BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A family of eight in Bellingham has been homeless for several months.
They’ve lived inside their small car, a broken-down RV and most recently, a motel room. Four of the couple’s six kids are starting school this year without a permanent address.
Cassandra, the mom of the family, said they probably weren't going to be able to get the kids school supplies or clothing.
“It breaks my heart, but there's nothing I can do. Money is really tight,” Cassandra said about the couple’s choice to forgo back-to-school shopping.
KING 5 has chosen not to use the family’s last name.
According to Washington state data, more than 36,000 public school students are considered homeless.
“It's been hard. It's been difficult. I don't like seeing your kids go through it,” said Cassandra.
The kids are ages 12 to 5 months, one of whom has autism.
“Other people, they look at you and they think that you're on the very bottom of the totem pole because you're homeless,” Cassandra said.
Her husband, David, is working full-time as a tattoo artist. But, it’s still not enough to keep the family afloat.
“I average between $500 to $700 a week on my paychecks. I get paid on Tuesday, [but] by Thursday I am dead broke,” said David.
“It's automatically assumed because you live in an RV, that you're a drug addict,” said David. “Me and my wife have never done a drug in our life.”
They are the working homeless, a group that is rarely talked about.
David once owned his own tattoo shop in Florida. At that time, the family had a house. Skyler, the oldest child, still remembers it.
“I had my own room. Everybody else had their own room. It was good. It was great. But then everything happened so fast and now we’re stuck in here,” said Skyler.
Problems began for the family during the pandemic when they moved to Georgia to care for a sick parent. When David’s mom died, the family moved to Washington to be near friends and their only support network. With so much change and too little savings, the money ran out.
“We literally went from a high level of success to destitute and it feels like in a blink of an eye. Right now I'm just working really hard and trying to climb back up to the top,” said David.
Climbing back up isn’t easy, nor is fighting the stigma.
“It is not true that working full time, even in some cases, two parents working full time…can make enough money to meet all of the basic needs of a family,” said Sara O’Connor, CEO of Ferndale Community Services, which helps low-income and homeless families in Whatcom County.
“We've always served low-income homes [and] low-income families, but the vast majority have been housed. I think now we're seeing more and more families that are living in cars,” O’Connor said.
Struggles with housing help in Washington
The short-term outlook for these families can be grim. A one-bedroom in Bellingham starts at about $1,200 – rent the family said they can’t afford.
Most places won’t consider leasing a one-bedroom to a family of eight anyway.
“Every single day, I feel like a failure. I just keep telling myself that it's gonna get better,” said David.
Getting housing help is very complicated and the time it takes can vary, depending on a family’s situation.
In Whatcom County, there is a housing shortage at all levels.
The family is on a waitlist for housing help. They’re currently getting assistance from Lydia Place; they’ve gotten temporary shelter in a motel.
The county can only support about 50 families in the motel program; they currently have more than 200 families who are eligible on the waitlist.
Wait times are situational and depend on vulnerability; like a family leaving domestic violence situations, medical conditions, or if someone is immunocompromised.
Once a family gets into the motel program, the average stay is about five months but sometimes can be longer.
The start of school will give mom a break during the day, but for the kids, it can bring shame and unwanted attention.
“For instance, last year, they came home crying a couple times because they were homeless,” Cassandra recalled. “They get picked on for that, or they get picked on because their clothes aren't like anybody else's clothes.”
“People just judge you by what you're going through. They don't judge you by what you've accomplished and what you're trying to accomplish. They just see all the negative, not the positive,” said Cassandra. “I may be homeless, but I have six kids who are loved, who are cared for, who are fed, who are clothed.”
Ways to help
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law requiring every public school district to hire a local liaison to help homeless youth.
For families of students needing help, it’s a great resource. Under this act, homeless kids are able to enroll in school, even if they don’t have all the proper paperwork like ID cards or birth certificates. They also get free access to after-school programs and free immunizations.
There is a GoFundMe account set up that has already reached its goal of $10,000. It was started after the family was featured in an article in the Bellingham Herald. People are still able to donate there beyond the target goal if they’d like to.
“To those that have helped, we thank them from the bottom of our hearts," the family said. "We are extremely grateful. It means a lot to us that so many people had our backs and shows us that there are a bunch of great people in the world. Once we bounce back, we plan on giving back.
"For the money that we have received: we are using it for things we absolutely need for the kids. We plan on putting most of it away to get a home. The kids need a few more outfits for school, but other than that, it’s an emergency funding type thing right now.”
Organizations to get involved with and support
Whatcom County:
Clallam County:
Ferry County:
Grant County:
Grays Harbor:
King County:
Kitsap County:
Kittitas County:
Pierce County:
San Juan County:
Skagit County:
Thurston County:
Statewide: