The families come from Rossford and Oregon and Bedford Township and from as far away as Findlay. They are moving into Toledo’s inner city. But, this is not the re-urbanization foresighted city planners predicted. No, this is the new face of homelessness.

One such family consists of a Bedford father and his two teen-age daughters. He arrived at the Family House Homeless Shelter with one suitcase and an ear-bud in his ear, said Renee Palacios, the shelter’s executive director. The man, a contractor, was directing his crew, while trying to find a shelter where he could keep his family intact.

Palacios said the man had sold most of his possessions in an effort to keep his home, but it wasn’t enough. And, while he was still working, the construction industry has been one of the hardest hit sectors during this Big Recession and this single father couldn’t find enough work to provide a home for his daughters. Desperation brought him to the only family shelter in Northwest Ohio and the second largest family shelter in the state.

This year already, the Family House, located on Indiana Avenue in central Toledo, has served more than 300 families. That’s up from 2010 when 203 families in crisis were served. The Family House helped find stable housing for 120 of those families. Today, the four-story former apartment building is full. Eighty-five parents and their children live in 35 rooms. Palacios has noticed a trend in the increased numbers. Many are suburban families in which one or both parents have lost their jobs and no longer can pay mortgage or rent.

Men are especially devastated. Palacios said, “They feel responsible to provide for their family and when the bottom falls out, it’s a lot of shame, a lot of situational depression. They feel like failures. It’s a terrible stigma. People assume that you’re addicted to drugs or alcohol or you have mental health problems, or they think of the man under the bridge, but that’s not the face of homelessness today. We’re seeing a lot more middle class families moving into poverty with the job losses in Toledo. We’re having more people stay here who have an income than ever before.”

The housing is temporary. The average stay is 35 days, the limit is 90 days. By then, most families have moved in with relatives or have found more permanent housing. The Family House provides a number of services to help those on their way to the bottom start the long road back to the middle class. These include licensed daycare to allow parents to work or look for work; food, clothing and other supplies to meet basic needs and a variety of educational services including tutoring and homework help.

A case manager helps each family access other social service resources based on their specific needs.

Drug screening is mandatory but Palacios says she hasn’t seen a dirty drug screen in months. “We will help you, but you got to be clean,” she says.

Family House is funded through a number of sources including the Ohio Department of Development and United Way. Individual and group donations are also accepted. Delta Epsilon of Curtice, the local chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, a national service organization, recently conducted a drive to collect and donate canned goods and hygienic supplies.

The biggest need during this flu season is for cleaning supplies—bleach, anti-bacterial soap etc.

As we approach the holiday season, Palacios gives us some food for thought. “Smile at your neighbor,” she says. “They could be living at Family House tomorrow. You never know what’s going to happen to your neighbor in our economy today.”

You can learn more at familyhousetoledo.org. If you would like to volunteer or donate, contact Ethan Remley, a Northwood resident and member of the board of directors, at 419-690-0773.

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