Examines subgroups of the homeless population and their needs for shelter. Argues that governments and charities should make distinctions among the highly diverse groups of the homeless and cease providing unlimited and unconditional aid to the able bodied, which tends to ensnare youth in the culture of dependency. (FMW)

Introduces an issue on the causes, consequences, and social response to homelessness, with contributions by scholars in anthropology, history, medicine, sociology, economics, public administration, law, and psychology. Much attention has been given to the problems of homeless individuals; this issue attempts a comprehensive overview of the…

Describes the experiences of several families who are homeless in New York City, looking at what it is like for the children in these families, how the parents cope with trying to find work and a place to live, and how these families are treated by the system as they wait for various kinds of assistance. (SM)

Because homeless children are often a hidden group, staying with friends or relatives for brief or long periods, and occasionally spilling into the roughly 150 private emergency shelters and domestic violence programs in Michigan, their numbers are difficult to define. This Kids Count! study interviewed 25 children of 25 homeless families residing…

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…

Discusses sources of homelessness, the difficulties homeless people encounter in their daily lives, attitudes toward the homeless, and the social and psychological impact upon children and adults of losing the social identity and security that a permanent home, however poor, provides. (GC)

Explores the school mobility of children and youth experiencing homelessness and the success of the McKinney-Vento Act (designed to limit the negative effects of school mobility on homeless students) in addressing this mobility. Proposes that affordable housing is the key to eliminating the mobility associated with homelessness and consequently…

Only the federal government has the power and resources to address the housing crisis. National policy should extend resources to grassroots groups which will design housing programs and policies according to local conditions. Important issues are: (1) preserving existing subsidized housing; (2) providing capital; (3) constructing affordable…

A homeless shelter in South Bend (IN) operates in the awareness that therapy, education, and all the tools of social work are not enough in working with the homeless. Disconnectedness, fear, and mistrust are combatted through a tough love approach that rehabilitates through personal transformation. (SLD)

An analysis of 8,251 homeless children in New York City found that 18% of them received child welfare services over the five-year period following their first shelter admission, and an additional 6% had a history of having received such services before their first shelter admission. Recurrent use of public shelters, exposure to domestic violence,…

This program guide provides a forum for discussing the different beliefs that influence public policy about homelessness as well as policy goals. The central question is addressed in two parts: (1) what society ought to do for homeless people; and (2) laying out a range of possible answers for part 1. Four possible answers are discussed: help only…

This report reviews the three-year funding levels for the major Federal programs that primarily benefited the homeless from fiscal year 1987 through fiscal year 1989. Most of these programs were enacted by the Stewart B. McKinney Act and began receiving appropriations in fiscal year 1987. The following programs are described: (1) Emergency Food…

The failure of deinstitutionalization to provide an appropriate place for the mentally ill to live in the communities is the topic of this report. The history of how community-based housing programs fell victim to the same coordination problems that generally plagued deinstitutionalization efforts is discussed. Problems discussed include: (1)…

For the first time, federal funding for literacy services will focus new attention on the plight of the homeless. Under the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, each state will receive funds for literacy for the homeless. Although there are no firm estimates on how many persons are homeless, a number of indicators point to a problem of major and…

In the 1980s, homelessness attracted considerable attention from the media, advocates, politicians, and the public. Virtually every sector of society and the government responded. Interest in the issue has waned considerably since then, but the problem continues growing, particularly in large urban areas. While public policies address the problem,…