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Single Mother Living Article
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Single Mother Housing Rental Considerations
from:Single mothers have many obstacles to renting, not the least of which is economics. Other factors like family status discrimination and the requirement for safe neighborhoods and good schools often limit good choices. But, the single mother housing rental choice lies squarely with the single parent. No one else is there to make that decision.
It's a constant juggling act figuring where one can rent, how much it will cost, and whether the children will be best served in that community or in a different one. All these factors have to be taken into account when a single mother chooses her abode and she must do so with the mindset that she must take responsibility for her own life and those of her children.
Economics
With women still earning only 75 cents to every dollar a male earns, it's easy to see why single mother households struggle to make ends meet. In addition, many employers are openly discriminating against single mothers because of fears of health costs for children or work absences due to child care issues.
Another issue that single mothers have to overcome is the fact that in order to work outside the home, they must pay someone to mind their own children. If the price of day care offsets the earnings of the mother, then it makes no sense for her to work. But, if she doesn't work, her options for renting a home become quite limited since she cannot produce evidence of a stable income.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development offers housing assistance programs for subsidized housing, housing vouchers, and public housing. These programs are managed usually locally and one needs to determine what agencies in your area are responsible for assisting single mothers to participate in these programs. It is in the best interest of the family that the parent researches the single mother housing rental assistance programs and applies for any that she determines is good for her family.
The two best things a single mother can do to improve her chances of having the financial stability to meet rental housing requirements is to get day care assistance and to have a steady job. Any increase in income or decrease in expenses will directly impact single mother housing rental options. Subsequently, education can improve her wage-earning capacity and contribute to better choices in rental communities.
Being Your Own Advocate
Many single mothers fall between the cracks because of a lack of self-responsibility. They expect agencies to pull them out of the hole they find themselves in. With more "hands-off" philosophy of social programs, the single mother needs to become a fierce advocate not only for herself but for her children as well.
Being an informed buyer is the best protection when choosing single mother housing rental options. Know what your rights are, know what comparable rentals run for, read the contracts and follow the guidelines to the letter. Do you know what the penalties are for missing a rent payment? Do you know if you will get your deposit back? Have you gotten references from other people who have rented in this community? Do you know what the neighborhood is like? Do you know what the school system is like? All these things are items that a single mother must take personal responsibility in managing when making a single mother housing rental choice. Once you sign on the dotted line, it could be a year or more before you can get yourself out of that situation if it turns out to be a bad choice for you or your children. Choose wisely.
Single Mother Living News
Living skills for single mums - New Straits Times
 New Straits Times | Living skills for single mums New Straits Times By Nor Hazwani Hamat THE opening of a foot massage and reflexology kiosk in Kempas Mart here since last July has helped five single mothers acquire a new skill which improved their standard of living. A single mother gives a shopper a foot massage at ... |
Single Parents organise to protest - Socialist Worker
Single Parents organise to protest Socialist Worker This week Minister Joan Burton will send to thousands of one parent families a letter to review existing one-parent claimants. As 65% of the poorest children in Ireland live in one parent households, this letter will terrify many single parents. |
Lives intersect on deadly stretch of Florida highway - Jackson Sun
Lives intersect on deadly stretch of Florida highway Jackson Sun There was a single mom who loved to dance, in the car with a boyfriend who had moved from Virginia to be with her. A pastor and members of his family, originally from Brazil, returning home to Georgia from an Orlando church retreat. |
Gravesend mother falsely claimed more than £20000 in benefits - News Shopper
Gravesend mother falsely claimed more than £20000 in benefits News Shopper Dartford Magistrates Court heard on February 1 that the 42-year-old had failed to declare her partner was living with her and was employed. The money was then paid on the basis of declarations that she was a single mother between July 2008 and March ... |
Ellie's advice: Depressed single mom should reach out for help - Waterloo Record
Ellie's advice: Depressed single mom should reach out for help Waterloo Record 9 plea of a struggling single mom of three children, to let her know she wasn't alone and has hope for a better 2012: Letter No. 1: I was a single mother with three small children and a full-time job (often not the best-paying job). |
Enrique Mata: Children's good dental habits will help all their lives - El Paso Times
Enrique Mata: Children's good dental habits will help all their lives El Paso Times By Enrique Mata \ Special to the Times When I was young, my mother constantly reminded me to brush my teeth. "You wouldn't eat off of dirty dishes or wear dirty clothes, why would you walk around with dirty teeth?" she'd ask. |
15 Kids and Counting: Single mother of 14 Joanne Watson slams critics who ... - Daily Mail
 Daily Mail | 15 Kids and Counting: Single mother of 14 Joanne Watson slams critics who ... Daily Mail By Deborah Arthurs Squeezed into a four-bedroom council house in Guernsey lives a woman branded the UK's most prolific single mother. Joanne Watson, 40, has 14 children, ranging in age from three to 22 and survives largely on state benefits after the ... |