Families make up about 40 percent of the local homeless population. Twenty years ago, family homelessness was rare. But nationally, families comprise the fastest-growing group of homeless people.

Currently, many low-income families receive support through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF). This mainstream public aid program seeks to stabilize families through food stamps, Medicaid, employment training programs, case management, and cash assistance that does not exceed $288 a month for a three-member family.

Despite this assistance, many of the city's most vulnerable families lack affordable housing, thereby undermining the effectiveness of the services. Only 5 to 18 percent of all Marion County families receiving TANF also receive a housing subsidy. In addition, Marion County TANF families who are working earn an average hourly wage of $7.62. Many working people who lack housing subsidies spend significant portions of their incomes on housing and childcare, leaving them in poverty and at risk for becoming homeless. For a single working mother with two children earning an income just above the poverty line ($15,000), childcare expenses can exhaust up to 75 percent of her salary. As the fastest-growing group of homeless people, families must be connected with affordable housing and support programs.