Fourteen-year-old Na’Kaya Godfrey and her family have experienced the harsh realities of housing instability, moving 26 times in her short life. Caught in a cycle of job loss and eviction, the Godfreys are one of many families in the United States grappling with the housing crisis.
Outside Atlanta, the Godfrey household is a testament to the devastating impact of housing insecurity. Na’Kaya, her 12-year-old brother Junior, and their one-year-old sister Kylie have endured the constant upheaval of couch-surfing, living in motels, and even sleeping in their car before it was repossessed.
The stress of this instability has taken a toll on the children. Na’Kaya often retreats to her room, anxious and unable to eat until her mother, Jaimie, returns home from work. Junior, meanwhile, struggles with behavioural issues at school, feeling safe only when the family is together.
The Godfrey children are not alone in their plight. Families like theirs, who are not living on the streets, are often invisible in the official tallies of homelessness, despite facing the same chaotic and traumatic consequences. Eviction can lead to absenteeism, behavioural problems, and developmental delays in children, with long-lasting implications.
Jaimie, a single parent, has worked tirelessly to provide for her family, holding down a variety of jobs, from customer service to baking and delivering pasta. However, the rising costs of living, coupled with the lack of affordable housing and support systems, have made it increasingly difficult for her to find stability.
The Trump administration’s proposed solutions, such as work requirements for housing assistance and a focus on mental health and addiction as the “root causes” of homelessness, have been criticised by housing experts as missing the mark. The reality is that the chasm between people’s incomes and the cost of living is widening, leaving more families like the Godfreys struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
Initiatives like the Standing With Our Neighbors program in Atlanta, which embeds lawyers and social workers in schools to prevent evictions, have shown promising results. However, the program faces funding cuts, making it harder to reach the families who need it most.
As the housing crisis continues to deepen, the Godfrey family’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the human toll it takes on children. Their struggle for stability and the dream of a “home, sweet home” reflects the challenges faced by countless families across the United States.
