: Origins for the BELL project: “Access to Early Childhood Programs for Young Children Experiencing Homelessness: A Survey Report”Dr. Staci Perlman, PEC’s first Visiting Scholar, published her findings of a national survey by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) Early Childhood Committee in Access to Early Childhood Programs for Young Children Experiencing Homelessness: A Survey Report.
|
|
Policy Brief: Department of Education report indicates a 47 percent increase in PA’s children and youth who experience homelessnessPEC summarized the Pennsylvania Department of Education's report to inform the region’s leadership about this population. Most importantly, policy makers need to understand that homelessness among children and youth is increasing and that this phenomena is not confined to urban regions.
|
|
BrainGain@PEC-Missed Opportunities: LGBTQ Youth Homelessness in AmericaChapin Hall’s Voices of Youth Count recently published Missed Opportunities: LGBTQ Youth Homelessness in America, offering new information on youth identifying as Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans and Questioning (LGBTQ) who experienced homelessness, and identifying future implications as well as recommendations for policymakers, leaders of public system, and practitioners. PEC summarized the report for the Philadelphia emergency housing system.
|
|
BrainGain@PEC-Missed Opportunities: Pregnant and Parenting Youth Experiencing Homelessness in AmericaVoices of Youth Counts published Missed Opportunities: Pregnancy and Parenting Youth Experiencing Homelessness in America, offering information on young people experiencing homelessness who are pregnant or parenting and identifying future implications as well as recommendations for policymakers, leaders of public systems, and practitioners. The report’s objective was to inform our nation about new evidence on homelessness among youth and young adults, ages 13 to 25. PEC summarized the report for the Philadelphia emergency housing system.
|
|
BrainGain@PEC: Select data on families experiencing homelessness surveyed by Children’s HealthWatchResearchers associated with Children’s HealthWatch published Unstable Housing and Caregiver and Child Health in Renter Families, offering information on families who experience homelessness that is not normally available to providers and systems who work with these families. Some families from Philadelphia are included. This summary shows a sample of characteristics and outcome data specific to all families experiencing homelessness.
|
|
Testimony on Pennsylvania’s Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) State PlanOn May 8, 2018 PEC's Building Early Links for Learning Early Childhood Education Specialist Sarah Vrabic provided comments to the Pennsylvania’s State Plan for 2019-2021 to implement the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) on behalf of PEC President Kathy Desmond.
|
|
Reports Indicate a 35 percent Increase in PA Children and Youth Experiencing HomelessnessThe number of children and youth experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania has increased every year over the past four years. For the first time in history, the number of homeless children and youth exceeds 27,000 according to a Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) report. People’s Emergency Center (PEC) summarizes the PDE report to inform the region’s leadership about this population.
|
|
Philadelphia Point in Time Count (PIT) and Housing Inventory
|
|
Philadelphia lost over 23,000 low-cost rental housing units between 2000 and 2014.PEC has summarized parts of the report, providing text that is mostly verbatim from the FRBPhi report. Data citations are to be found in the original report. PEC encourages reader to read the full report at https://www.philadelphiafed.org/-/media/community-development/publications/cascade-focus/gentrification-and-changes-in-the-stock-of-low-cost-rental-housing/cascade-focus_5.pdf?la=en
|
|
END HOMELESSNESS - INCREASE VOUCHERS!Housing Vouchers prevent homelessness and housing insecurity while increasing stable and affordable housing. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Prioritiesi , an estimated funding amount of $18.86 billion by Congress will be needed in 2017 to fully renew Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers for more than 100,000 families...
|
|
Point in Time (PIT) summaries of families counted in emergency/transitional housing or on the street experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania, FY 2009 to FY 2016
The chart below shows numbers of homeless “persons in households with children” while either in shelter or living outdoors according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)...
|
Does Philadelphia Need to expand its Homeless Prevention Program?
