KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The number of homeless children in the United States is increasing. In a report just released by the National Center for Family Homelessness, the numbers are at record levels.
Kansas City’s City Union Mission at 11th and Forrest takes in hundreds of families every night.
The ack of affordable housing and not enough assistance for victims of domestic violence are two reasons given in the report that 2.5 million children didn’t have a place to call home in 2013. That’s up considerably over the last seven years.
In 2006, one in 50 children were considered to be homeless. Just seven years later, in 2013, it’s now one in 30 children or 2.5 million.
The National Center for Family Homelessness ranked the states from best to worst, one being the best. Missouri came in at 31 and Kansas came in at 22.
The report offered solutions like creating more affordable housing and offering assistance to mothers in
domestic violence situations.