GASTONIA, N.C. — As Gaston County tabulates their results from the annual "Point in Time" homelessness count, a Gastonia mother is highlighting a different type of homelessness that isn't easily quantified: hidden homelessness.
After leaving her ex-husband, Lizzie Seigle spent five-and-a-half years moving her three children to at least six different homes.
"It was like we was walking on eggshells because you don't want to get put out [from] where the person is nice enough to let you live," Seigle said.
Her family’s experience is called hidden homelessness, which is when a family is able to find shelter, but it's not a permanent address. Often, families, like Seigle and her three children, couch surf with relatives and friends.
Unlike "Point in Time" counts, where volunteers go outside to count the number of homeless people, it's difficult to quantify the number of families experiencing hidden homelessness.
Seigle struggled to find work because she had a criminal record, and she battled an addiction to alcohol.
She said the experience took a toll on her children.
"I had a child that was acting out very badly," Seigle said. "She was sent to an alternative school, and she shared it with one of the counselors, and I always teach my kids to be honest."
Her daughter's honesty led the counselor to connect Seigle with the Hope Youth Network, which guided her through the process to eventually get a Section 8 housing voucher.
"I was so grateful," Seigle said, tearing up. "Before we got there, I kept telling my kids, 'If we be faithful a little, God is going to bless us with much.'"
No longer stressing about how to pay her rent, Seigle is going back to school, serving God, regularly attending church, and working with Gaston County leaders addressing homelessness.
She said the county's recent homelessness task force report is a good start to bring local resources together to find solutions.
Contact Brandon Golder at bgoldner@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.