<p><em><strong></strong></em><em><strong>Where to start if you are a newly <a href="https://esme.com/voices/perspectives/whats-a-solo-mom" target="_blank" class="wordlink">Solo Mom</a></strong></em></p><p>In recent years, the lack of affordable and accessible housing in the United States has been acute and well documented. An estimated 12 million renters and homeowners pay more than 50% of their income for housing. If you find yourself struggling to make your rent or mortgage, there are a few places you can turn to for help.</p><p><a href="http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/rental_assistance" target="_blank"><strong>U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development</strong></a></p><p>There are many programs available to help you with renting. This site has links to subsidized housing, public housing, and the Housing Choice Voucher program. All programs are designed to get you and your family into housing that you can afford.</p><p><a href="http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org" target="_blank"><strong>Homeless Shelter Directory</strong></a></p><p>The Homeless Shelter Directory provides listings of homeless shelters and organizations with services for the homeless. It also offers links to other helpful sites. </p><p><a href="http://www.publichousing.com" target="_blank"><strong>The Affordable Housing Network</strong></a></p><p>The Affordable Housing Network lists apartment and home rental deals for all renters (not just public housing). It is easily searchable by state or zip code, and the site is updated daily. The site publishes direct contact information, so you aren’t dealing with an agent or middleman. It also offers housing assistance, including rent assistance, foreclosure assistance, and assistance with down payments.</p><p><a href="http://www.rentassistance.us" target="_blank"><strong>Rental Assistance</strong></a></p><p>This website provides listings of rental assistance resources to help you with your long-term and immediate rental needs. The site list both nonprofit rental-assistance organizations and government programs.</p><p>You should also contact your state or local department of social services and explain your situation. Such departments often have programs that can assist with housing, or they may be able to let you know about local nonprofits that can help. </p><hr><p><span style="font-size: 12px;">Photo credit Shutterstock.com</span><br></p>
<p><em><strong>Programs that help keep your kids fed</strong></em></p><p>According to Feeding America, one out of six families struggle with hunger. That’s 49.1 million Americans, 15.8 million of whom are children. If you are struggling with food insecurity, you are not alone. There is help available.</p><p><strong>Feeding America</strong></p><p>Feeding America is a nationwide network of member food banks, food pantries, and meal programs providing food and services across the United States. <a href="http://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank/" target="_blank">Click here to find your closest participating food bank</a>. Give the nearest pantry a call and see what documentation they need, what their hours are, and how often you can use their services. Some pantries limit client visits to once a month, but they may have listings of other food sources in the area. Also check <a href="http://www.foodpantries.org" target="_blank">www.foodpantries.org</a> to see what they have listed.</p><p><strong>The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)</strong></p><p>SNAP is a federal program that offers nutrition assistance to eligible low-income individuals and families. Administered by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP works with state agencies, nutrition educators, and neighborhood and faith-based organizations to ensure that those who are eligible for assistance can make informed decisions about applying for the program and access benefits. For information on SNAP or to apply for benefits, <a href="http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/snap-application-and-local-office-locators" target="_blank">contact your local SNAP office</a>. Each state has its own application, and many allow you to apply online. </p><p><strong>Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)</strong></p><p>WIC is a program that assists low-income women and children who are nutritionally at risk. The program is administered in each state by their health departments or Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs). For information about eligibility, <a href="http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/contacts" target="_blank">contact your state or local agency</a>. </p><p><strong>National School Lunch Program (NSLP)</strong></p><p>If your child (or children) is school aged, contact his or her school’s principal about the National School Lunch Program. Your child may be eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. In many districts, a child who qualifies for the NSLP can also receive breakfast at school. Districts may also participate in Seamless Summer, a program that helps children get lunch throughout the summer. <a href="http://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/national-school-lunch-program-nslp" target="_blank">Contact your child’s district</a> at any time throughout the year for information. </p><hr><p><span style="font-size: 12px;">Photo credit Shutterstock.com</span><br></p>
<p><em><strong>Where to find help if you recently became a <a href="https://esme.com/voices/perspectives/whats-a-solo-mom" target="_blank" class="wordlink">Solo Mom</a></strong></em></p><p>Many of us are just one crisis away from financial instability. We do just fine with careful budgeting and regular expenses. Then someone gets sick, a car breaks down, or a beloved pet needs care, and suddenly we can’t pay our bills.</p><p>In these situations, it’s smart to seek help sooner rather than later. Many programs and places offer a small amount of financial assistance, but once things start to snowball, these programs are no longer available. Here are some resources that may be able to help.</p><p><strong>Utility bills</strong></p><p>It’s very common for people to need help paying their utility bills, such as electricity and gas. Most utility companies have some sort of “forgiveness plan” that accepts small payments toward your larger bill. The utilities won’t tell you about it, so you will need to ask. </p><p><strong>Departments of social services</strong> </p><p>Departments of social services, often known as DSS, offer “emergency assistance” to people who need help. Different states and communities have their own department, so search for your local DSS online. The department will require you to provide documentation, such as shut-off notices or eviction notices, to receive aid, and will also ask for proof of income and other information. This department is a good place to start if you find yourself in need of emergency financial assistance.</p><p><a href="http://catholiccharitiesusa.org" target="_blank"><strong>Catholic Charities USA</strong></a></p><p>Catholic Charities USA is a national organization with local offices that help people regardless of their religious, social, or economic background. Many Catholic Charities provide emergency financial assistance to people in need. They will require you to provide documentation of the need and of your expenses and income.</p><p><a href="http://www.ywca.org" target="_blank"><strong>YWCA</strong></a></p><p>The YWCA offers numerous programs for women, including financial literacy programs to promote economic empowerment from budget basics to planning for retirement. With the support of the Allstate Foundation, every YWCA in the country has been provided with the Allstate Moving Ahead Through Financial Management Curriculum, a financial literacy course. The YWCA also offers a variety of other programs, including women’s health programs, job training, and early childhood programs. </p><p><a href="http://www.aidforsinglemothers.net" target="_blank"><strong>AidForSingleMothers.net</strong></a></p><p>AidForSingleMothers.net has compiled information from various sources on grants and scholarships available to Solo Moms. The numerous grants listed include those for financial help for divorced women and moms, housing grants, home energy grants, and day care financial help for working Solo Moms. On the website’s homepage, look for the Single Mother Financial Help Information section, which provides links to pertinent information.</p><p>Sometimes, despite all your careful saving and planning, life throws a curveball. These resources should be able to help.</p><hr><p><span style="font-size: 11px;">Photo credit Shutterstock.com</span></p>
<p><strong><em>Another decision that will help dismantle discriminatory practices</em></strong></p><p>The Supreme Court has had a busy summer! Several cases, including the Marriage Equality and Affordable Care Act rulings, have garnered huge media attention. But a quieter ruling may be just as important. The Supreme Court’s Fair Housing ruling may have wide reaching impact for Solo Moms. It will allow Solo Moms and others to fight back against not just unfair housing practices, but racial and gender discrimination in a wide assortment of situations. </p><p>In a nutshell, the Supreme Court ruled that housing policies that segregate minorities in poor neighborhoods violates the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The ruling was based on the Disparate-Impact Doctrine, which states that a policy can be considered discriminatory if it has a disproportionately adverse impact on a group of people based on race, gender, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. Disparate-impact cases do not require a plaintiff to demonstrate an intentional discriminatory act. It only requires that the policy have an adverse effect on a particular group, no matter what the intention of the policy is. </p><p>In the Fair Housing ruling, Texas was awarding tax breaks to developers who were building low-income housing in low-income neighborhoods. They were not providing similar tax breaks to developers who wanted to develop low-income housing in predominately white suburbs. Texas argued that they were helping the low-income neighborhoods by providing housing to an often overcrowded area. The plaintiff argued, however, that this policy was an act of segregation and did not allow low-income housing to be placed in white suburbs. The Supreme Court agreed. In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court stated that the Fair Housing Act is not immune from disparate-impact claims and sided with the plaintiff in this case. The ruling strengthens the original intention of the Fair Housing Act and gives precedence for plaintiffs going forward.</p><p>The recent Supreme Court decision does contain language that tempers its ruling and limits disparate impact claims. It limits disparate-impact claims to cases where laws or policies raise “artificial, arbitrary, and unnecessary barriers.” This wording gives the lower courts a fair amount of leeway in interpreting the laws. It also states that purely statistical evidence of disparate impact is not enough; plaintiffs must also show that the policy or law caused that impact. Putting the burden of proof on the plaintiff will be hard. However, this ruling sets a potential precedent for using disparate-impact theory to combat discrimination in many areas other than housing.</p><p>Traditionally, a plaintiff has had to show intent to discriminate in order to win a case. But this ruling may be used to fight discrimination in many areas other than housing. Employment is an area where racial and gender discrimination occurs. Many companies require employment testing. If a plaintiff can show that testing disparately impacts a racial minority or a particular gender group, the test would be considered discriminatory. It doesn’t matter whether the intention of the test is to discriminate or not, what matters is the impact the test has. This would not affect tests that are directly job related or jobs where tests are required (such as certain civil servant positions).</p><p>An interesting area that may be affected by the recent ruling is health insurance. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was passed in 2009. It made discriminating against someone based on their genetic data illegal; however, it did not allow for disparate-impact cases. This recent ruling could allow employees to sue employers and insurance companies if they are excluded from coverage because of genetic traits of certain diseases.</p><p>Formerly incarcerated women are another group that can benefit greatly from this recent ruling. There are policies that deny a formerly incarcerated person from applying for food stamps or certain types of jobs. Although these policies are not based on gender, there appears to be a disproportionate impact on formerly incarcerated women. This recent ruling may open the door for disparate-impact suits in the future.</p>Although the recent ruling had a fairly narrow focus, the support that the Supreme Court showed for the Disparate-Impact Doctrine could have far-reaching effects. Solo Moms are often on the front lines of housing policies and this ruling provides them with some protection against unfair policy. There are areas such as voting rights, drug laws, and <a href="https://esme.com/resources/c/education" target="_blank" class="wordlink">education</a> where the disparate-impact doctrine could be used. The fight against implicitly discriminatory laws and policies will be a long and hard legal and political battle. But this recent ruling adds another weapon to dismantling the inequalities that still remain a part of the American landscape.<hr><p><span style="font-size: 11px;">Image via Shutterstock.com</span></p>