Grandparents raising grandchildren:kinship care in Baltimore public housing

Life circumstances and threatening ecologies disenfranchise families living in public housing development. Many are children who live with their grandparents in housing units, but are not on the lease. The grandparents and grandchildren experience health problems, are in poverty, and are not served by the child welfare system. Frequently, the children are forced to sleep in bedrooms with other individuals who may be inappropriate, subjecting them to potential sexual child abuse and other circumstances. Housing officials are compelled to remedy this problem and ensure that all residents of public housing are on the lease and are properly housed consistent with the U.S. Housing Act of 1932. National housing policy needs to be reformed to accommodate the needs of children who for a range of circumstances cannot live with their parents. doi:10.1300/J045v22n03_11.