Moore is down to her last $6. It’s nearing 10 o’clock and it’s been hours since the two have had a meal.

Mall security has been circling. Moore knows they can’t spend the night parked here, but the 49-year-old single mother, born and raised in South King County, has no clue where to go.

“I’m mentally exhausted,” she says.

While overall homelessness in King County has steadied, it appears to be rising among families, a trend playing out across the nation.

Parents with children are the fastest-growing yet least-visible segment of the homeless population, far more likely to be doubled up in the homes of friends or living in their cars than to be at a busy intersection asking for help.

At its core, homelessness is driven by poverty and lack of affordable housing, and many believe the true breadth of the problem may not yet be evident as families who lost their homes in this recession still hang on with relatives.

So many great articles and videos to watch at the link about families experiencing homelessness in the Seattle Area. As a family it is really hard to stay together in the shelter system. 

With more and more families experiencing homelessness, no wonder they choose to sleep in their vehicles, or abandoned buildings. Homelessness and the supports to emergency house families often seems designed to take away the supports and community people already have in place.