Seattle Times local news partners report on family homelessness in their areas

"Invisible Families" is a multi-part series by The Seattle Times done in collaboration with our online news partners. These partners, who represent some of the best hyperlocal and niche Web sites in the region, have contributed their own stories below, providing unique views on family homelessness in their neighborhoods. Our medical blogger has also brought his expertise to this issue, exploring how health problems further complicate life for this already-vulnerable population.

Aurora|Seattle | Vacating Homelessness
Every Wednesday for the past two summers my wife and I stroll down the street with our two youngest children towards Aurora Avenue and 90th Street, an intersection known for prostitution, drug dealing, and other criminal activity often called "the switchblade."

But just before we round the corner to get there, we duck into the lot of a quadplex, which is home to a small community garden. The tomatoes may be struggling this summer, but here in this garden a new kind of Aurora Avenue is sprouting as every Wednesday night anywhere from 50-100 neighbors gather for a meal... Read more.

Aurora|Seattle | Refugees: From East Africa to City Hall to Aurora Ave.
On Thursday, March 18, an Eritrean refugee family that had been in Seattle for only six months found themselves in the unlikeliest of places.

At 3:30 p.m. that afternoon Habtom and Hannah Sami, along with their two young children, were brought to the Office of Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn by a man named Richard who was desperately trying to help keep them off the streets. They met Richard downtown the previous evening when they were only hours from having to spend a chilly March night out on the street. ... Read more.

Beacon Hill Blog | Two notable non-profits tackle homeless issues in Beacon Hill
The first five years of a child's life are the most likely time for a family to become homeless. According to Wellspring Family Services, almost 3000 children and their families are homeless in King County on any given night.

Many parents reading this will be shocked, but not completely surprised. It's shocking to think that young children are at such great risk of becoming homeless and unsurprising because raising kids is so challenging -- not to mention expensive. Single parent households, low income families, and families who have experienced homelessness in the past are especially vulnerable... Read more.

My Edmonds News | Collaboration creates emergency cold-weather shelters in Edmonds
It was an image that stayed with Edmonds City Councilmember D.J. Wilson: A homeless mother and her small children sleeping in a car in Edmonds, trying to stay warm as temperatures dipped below freezing.

Wilson, himself the father of two small children, had heard the stories from church leaders about homeless families in Edmonds looking for shelter during the cold-weather months. Under the umbrella of the South Snohomish County Emergency Cold Weather Shelter Network, Edmonds and Lynnwood churches had been offering temporary shelter to homeless families when the weather turned dangerously cold... Read more.

Local Health Guide | Health and the homeless
While we tend to think of the homeless as single men living on the street -- because those are the homeless we see -- 55 percent of the homeless in King County are, in fact, families with children.

And while we tend to think of mental health problems, chemical dependency and alcohol abuse as leading problems among the homeless, and they are, homeless families often face additional challenges, including high rates of asthma, untreated skin conditions, and developmental problems due to prematurity and low-weight births... Read more.

Rainier Valley Post | Homeless fathers take refuge at D.A.D.S.
Marvin and Jeanette Charles founded Divine Alternative for Dads (D.A.D.S.) in the living room of their Rainier Valley home in 1998, with the vision that stronger fathers create healthier communities. "I believe these fathers need someone to walk alongside them," claimed Marvin at a recent fundraising event. "Someone to provide them with hope and encouragement."

Walking alongside at-risk and in need fathers is something that Marvin and his wife committed to more than twelve years ago, and since founding the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Marvin and Jeanette have watched D.A.D.S. grow and evolve with the needs of their community... Read more.

Surrounded By Water: A Mercer Island Blog | Homelessness is a little different here
Most people consider Mercer Island to be an enclave of rich, waterfront-living people. In reality it's a place with some affluent families, many working families and yes, the occasional homeless.

I spoke to Cindy Goodwin, Director for Mercer Island's Department of Youth and Family Services about what homelessness looks like on Mercer Island.

"Homelessness is a little different here," she said. "Often someone identified as homeless is couch-surfing." ... Read more.

West Seattle Blog | West Seattle-based Family Promise closes doors, hopes to reopen
We were sitting down at a Delridge coffee shop with Laura Bermes from the board of Family Promise of Seattle, the West Seattle-headquartered shelter for homeless families, when she dropped a bombshell: Family Promise has just closed its doors to go "on hiatus" and won't reopen until it has raised at least $90,000.

That means, Bermes says, there is currently no shelter for homeless families between downtown Seattle and Kent. ... Read more.