Reports

The Siemer Institute provides funding and support to programs that establish housing stability for families at risk of homelessness and unplanned moves. Alongside our partners, we’ve assisted 117,000 families and 237,240 children from 2011 to 2022, actively contributing to the academic success of children across the nation.

One of the most powerful tools a family can have is stability. For the last decade, the Siemer Institute has invested in families, providing them with the skills and resources they need to have stable homes and stable incomes

Across the United States, hundreds of thousands of vulnerable families with school-aged children are at risk of homelessness or eviction due to financial instability and other risk factors. The children of these at-risk families face the possibility of increased school mobility, decreased school attendance, and diminished school performance.

The Siemer Institute funds programs in more than 50 communities across the U.S. that prevent family homelessness and reduce school instability. In 2017, the Siemer Institute’s network of funded programs served more than 8,700 families and more than 20,000 children. This report summarizes our network’s successes, challenges, and plans for the future.

Individuals facing the threat of housing instability are more likely to have experienced traumatic stress. Trauma can interfere with a person’s ability to create stable social and professional networks, complicating the road to recovery from housing instability. This brief defines trauma-informed care and makes the case for its application in family stability programs.

Two-generation (2Gen) programming creates new opportunities and challenges in homelessness prevention settings. This brief draws upon the experience of several Siemer Institute-supported partners that implement 2Gen programs to offer a practical review of how 2Gen principles can be implemented in programs that work to prevent family homelessness and/or improve school stability for children.

Two-generation (2Gen) or “whole family” programming has emerged as an important strategy to combat intergenerational poverty. This issue brief establishes the Siemer Institute’s definition of 2Gen programming that is appropriate for programs that focus on family stability – especially housing stability and school stability – and target families with school-aged children.

The 2016 Program Evaluation describes the overall impact of programs supported by the Siemer Institute, explores key features of Siemer Institute programs, and examines whether specific program practices are effective in promoting housing stability, school stability, and financial stability. The report relies on data collected by Siemer Institute funded partners in more than 50 communities across the U.S.