Moving Out, Moving Up: Families Beyond Shelter

Moving out, Moving up is the second book in a collection profiling homeless families. Unlike most books about homelessness relaying stories of discouragement and despair, it highlights the achievements of those who broke the cycle of family homelessness. The sic individuals depicted here had nowhere to turn and found themselves walking their children through the shelter door. Through participation in programs like GED classes, parenting support groups, and job training, they were able to lead their families to the other side of the door - to self-sufficiency, success, and homes to call their own. Some, like Angela, a victim of post= 9/11 downsizing, were successful immediately; others, like Monique, a domestic violence survivor, struggled and returned to shelter before stabilizing their families. But all six ultimately found their ways and speak here of their journeys and hopes for the future for their children and themselves. Family homelessness is still in our midst, and will be for the foreseeable future. But these stories give us hope that with the right set of tools, families in shelter can not only move out, but almost move up.

Ralph da Costa Nunez, Ph. D. is author of Beyond the Shelter Wall, and President & CEO of Homes for the Homeless and the Institute for Children and Poverty, as well as Professor of Public Policy at Columbia University. He served in executive-level policy positions dealing with homelessness and poverty at both City and State levels of government.