Another Year Closer to Ending Homelessness: Reflecting on World Homeless Day 2025

What makes a home? Is it the food we cook and share at its table? Is it the cheerful shrieks and incessant bickering of siblings at play and war? Or is it the reassuring familiarity which greets us as we step through the door; the patient hum of a box fan in the window, singing in tune with the rhythm of cars passing by outside? 

A home without these human elements is a hollow shell. Step into any vacant home, furnished or not, and you wade through a veil of expectancy that hangs in the air. Perhaps that melancholy feeling in your heart as your eyes pass over bare walls and dusty corners caught in sunlight is just the tendency we have to project human qualities onto otherwise inanimate things-- and yet, it is unshakeable.

A home without people suffers a phantom pain. It lacks. It yearns for the warmth, dirt, and bustle people bring. In their absence, it languishes, devoid of purpose and remiss in function.

It’s unsurprising, then, that we characterize such unoccupied homes as 'abandoned', 'condemned', even 'haunted'. To us, a home without people seems unnatural. Why, then, have we accepted people without homes as natural?

The Numbers

A home is meant to be lived in. People are meant to live in homes. But not all of us are so lucky. The causes of homelessness vary and intertwine. Poverty, low wages, lack of affordable housing, domestic violence, health challenges, limited healthcare, inaccessible education, systemic discrimination, and inadequate support systems– these factors all compound to keep people down. 

Helping an empty home is simple, by comparison. Just fill it with people. But at Family Promise of Spokane, we believe the inverse to be true as well. Helping a homeless person is simple: get them into a home.

Let’s not shy away from the facts. According to the United States Census Bureau, there are currently around 8.1 billion people on Earth. Of those 8.1 billion, between 1.6 to 3 billion are in inadequate housing, according to 2024 data from United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

Here at home in the U.S.? “The number of Americans exposed to homelessness on a single night in 2024 was the highest ever recorded.” The data shows that nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. are homeless, living in emergency shelters, in transitional housing programs, or in unsheltered areas entirely. Home is a luxury that many of us do not have, but it shouldn’t be.

And the children? The National Alliance to End Homelessness found in 2024 that more children live in homelessness nationwide than live in most U.S. states:

“The number of children experiencing homelessness during the 2021-2022 school year nationwide was greater than the total number of children in 28 states. Nearly 1.2 million children were either literally homeless (living in a shelter, or in unsheltered locations such as a car or tent) or doubled-up (sharing housing with friends or family beyond a unit’s designated capacity).”

Though these numbers were recorded in the year following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S., which undoubtedly exacerbated the homelessness crisis, rates of homelessness have only increased every year since: up to nearly 800,000 in 2024 compared to around 600,000 in 2022. It’s unlikely that child homelessness numbers have fallen despite the waning of COVID-19.

The People

To be clear: homelessness is an issue for more than this one day of the year. It is a challenge that we would like to address 366 days of the year. At Family Promise, we strive to evolve our response to homelessness to be more effective, more efficient, and more trauma-informed. Although the problem of homelessness seems overwhelming, it’s still just a problem that can be solved like any other.

Though numbers inform much of our work, we must be careful to view our fellow people as more than these. People aren’t numbers, but the problems we solve for often are. Yet we’re not trying to solve people. Rather, we’re trying to give them the foundational stability in housing which frees them to grow and thrive enough to solve their own problems. When we resort to viewing people as numbers, particularly these big ones like 800,000 or 3 billion, our emotional understanding of the vicious cycle of homelessness fades. We are desensitized to the scale of suffering and need, and abstract a very real problem into something less uncomfortable. 

The widely cited 1992 study Measuring Nonuse Damages Using Contingent Valuation: An Experimental Evaluation of Accuracy demonstrated the severity of this 'extension neglect bias' in how we perceive social impact and issues. Put simply, humans struggle to conceptualize the true scale of larger numbers, which biases our decision-making and judgment. This is readily apparent in common attitudes towards homelessness where it is viewed as a personal failing, limited to a select few people. But the reality of homelessness is systemic, widespread, and endemic. Homelessness captures entire families, hurts communities, and continues in generational cycles: people who experienced homelessness as a child have 40% higher odds of becoming homeless as an adult, even if their childhood experience was brief.

The Day

These numbers are not indicative of a personal failing, but rather a societal one. Homelessness is not natural. Every child deserves a home. This World Homeless Day, we encourage you to fight homelessness alongside us. Every number we’ve cited in this piece today is a person, a child, a daughter or father. Even one left behind is unacceptable. 

We live in the most technologically advanced and materially rich era of human history yet. We have the means, the numbers, and the knowledge to end homelessness. Now, we need to find the heart.

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Samuel McLaughlin is a Digital Marketing Specialist at Family Promise of Spokane.

A Place to Stay, A Place to Play

Last week, Family Promise of Spokane unveiled our new Wulan Mar Playscape. Boasting a swing set, basketball court, jungle gym with slides, and sidewalks for biking and scootering, the Playscape will provide a private area for guest families and their children to play and socialize, all within a few steps of our Emergency Shelter. This ribbon-cutting event represented the culmination of a nearly two-year long effort made by volunteers, staff, and community partners. 

Fitting the Mission

Our supporters may recall our three-year goals as an organization. Among other things, we plan to change the use of our facilities at 2002 E. Mission Avenue from an Emergency Shelter to a resource hub. Why, then, invest in a playground for it? 

