Families Are the #1 Homelessness Prevention Tool

They're your parents. You've relied on them for your genes, holiday meals and unsolicited advice. But these days, they're serving another important role. They might just be be your last line of defense before spiraling into homelessness. (Or, sadly, you might be theirs.)

As unemployment rates skyrocketed over the past year, relatives began dishing out loans and assistance to stave off the threat of homelessness. With shelters packed and tent cities popping up from Sacramento to Providence, it's not far-fetched to say that this crisis might have been much worse if not for the generosity of families.

Parents, siblings, kids, aunts, uncles and grandparents are preventing homelessness among their financially unstable relatives, according to a piece in the New York Times last weekend. They are, in essence, serving as the personal safety net before the social service safety net. A recent New York Times/CBS News poll found that more than half of 708 unemployed adults surveyed nationwide said they had borrowed money from friends or relatives. Most of the individuals had strained finances; nearly 80 percent of those who reported borrowing money said their family's financial situation was "fairly bad" or "very bad."

Of course, anyone who's ever seen "Judge Judy" knows that borrowing from a family member can be a sticky situation. Not only does it require putting one's pride aside to reach out for help, repayment agreements are typically tabled until the crisis blows over and job prospects improve.

Given the slow speed at which things are turning around, this could take awhile.

Photo credit: Merlign Hoek