In an effort to compare the psychological characteristics of HIV positive veterans who are homeless with those who are not homeless, the psychological test performances of patients referred to the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Houston, Texas were examined. Investigators analyzed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)…

For homeless children, assuming responsibility for their own survival is an act of self-empowerment. However, society tends to see these children as victims to be rescued, delinquents who need to be disciplined, or else they are ignored. These views deny the resourcefulness of children who survive under these conditions. A study was conducted of…

An ethnographic study narrated three tales about a soup kitchen for the homeless and the near-homeless. To provide a cultural, ethnographic analysis, and share fieldwork experiences the study began with realist and confessional tales. These two tales emerged from the initial writing and presenting of the soup kitchen ethnography to qualitative…

Homelessness is a troubling social problem, challenging to the best public and private efforts to provide some measure of remedy. For one group of the homeless, those with severe and persistent mental illness, that challenge is doubled: homelessness complicates the treatment of mental illness, even as mental illness complicates efforts to…

Although homelessness is not a new phenomenon, the number of homeless people today has fostered mobilization on their behalf by public and private sectors. Principal factors accepted as contributing to homelessness are inadequate low-cost housing, unemployment, chemical dependency, family violence, and inadequate community services for the…

The goal of this analysis was to examine gender differences in the experiences of children and adolescents found on city streets. It has been proposed that girls who leave home to seek their survival on city streets are from more disturbed families than boys, reflecting cultural factors that result in differential norms for male and female…

This report from the Illinois Caucus on Teenage Pregnancy concerns the plight of an estimated 7,000 homeless teenagers in the state who are either pregnant or are teenage mothers. The scope of the homeless youth problem in Illinois is defined in the introduction. A section on dimensions of need focuses on the "feminization of…

This document presents a review of the history of the implementation of de-institutionalization in Queens County, a borough of New York City. A number of issues confronting the mental health profession, the community, the patients, and their families are discussed. It notes that Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, the major provider of services for the…

Homelessness is a significant social problem in the United States and it has been estimated that there may be as many as 2.5 million homeless people in this country today. For these people, poverty, substance abuse, and harsh living conditions may further contribute to the development of physical and mental health problems. A study was conducted…

Includes edited versions of four presentations on library services for homeless children originally given at the 1993 American Library Association (ALA) annual conference. Topics addressed include story times at homeless shelters and juvenile halls for teenaged felons; giveaway books; identifying needs; funding sources; and Reading Is Fundamental…

Although the topic of homelessness receives a great deal of attention in journalism and throughout popular culture, the discourse of homelessness remains largely unexamined and unquestioned. This discourse creates stereotypes and perpetuates homelessness by portraying it as an inevitability rather than a contingency. Rhetoric and composition…

This ethnographic study focuses on two homeless mothers and their efforts to support their families. The study reveals how the mothers came to be homeless and how this experience has affected them. The work examines the experiences of the mothers with and perceptions of their children's education as well as the roles the mothers play in the…

This paper describes the response of one locality, a rural county in Western Massachusetts, to the reality of rural homelessness. Jessie's House, in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, is a short-term emergency shelter providing meals, housing, and advocacy to homeless families and individuals. The shelter has a staff of three full-time residents and…

This report presents an assessment of the situation of homeless girls, paying particular attention to the issue of juvenile prostitution. A review of research on prostitutes was conducted, and common elements that seem to present themselves in these studies are identified, including sexual and/or physical abuse, runaway/throwaway status,…

This paper describes a tool-and-result methodological approach to the practice and evaluation of an urban community development and gardening project with homeless youth. Over 9 months, at least 40 homeless children and teenagers were involved in the program, and approximately 15 were core participants. The paper critically examines the role of…