Over the last year, PSVa has seen a significant increase in mothers and birthing people we work with who are transitionally housed or facing imminent housing insecurity.
In addition to helping families navigate available resources, we have aided as much as our limited funding has allowed — but it’s not enough. Becoming unhoused just days or weeks after giving birth is a life-threatening burden.
Today, I ask you to help PSVa establish an emergency housing fund.
How Housing Security and PMADs Intersect
Recently, PSVa has adopted a new model to think about wellness during pregnancy and postpartum called the “Perinatal Circle of Healing,” This model includes economic stability.
Economic stability (including housing) is essential to mental and physical wellness.
In 2022, PSVa conducted an assessment that revealed Virginia’s top barriers to mental wellness. Lack of economic stability was the second most cited barrier (20%), with lack of mental health providers being the most cited barrier by only 1% more (21%).
The latest figures reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development show that as of January 2020, there were approximately 5,957 homeless people in Virginia on any given day – including 621 families.
Rising rents and persistent inflation are heightening this problem.PSVa sees the imminent threat of homelessness at rising rates in the families we serve.Researchers at the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimated that just a $100 increase in median rent was associated with a 9% increase in the estimated homelessness rate.