This Playscape helps further our goals to end family homelessness. As any parent knows, getting things done when your children want to play is no easy task. Family Promise recognizes the value of supporting guests in a trauma-informed way, and when parents know that their children are playing in a safe environment, it becomes that much easier for them to focus on taking care of life’s other demands. 

Play Often, Grow Strong

Children, too, benefit from the stability and safety offered by the Playscape. Homelessness is an inherently traumatic experience. The consequences of trauma and ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) are well-known, but recent research done by Dr. Christina Bethell at John Hopkins University found that positive childhood experiences can act as a buffer. Though trauma will always leave some kind of impact, the kind of positive childhood experiences that playgrounds foster help neutralize the long-term impact of trauma, particularly on mental health. 

Additionally, many of our guests flee unsafe living situations and domestic violence, which limits their options for safe outdoor play. Visting a neighborhood park poses an unnecessary risk of exposure. The Playscape mitigates this risk as a private space where children can forge new friendships, process experiences, and simply be kids.  

Teamwork

So, what appears at first glance to be just swings and slides becomes a critical resource for children to grow into resilient adults, capable of breaking the cycle of family homelessness. Its construction would never have been possible without the support of our wonderful volunteers, partners, and donors. We are sincerely grateful for your assistance and hope you will continue alongside us in our work to ensure every child has a home.  

Plans To Play: The Wulan Playscape Story

In just a short time, Family Promise of Spokane’s latest work will be unveiled at our Wulan Mar Playscape Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. More than a year in the making, the Wulan Mar Playscape will give children in our programs a safe, fun place to socialize and play without needing to leave the shelter.

"While shelter stays are a difficult reality, we are committed to making them as supportive and nurturing as possible," says Joe Ader, Chief Executive Officer of Family Promise of Spokane. "It's more than just a playground; it's an opportunity to create spaces where all kids can come together, build friendships, and just be kids."

But the significance of this playground is deeper than swings and monkey bars. Its course was set more than a decade ago when its namesake, Wulan Mar, came to Family Promise of Spokane with her family seeking help.

Changes

Wulan’s experience with homelessness was unexpected. She, her husband Randy, and her children Dimas and Leilani became homeless after moving from Hawaii in the early 2010s. In the wake of complications with their anticipated housing arrangement, the family was left with no job, no home of their own, and few prospects. So, when an online friend suggested that Wulan seek help from a charitable local organization, Wulan decided to take a brave first step.

Wulan connected with Family Promise, who helped her stabilize the family’s situation amid great feelings of uncertainty and stress.

“Homelessness [felt] embarrassing,” Wulan recalled during a speaking panel for Family Promise of Spokane’s podcast. “You can’t avoid it, you can’t get away from it.”

Wulan remembered that her young children, though aware of the situation, seemed to feel more comfortable because of the people and support they had around them. With help from Family Promise of Spokane, the family was able to secure housing in April of 2013.

Home

“Family Promise came through and helped us to make that happen.” Wulan said. And although the family had not been homeless for very long, Wulan felt a swell of relief and comfort upon settling into their new home. “I was thinking, ‘I have a brighter future here, having my own property, my kids are okay, my family is okay.”

And indeed, everything turned out to be okay. Her son Dimas pursued an education at Whitworth University, while her daughter Leilani entered her career as a baker. In 2020, Wulan was even able to purchase a family home, marking a full 180 degree turnaround from her situation just a few years prior.

Reflection

Wulan’s advice for folks struggling through homelessness?

“Homeless is temporary. It’s not going to be easy, but if you keep thinking positively on what is going to happen and what kind of future that you picture right now—just go towards that. There are a lot of nice people that will help. You just need to seek [them out].

I mean, I’ve proved it. I was able to do it. For the longest time I thought I wouldn’t be able to buy a house, yet here I am. [Homelessness] is not a choice. You can’t generalize. People just need the support […] to help them get on their feet and encourage them to [see] that this is just temporary, and to keep trying.”

Advocacy

At the same time Wulan and her family moved into their new home, she started a new job at Oldcastle Central Pre-mix and took it upon herself to spread the word about Family Promise in the workplace. In no time, she had mustered a regular volunteer effort and even the materials needed to construct the new Playscape. Wulan had transitioned from a guest seeking help to a community advocate providing it, going so far as to build a reputation for herself as the person who always brought delicious baked treats to volunteer events.

During the closing moments of the speaking panel, Wulan shared her philosophy about homelessness to the community.

“[As a community], all you need to do is open your mind. Not everybody is the same, not everybody has the same reason that they became homeless.” Wulan explained.

Tomorrow

There is a saying that we are all standing on the shoulders of giants—which is to say that the accomplishments of today would never be possible without the courage and sacrifice of those who were with us yesterday. To us here at Family Promise, this truth is bittersweet. In late 2024, while visiting family in Indonesia, Wulan Mar passed away. In memory of Wulan and her incredible will, Family Promise of Spokane is dedicating the new playground to her. Though she is longer with us, Wulan’s journey and passion will live on in the Wulan Mar Playscape and beyond in the vibrant lives of her husband and children.

Please join us on September 12, 9:30am at the Family Promise of Spokane Central Campus, 2002 E Mission Ave, Spokane WA 99202, to celebrate Wulan’s impact at our ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Wulan Playscape. You will have the opportunity to meet our staff, see the plans for the playscape, and learn more about our programs and services.

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Samuel McLaughlin is a Digital Marketing Specialist at Family Promise of Spokane.