Cause of the Week: Housing & Shelter

Subcauses: Temporary Shelter, Disaster Relief, Food Bank, Senior Care, Safe Home, Refugees, Home Accessibility & Improvement, Family Shelters

“Housing is absolutely essential to human flourishing. Without stable shelter, it all falls apart.” -  Matthew Desmond 

A home offers safe harbor from the elements, a place to relax, and a place to share a hot meal with friends and family. Yet many people in the U.S. and around the globe do not have this refuge of warmth and comfort. Unexpected displacement can result from conflict, natural or manmade disasters, or financial instability, leaving those affected with little more than the clothes on their back and, if lucky, what they can carry in a small bag. 

During any given night in 2019 in the U.S., over half a million people did not have a home. Of those, 65% stayed in a homeless shelter, while the remaining 35% battled the elements and slept in parks, cars, and sidewalks. The unsheltered spend most of their day searching for their next meal and sometimes go days, even weeks, without a shower or access to hygienic facilities and resources. Inadequate housing conditions can be the main causing factor in the onset of many preventable diseases and injuries, including respiratory, nervous system, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. 

Here in the U.S., one in sixteen children under the age of six, roughly 1.45 million, have experienced homelessness. Roughly 31% of families with children under the age of 18, are suffering or have suffered from high housing burdens, which amounts to spending over 30% of monthly income on housing expenses. This results in difficulty to afford other necessities such as food and medical expenses.  

The CFC makes it easy for all of us to change the world. Your donation to housing and shelter cause areas provides the necessary funding for immediate relief including a hot meal or a clean bed to sleep in. It also supports CFC charities efforts to establish and build sustainable long-term security that can get people back up on their feet. Join the CFC community today and become a changemaker. 

10-04-2021