This study explores student counselors' lived experiences when providing counseling to homeless persons in a shelter setting. This phenomenological study attempts to better understand the experiences that beginning counselors (N = 10) have during their practicum and internship experience working with high-need, homeless clientele and residing in a…

In the United States, in 2013, 610,042 people were estimated homeless in one night. Improving the effectiveness of homeless assistance programs, particularly aligning programs' practices with their goals, is critical to serving this population. Using a theory that predicts homeless exits, this study presents an innovative, low-cost evaluation tool…

The objective of this study was to evaluate the motor, cognitive and language development of babies living in two institutional contexts. Seventy babies participated in the study: 35 from prisons and 35 from shelters. Thirty-five mothers of hospitalized babies and 10 caregivers of hospitalized babies also participated in this study. The…

Access to books and storybook reading contribute to children's language, literacy and academic development. Homeless children often experience delays in these areas of development; however, their access to books and storybook reading is understudied. This study of 24 children in a family homeless shelter and 27 housed children in the same urban…

In October 2023, more than 100 practitioners, professionals, and students gathered at UC Berkeley to share insights and discuss research on the growing crisis of student homelessness in California. With short-lived yet historic federal funding to support this population set to expire in September 2024, the convening encouraged researchers and…

This article details the ways a series of architecture graduate classes partnered with a nonprofit youth sports organization and other community groups to design a shelter to accommodate those experiencing homelessness in Lubbock, Texas. The researchers use a case study approach to discuss how graduate students repeatedly engaged with the public…

This paper describes a community based learning project organized to improve students' understanding of the structural components of homelessness, reduce stereotypes, and encourage students to engage in social justice activism on behalf of the homeless. This paper explains the goals of this project, student outcomes, research findings, and the…

Homeless families are a vulnerable population not often engaged with directly by science centers. In 2019, the Museum of Life and Science formalized and strengthened a partnership with Families Moving Forward, the largest temporary homeless shelter serving families in Durham County, North Carolina. This partnership aimed to engage families in a…

Applications to local authorities for homelessness assistance per head are significantly higher in university towns and cities in England compared with areas without a university (1,428 per 100,000, compared with 1,007). Rates of households living in temporary accommodation are more than twice as high (475 per 100,000, compared with 218). The…

Reproductive interconception care provided at maternal postpartum visits may help reduce unintended pregnancies and elongate birth intervals for women experiencing homelessness. To improve interconception care uptake, this qualitative study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to reproductive interconception care from the perspectives of…

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted ethnic minority and other underserved communities, prompting the federal government to fund community-led health literacy initiatives. This evaluation shares challenges and lessons learned, and identifies best practices from community-based organizations (CBOs) partnering with…

Students experiencing homelessness spend their nights in various settings, including shelters, with friends/families (doubled-up), motels/hotels, and unsheltered contexts. Yet there is limited quantitative research on how educational outcomes vary by residential context. We analyze data from over 400,000 students in Houston Independent School…

Providing opportunities for elementary students to engage with enduring social issues, such as houselessness, is essential in preparing informed, engaged, and social justice-oriented citizens. This article draws from the following standards: (1) C3 Framework for Social Studies Standards that center inquiry; (2) Learning for Justice's Social…

This teaching note describes the design and implementation of an undergraduate research team project to conduct a tent census. Previous studies highlight the importance of real-world research as a part of sociology curriculum. Tents, as a visible sign of homelessness, represent one such contemporary social problem. Our undergraduate research team…

This article is a genuine contribution between an undergraduate student (Jennifer Zicka) and her mentor (Dr. Roger Reeb). Jennifer made unique contributions to an ongoing project that empowers and supports guests at homeless shelters as they strive to overcome personal challenges and obstacles related to homelessness. After a brief description of…