United Way of Greater Fort Dodge is working hard to help homeless children in our community. Inflation is difficult to deal with for most families, but it is devastating for low-income families.

In Webster County, the data shows that food costs have risen 21 percent to 30 percent since 2019, and gas prices are up 65 percent and rental rates for houses and apartments have increased by 31.9 percent.

Because of this, eviction rates have increased dramatically. Fort Dodge is no exception. The actual number of homeless women and children in the greater Fort Dodge area is not known, but the number of homeless families, or families that are close to eviction and are just one bill away from becoming homeless, is in the hundreds.

In Iowa, single-parent families headed by mothers with children, make up the largest group of people who are homeless, and this number is increasing. A statewide homeless study shows that families with children make up 61 percent of the total homeless population in Iowa.

A study by the U.S. Federal Reserve shows that 42.9 percent of households with children in Webster County are headed by a single parent.

Most homeless families don’t sleep under bridges. Some sleep in their cars and many others move from one friend’s home or apartment to another, sleeping on couches or on floors.

There is no doubt that family homelessness in the U.S., in Iowa and in Fort Dodge is on the rise at an alarming rate. And the ever-tightening supply of affordable housing in our community makes the homelessness problem even greater. National housing statistics show that Iowa ranks in the Top 10 of all the states in the nation for the highest increase in rental rates in the past two years.

It is estimated that 90 percent of families experiencing homelessness are female-headed and close to half of all homeless children are under the age of 8.The typical homeless family is comprised of a mother in her late 20s or early 30s with two to three children. These young families are often forced to spend 50 percent or more of their monthly income on rent. This burden means they will have to sacrifice other items, such as food, utilities, clothing or medicine.

As one can imagine, the experience of being homeless is traumatic for children. The instability of having to sleep in a different place every night places a tremendous amount of stress on children. Research shows that homeless children often face a constant barrage of stressful and traumatic experiences as they are twice as likely to experience hunger, three times more likely to be physically abused and four times as likely to have delayed development. Homeless children also experience more mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and withdrawal. We also know that when children become homeless, their school attendance drops significantly.

It is unrealistic to think we can end homelessness in Fort Dodge, but there are opportunities to leverage our resources and develop a synergistic approach to attacking the issue that will help reduce the problem, impact lives, and use limited resources more efficiently.

United Way in Fort Dodge is focused on helping our youth thrive, especially those that are struggling to overcome major issues like poverty and homelessness. United Way funds provide emergency support for homeless families or families that are on the verge of becoming homeless, to help them overcome this horrendous challenge and find affordable housing that will help lead to family stability. Without this support, the children just don’t have a chance.

Citizens interested in helping support our efforts to help families that are homeless or very close to becoming homeless can make donations today. Charitable gifts can be made payable to United Way of Greater Fort Dodge, 24 N. Ninth St., Suite B, Fort Dodge, IA 50501. You can donate online as well at unitedwayfd.org. For more information on United Way of Greater Fort Dodge, please call our office at (515) 573-3171.

Randy Kuhlman is the chief executive officer of the Fort Dodge Community Foundation and United Way.