by Megan Gordon – Jul. 4, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
by Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic
The number of homeless schoolchildren in Arizona has surpassed 25,000 – equivalent to the population of Fountain Hills.
An increase of nearly 18 percent in the past year was driven by the soaring rate of unemployment and foreclosures, education officials say. Parents lose their jobs, then their home, and families lose their stability. They stay at a friend’s, a hotel, a campground, a shelter – even live out of the car.
“We are now seeing families who come from middle-class America,” said Sean Schubert, Peoria Unified School District’s liaison for the homeless. “Now, many of those people are currently facing very challenging situations. What we all need to understand is that this can happen to anyone.” Read the full story…
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