Homelessness prevention is a set of strategies to help low-income households resolve a housing crisis that could otherwise lead to homelessness...
|
Testimony to Philadelphia Division of Housing and Community Development in support of Homelessness Prevention programs on the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER), February 7, 2017I am Joe Willard, Vice President for Policy for the People’s Emergency Center (PEC). PEC’s mission is to nurture families, strengthen neighborhoods, and drive change...
|
|
Housing Inventory Chart (HIC) summaries of families who experienced homelessness in Pennsylvania FY 2009 to FY 2016
The charts below show the housing capacity for families who experience homelessness in Pennsylvania...
|
Policy Brief: Historic highs of the number of children and youth experiencing homelessness; December 2016
This report summarizes School District of Philadelphia data on homelessness published by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for School Year 2014-15, which is useful for understanding the number of children and youth who experience homelessness...
|
Increases in child and youth homelessness in Pennsylvania: Good News or Bad?The number of children and youth experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania has increased every year over the past four years. For the first time in history, the number of homeless children and youth exceeds 26,000 according to a Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) report. People’s Emergency Center (PEC) summarizes the PDE report to inform the region’s leadership about this population...
|
|
Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Self-report at school and homelessnessYouth homelessness is hard to gauge by its nature
• Developmental differences • Not little adults / Not big children • Less likely to want to be found • More likely to be sofa surfing, not connected to shelter or any targeted services ... |
|
POLICY PUBLICATIONS ARCHIVE
New Head Start Regulations To Assist Young Children Who Experience Homelessness (September 2016)The U.S. Department of Health And Human Services issued the first comprehensive revision of the Head Start Performance Standards since their original release in 1975 and includes new provision addressing homelessness.
Final Child Care and Development Fund RegulationsThe Administration for Children and Families and Youth published The Final Child Care Rules Announced: New Policies for Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness to put a spotlight on the “essential components of a comprehensive respond to family homelessness.”
|
Services work for families experiencing homelessness in PhiladelphiaThis report helps policy makers understand how families who experience homelessness overcome their struggles with assistance from social service agencies.
|
Housing Inventory Chart (HIC) summaries of families who experienced homelessness in Pennsylvania FY 2009 to FY 2015The charts below show the housing capacity for families who experience homelessness in Pennsylvania.
|
Point in Time summaries of families who experience homelessness in Pennsylvania FY 2007 to FY 2015The chart below shows numbers of homeless persons who are with their family while either in shelter or living outdoors as shown on the HUD website.
|
Point in Time (PIT) count summaries of Adult Individuals who experienced homelessness in Pennsylvania FY 2012 to FY 2015The chart below shows numbers of Adult Individuals who were either in shelter or living outdoors and counted during a single night in wintertime from 2012 to 2015 in Pennsylvania.
|
Final Report - Street Outreach Program Data Collection StudyPhiladelphia is embarking on several efforts to confront the growing surge of youth who are experiencing homelessness. This summary of a new report will help leaders consider successful strategies and make decisions about resource reallocation.
|
What affects parental preschool choices among families experiencing homelessness?Annually, there are more than 2,000 children ages 0-5 who experience homelessness in Philadelphia.
|
PA Homeless Task Force & Advisory Committee RecommendationsIn March 2014, House Resolution No. 550 directed the Joint State Government Commission to establish a bipartisan legislative task force and an advisory committee to conduct a study of the occurrence, effects and trends of homelessness in Pennsylvania and to report its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives.
|
Final Report - Street Outreach Program Data Collection StudyApril, 2016. Philadelphia embarking on several efforts to confront the growing surge of youth who are experiencing homelessness. This summary of a new report will help leaders consider successful strategies and make decisions about resource reallocation.
|
Family Homelessness in Philadelphia, A briefing for our City Leaders, February 2016City priorities in ending homelessness reflect federal funding priorities as established by HUD. Philadelphia competes for HUD funding through its annual application for consolidated funding through the “Continuum of Care” (CoC) process. HUD’s priorities in recent years have included...
|
Historic increases in the number of children and youth experiencing homelessness in United States and Pennsylvania24,504 Children and Youth in Pennsylvania and 1,301,239 in the United States experienced homelessnessin the 2013-2014 School Year -- reading and math scores dramatically declined
|
Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act [S262/HR1779]There are only 13 emergency housing units available in spite of the fact that there are thousands of homeless youth in Philadelphia. There are only about 10 youth shelters in all of Pennsylvania, yet more than 20,000 youth are homeless most every year.
