The growth and impact of maternity housing in the United States were the focus of a video and report released by Heartbeat International.
Heartbeat President Jor El Godsey and Valerie Harkins, director of the Maternity Housing Coalition, recently announced the milestone of more than 200 Heartbeat-affiliated maternity homes in the United States.
“It’s an incredibly exciting milestone,” Harkins said. “That is more than 40 percent of all the maternity homes that we know of in the United States united in one network.”
“The work of pregnancy help that is part of Heartbeat International is really a spectrum,” said Godsey. “It’s a spectrum that takes us from when we first encounter her in that difficult pregnancy situation all the way to when we serve her over a period of time, and that is our housing folks.”
Heartbeat International if the largest network of pregnancy help organizations in the U.S. and the world and manages the Maternity Housing Coalition.
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Maternity housing ministry is accomplished in diverse ways throughout the network, Harkins said. This includes dormitory-style housing, apartments for long-term living, and family-style homes.
“It’s incredible to see the innovation and creativity and excellence that is really being executed by these homes,” she said.
Many pregnancy centers have opened maternity homes during the past few years, responding to the nation-wide housing crisis, especially for single mothers and pregnant women. Centers in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska are among those that have responded to the call.
“Over and over, women are saying, ‘Housing is so unaffordable,’” Harkins recently told Pregnancy Help News. “These women, even if they work fulltime – it’s impossible for them to pay their bills and support themselves.”
Because many pregnant women cannot afford housing and often find themselves couch-surfing or living in their vehicles, new homes have recently opened, including in Virginia and Kansas.
The Coalition's 2023 Maternity Housing Impact Report noted significant increases in several aspects of maternity housing.
For example, the number of new maternity homes rose 52 percent from 2022, with 35 start-ups. Additionally, the year 2023 saw a 21 percent increase in the number of Heartbeat-affiliated pregnancy centers that operate a maternity home. According to the report, 48 out of 50 states in America now have at least one maternity home.
There are more than 450 maternity homes across the United States, and an estimated 1,044 women are served by Heartbeat-affiliated maternity homes annually.
Tweet This: It’s incredible to see the innovation and creativity and excellence that is being executed by maternity homes in the U.S.
Shelter and more
Maternity homes provide housing that is safe and stable, giving women and their children an opportunity to learn and grow. Most homes go beyond sheltering. For example, Viola’s House implemented a social services program, a thrift store, and a grocery store, not only serving pregnant women and women with children, but an entire neighborhood.
Many offer programs that help women receive their GED as well as classes on parenting, budgeting, interviewing for a job, and cooking. Women have the opportunity to work or attend college in the community or online. Many maternity homes also offer the opportunity for women to reconnect with family, developing more healthy relationships with loved ones and sometimes the father of the baby.
Maternity homes provide assistance to women during and after pregnancy, with many allowing a woman to stay two to three years, or more, after the birth of her child. Women find help, hope, and healing through maternity homes.
Godsey gave the reminder that, “These facilities don’t close their doors,” the work is being done “around the clock, touching lives and changing hearts.”
To help in that special calling and work, the Maternity Housing Coalition provides resources for homes and, through virtual and in-person meetings, offers networking opportunities for those working in this movement. The coalition, under Harkins’ leadership, also provides guidance to those working in maternity housing to ensure that these ministries in the U.S. can function with excellence and thrive and grow in their work.
One pathway of assistance is helping women who struggle with addiction, and several maternity homes are responding to that crisis as well as the national housing crisis.
Adding to the network
Both Godsey and Harkins look forward to more opening in the future, helping to meet the need for safe shelter, addiction recovery, positively impacting generational poverty, and so much more, offering help and hope for pregnant women across the country.
Offering safety, compassionate care, and a brighter future are just a few of the many benefits of maternity housing for pregnant women and women with children.
“We’re grateful to see God’s work in God’s ways for these homes as they are part of the pregnancy help spectrum,” Godsey said.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
