JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Homelessness may have a different face in North Dakota, but it’s still just as prevalent.

The non-profit The Human Family is dedicated to promoting human rights and social justice through film and art. Executive Director Sean Coffman says they use those mediums to help drive home those different points.

Coffman says the idea for the multi-episodic documentary came from his wife after she served the Fargo area’s homeless through volunteerism.

According to the 2017 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, North Dakota currently has the highest percentage of unsheltered families with children in the Nation. Between 2016 and 2017, homelessness has risen 26% in the state.

The limited-series documentary will focus on what homelessness looks like in North Dakota. The one premiering in Jamestown will be more specific to the area.

Coffman says while homelessness may vary across the state, it’s still similar in that it’s a “hidden issue.”

Following the premiere, there will be a panel moderated by Coffman to discuss Homelessness in the Jamestown area. Panelists who will join Coffman include David Klein of the Great Plains Housing Authority; Sonya Jensen, writer and director of “Home”; Lynn Tally of Safe Shelter; and Richard Yonick of South Central Human Services.

The screening will be free and open to the public tonight, September 17th at 7 PM at the Jamestown Arts Center. For more information on The Human Family or the homelessness documentary, visit www.human-family.org.

The screening will be part of the Great Plains Housing Authority’s Vital Services Conference 2019.

View the trailer for the documentary below:

You can listen to a full Let’s Talk About It with Sean Coffman here.