|
2015 State of Homelessness in America and in PennsylvaniaThe State of Homelessness in America is a series of annual reports by the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH). It discusses a variety of data sets focused on describing state and national trends in homelessness in conjunction with economic, housing, demographic, and household factors that affect people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
|
Testimony of Kira Strong, Vice President for Community and Economic Development, People’s Emergency Center, To Philadelphia City Council, April 6, 2015"I am here to speak about the incredible need for affordable housing we see in our work with homeless families and in the neighborhoods we serve..."
|
Parenting interventions in shelter settings: a qualitative systematic review of the literatureThe aim of this literature review was to critique the state of the research on the effects of implementing parenting programmes in shelters for homeless families...
|
On any given day: 15,300 Pennsylvanians homelessThis report summarizes Pennsylvania-based data on single adult individuals from the 2014 release of the Housing Inventory Chart (HIC) and the Point in Time (PIT)ii counts, with comparison data from 2012, as reported by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
|
PEC's Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report; Year 39Since 1992, PEC's community development arm (PECCDC) has provided an array of real estate, economic development, and quality of life programs to transform the West Powelton, Saunders Park and Mantua neighborhoods into a community of choice, a community in which people choose to live, work and thrive. Our comprehensive approach to neighborhood revitalization builds upon neighborhood assets and responds directly to the needs of the community.
|
Creating Opportunity for Children: How Housing Location Can Make a DifferenceA growing body of evidence supports two conclusions about how neighborhoods affect children’s well-being. First, high-poverty neighborhoods tend to be violent, stressful and environmentally hazardous. This can impair the cognitive development, school performance, and mental and physical health of a child.
|
Data Report on Pennsylvania’s Families Experiencing Homelessness Using 2014 Housing Inventory Count and Point in Time ReportsThis report summarizes Pennsylvania-based data on families from the recent release from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) of the Housing Inventory Chart (HIC) and the Point in Time (PIT)i counts.
|
Number of children and youth experiencing homelessness increasing in United States and Pennsylvania ; 201319,459 in Pennsylvania and 1,258,182 Children and Youth in the United States Experienced Homelessness in 2013 ...
|
New GAO study reviews homeless education issues; 2014 More than 20,000 students in Pennsylvania, including 5,000 in Philadelphia, were homeless last year [PA Dept of Education, 2014]. Research informs us that while many homeless students do well academically, not all do...
|
Fostering Resiliency in African-American Boys Living at PEC
The homeless system rarely discusses the healthy development of boys who are growing into men. With support from the Stoneleigh Foundation, People’s Emergency Center (PEC) staff responded by organizing an investigation to answer the following question...
|
Fostering Resiliency in African-American School-Age Boys Experiencing Homelessness
The People’s Emergency Center (PEC) housed 376 young boys and males teens and almost 400 families in fiscal years 2011 through 2013 (July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2013)...
|
Numbers increasing of children and youth in Pennsylvania and in United States who experience homelessness
The number of children and youth in Pennsylvania and in the United States who experienced homelessness has increased over the past three years according to the National Center for Homeless Education’s annual report Data Collection Summary for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program,i released in October 2013.
|
21% increase in capacity in housing programs for individual homeless persons
This BrainGain@PEC shows Pennsylvania-based data from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Homeless Assistance Program Housing Inventory Count (HIC)i Reports. This report is useful to help understand the capacity of the system.
|
Federal Reserve Bank Cites Pennsylvania’s Lack of Affordable Housing
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Affordability and Availability of Rental Housing in the Third Federal Reserve District: 2012 uses the latest available data to explore rental housing affordability conditions and trends between 2005 and 2010.
|
Summary: Childhood Homelessness in Pennsylvania; Oct 2013
In 2012, 9,098 children/youth slept at least one night in emergency (EH) or transitional (TH) housing in Pennsylvania. This report offers discussion topics for understanding the scope of childhood homelessness in Pennsylvania...
|
The Service and Housing Interventions for Families in Transition (SHIFT) Longitudinal Study
The overall goals of the SHIFT study were to (1) document the needs of homeless women and their children and (2) understand which housing programs are most effective. The characteristics and outcomes of families living in emergency shelters (ES), transitional housing (TH), and permanent supportive housing (PS) programs were compared...
|
34,657 Homeless
|
Homeless Youth in Philadelphia: Staci Perlman, Ph.D, University of Deleware, PEC Visiting Scholar; Joe Willard, PEC Vice President of PolicyThe purpose of this report is to share data from a Philadelphia-based study of youth homelessness. This report presents responses from Philadelphia public high school students who participated in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) in 2009 and 2011...
|
Growing up Homeless Forum Presentations; 2013Examined residential stability of families over time. Compared emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing....
|
The American Almanac of Family HomelessnessProvides a comprehensive look at family homelessness at the local, state, and national levels.
• Reviews demographics, barriers to services, policies, and service systems • Divided into three sections: Issue by Issue, State by State, Ideas in Action |
Neighbors Helping Neighbors; Stories of People Who Overcame Homelessness and Programs that Helped Them Succeed; 2011The narratives collected here tell the stories of just a few of the many remarkable people who have experienced hardship and homelessness and have worked to reclaim their lives...
|
Estimated Annual Cost of Child Homelessness in Pennsylvania: $321 Million Updated November 2012
Pennsylvania’s state policy makers have reduced funding for strategies that address the needs of children who experience homelessness, resulting, in part, in increases in family homelessness...
|
The Rest of the Story: 34,004 persons experiencing homelesness served in Pennsylvania, 2011.Without a reliable number, how would legislators know the level of resources needed to eradicate the problem? Without a reliable number, how would we know – from year to year – if we have made progress against the problem?
|
Restore Pennsylvania’s Homeless Assistance Program; October 2012
During the cold of last February, Naomi called the People’s Emergency Center (PEC) seeking emergency housing for herself and her two children but was turned away due to lack of space. She tried contacting the county and other family providers, but was told to make her own arrangements or go on a waiting list. Naomi was not the first or the last parent who would get turned away–five or six other families each day get turned away by PEC. Turned away, Naomi faced moving her children from house to house. This situation is a daily event repeated throughout Pennsylvania.
|
McKinney-Vento: 25 Years and Counting; Philadelphia Programs That are Making a DifferenceThis report offers a snapshot of how the Philadelphia community has successfully responded to helping their neighbors who became homeless...
|
Neighbors helping Neighbors:
|
PEC BRAIN GAIN PUBLICATIONS
State of Homelessness in America and in Pennsylvania; Aug 2013
This report discusses a variety of data sets focused on describing state and national trends in homelessness in conjunction with economic, housing, demographic, and household factors that affect people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless....
|
Philadelphia’s Workforce Development Challenge; Feb 2012
This BrainGain@PEC examines the workforce development system’s performance, operations and challenges over the past several years--hard economic times in which increasing numbers of Philadelphians are looking for work...
|
Marginalized Mothers: Parenting without a Home; April 2012
If research on homelessness is to be of use to participants, they need to be included more fully in the research process. Researchers should continue to work collaboratively with individuals experiencing homelessness so that their experiences can be heard and used to inform public policy...
|
Family Homelessness Increases by 20%; 2010...During this period, the annual number of shelter users has been stable. However, there is evidence that the economic downturn has made certain groups more vulnerable to homelessness. More persons in families are using shelters than ever before, especially in suburban and rural areas...
|
Part III: Pennsylvania’s Housing Inventory for Homeless Families Shows Decline in Capacity; July 2011
On a single night in Pennsylvania last year, the number of homeless persons in the state as counted in the annual Point in Time (PIT) survey mandated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) exceeded the populations of many Commonwealth towns...
|
Philadelphia Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness; Presented by the report subcommittee of the Children’s Work Group; April 2010
The first section of this report presents general information about homelessness, Philadelphia’s Emergency and Transitional Housing system, and the “typical” progression a family makes once connected to services provided by the Office of Supportive Housing (OSH). The second, main, section takes a closer look at Philadelphia’s children ages birth to three that are experiencing homelessness, as well as a small section on school age children. The third section provides a broader backdrop of homeless families with children. The report then concludes by offering recommendations for action...
|