Introduction: The Enfams study, the first French survey exclusively focused on homeless families, aimed to describe the characteristics and health of these households in the Île-de-France region. Method: Data collection was conducted in 2013 by the Observatoire du Samusocial de Paris. A three-stage random survey yielded a sample of 801 families (parent-child pairs with children aged 0 to 12) residing in emergency shelters, social reintegration centers, asylum seeker reception centers, or social housing. These families were interviewed in 17 languages by a team of one researcher and one psychologist. Anthropometric measurements, a biological sample, and the collection of vaccination records were performed by a nurse. Results: the total number of homeless families was estimated at 10,280 in the Île-de-France region. The majority of parents were born abroad (94%) and had been residing in France for an average of 5 years. Nearly half of the families were single-parent households, with 22% having at least 3 children. Furthermore, 94% of them lived below the poverty line and 22% had no income. The majority suffered from malnutrition, with a high prevalence of food insecurity (77% of parents and 69% of children), anemia (50% of mothers and 38% of children), overweight (38% of mothers and 22% of children), and obesity (32% of mothers and 4% of children). Furthermore, 30% of mothers suffered from depression and 20% from post-traumatic stress disorder. Regarding the children, 20% had mental health disorders, and the majority (80%) had developmental delays. Discussion and conclusion: these initial findings call for reforms to emergency housing to better account for its effects on family health, particularly on children’s development.