Homelessness is on the rise – a mother of five shares her family’s story

Boise’s homeless population continues to grow and, in recent months, its demographics have exhibited a shift.

Daytime shelter Corpus Commons and the Boise Rescue Mission both spoke of an increased number of families with children arriving at their door. In a collaborative effort with Interfaith Sanctuary, the Red Lion Hotel on Fairview Avenue continues to see demand for its 100 rooms dedicated for housing families and the medically fragile. In the case of the Rescue Mission, its shelters are now operating with more women and children than men for the first time in its 66-year history, Jean Lockhart, Boise Rescue Mission’s chief operating officer, said.

For the Boise Rescue Mission, the general increase in homelessness had a variety of interrelated factors including mental and physical health declines and being priced out of homes, Jennifer Gilley, director of Boise Rescue Mission Ministries, said.

One mom — Elizabeth Flores — who came into the Rescue Mission’s services, shared her story and the ongoing effort to get her and her five kids back into a stable and safe living environment. In March of this year, she arrived at the Boise Rescue Mission’s City Light Women’s & Children’s Shelter, located at 1404 W Jefferson St. in Boise.

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