Beyond Housing: A National Conversation on Child Homelessness and Poverty

NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Children are the invisible face of homelessness. Most Americans are unaware that an estimated 2.8 million children experience homelessness in communities across the country every day. In addition to housing, these children face instability in the form of hunger, chronic health problems, difficulty in school, and anxiety about their family's future. Beyond Housing: A National Conversation on Child Homelessness and Poverty presents a timely opportunity for policy and program leaders to come together and examine the issues of child and family homelessness from a variety of perspectives. 

The sixth biennial conference, hosted by the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness (ICPH), will take place at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in New York City from January 16-17. At this two-day event, a diverse group of service providers, practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and homeless and formerly homeless individuals will share expertise on pre-K and K-12 education, health, employment, higher education, shelter, housing, and advocacy. Roughly 800 participants from 40 states and the District of Columbia will be in attendance.

"ICPH is honored to host some of the most experienced problem solvers and brightest minds from around the country here in New York City—a city that itself has sustained a homeless family crisis spanning nearly 40 years," says Ralph da Costa Nunez, PhD, President of the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness. "The purpose of this conference is to provide a forum for leaders and practitioners who are interested in moving the discussion beyond simply housing to include data and field-tested strategies that address the comprehensive needs of children and their families."

On Thursday, January 16, the first day of ICPH's 2020 Beyond Housing Conference, ICPH President Dr. Ralph da Costa Nunez will deliver a morning keynote speech exploring how the face of poverty and homelessness has evolved over the last 40 years, and the ways in which it has it stayed the same. David Williams, Policy Director at Opportunity Insights, will deliver the luncheon keynote speech examining which neighborhoods in America offer children the best chance to rise out of poverty and the local dynamics at play. An awards ceremony will take place the evening of January 16, honoring five individuals and organizations whose work goes "beyond housing" to provide services and support to homeless families while keeping the needs of the children at the forefront.

On Friday, January 17, the breakfast keynote will feature a panel discussion about the latest resources from Sesame Street in Communities, focusing on traumatic childhood experiences such as the opioid crisis, foster care, and food insecurity, as well as the decision to explore the topic of family homelessness through their character Lily. The final luncheon keynote speaker is Matthew Morton, Research Fellow at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, who will discuss the findings of the Voices of Youth Count initiative.

More than 60 sessions in the following 10 categories will be offered: advocacy; community; employment/adult skill building; education; health; organizational/staff development; partnerships; policy/research; program strategies; shelter/housing; and youth. Among the topics for sessions are: updates on federal policy on child, youth, and family homelessness; tackling attendance issues by understanding the causes; examining the health behaviors of homeless youth versus those of their peers; benefits of the Girl Scouts and how to bring this experience to your community; challenges faced by homeless youth during their K-12 education; navigating the challenges of reporting on family homelessness; innovative programming options for shelters; welcoming families into shelters with their pets; and much more.

For a complete list of sessions, speakers, and information about keynote and breakout sessions, go to https://www.icphusa.org/beyond-housing/.

The Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness (ICPH) is a New York City-based policy research organization focused on family and child homelessness in New York City and throughout the United States.

To attend the conference as media, contact Katie Linek Puello ([email protected],
212-358-8086 ext. 1207, Cell: 732-266-9168) or Linda Bazerjian ([email protected],
212-358-8086 ext. 1204, Cell: 347-782-2215).

*All media are required to contact ICPH before attending the conference. Day-of requests are permissible.

Contact:
Katie Linek Puello: [email protected] | 212-358-8086 ext.1207 | C: 732-266-9168
Linda Bazerjian: [email protected] | 212-358-8086 ext. 1204 | C: 347-782-2215

SOURCE Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness