What Data Should We Gather About Homeless Families in Washington State

This review mainly focuses on research about homeless families. A homeless family comprises a homeless parent, sometimes two, who has with them one or more children under 18. Also included are pregnant woman even if they have no children with them. Surprisingly, there are virtually no data about homeless families in Washington State, credible enough for policy-making. This paper was prepared to encourage Washington State authorities to gather and use data in formulating our public policies about helping homeless families and in assessing our present assistance programs.