Research on homeless families has focused primarily on residents of emergency and transitional housing programs, most of which serve victims of domestic violence and/or substance abuse, primarily women, excluding male partners and adolescent children. Resulting family profiles are skewed towards unaccompanied women with dependent children. Evaluation of a temporary emergency shelter for homeless families revealed a markedly different profile. Families housed were older, more often married and living together, and had more older children than reported elsewhere. Many were income-earning households left homeless by low income, a high rental market and under-funded migration moves in their search for employment. Housing and income policies need to include the unique needs of dual parent households with dependent children.
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