There have always been homeless people in the United States, but their plight has only recently stirred widespread public reaction and concern. Part of this new recognition stems from the problem's prevalence: the number of homeless individuals, while hard to pin down exactly, is rising. In light of this, Congress asked the Institute of Medicine to find out whether existing health care programs were ignoring the homeless or delivering care to them inefficiently. This book is the report prepared by a committee of experts who examined these problems through visits to city slums and impoverished rural areas, and through an analysis of papers written by leading scholars in the field.
Chronic homelessness is a highly complex social problem of national importance. The problem has elicited a variety of societal and public policy responses over the years, concomitant with fluctuations in the economy and changes in the demographics of and attitudes toward poor and disenfranchised citizens. In recent decades, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the philanthropic community have worked hard to develop and implement programs to solve the challenges of homelessness, and progress has been made. However, much more remains to be done. Importantly, the results of various efforts, and especially the efforts to reduce homelessness among veterans in recent years, have shown that the problem of homelessness can be successfully addressed. Although a number of programs have been developed to meet the needs of persons experiencing homelessness, this report focuses on one particular type of intervention: permanent supportive housing (PSH). Permanent Supportive Housing focuses on the impact of PSH on health care outcomes and its cost-effectiveness. The report also addresses policy and program barriers that affect the ability to bring the PSH and other housing models to scale to address housing and health care needs.
This straightforward reference surveys the knowledge base on homeless, runaway, and thrown-away children and adolescents and makes concrete recommendations for policy and practice. It is a comprehensive volume, that covers new state legislation in the U.S. dealing with runaway and homeless youth. The book’s ecological approach grounds readers in the demographics of this diverse population, family and other risk factors for leaving home (and alternative arrangements such as foster care), and the survival skills homeless young people use to sustain themselves. Chapters cover a gamut of physical, psychological, and social problems, from drug abuse to depression to STIs, with special attention paid to the multiple difficulties faced by LGBT street youth and street youths’ experiences with the legal and justice systems. The author also assesses established and emerging interventions used with runaway youth, and the effectiveness of policy initiatives dealing with improving conditions for youth on the streets and at risk. Included in the coverage: · Runaway youth at the time of their disappearance. · Food insecurity and related problems among homeless and runaway youth. · Substance use among homeless and runaway adolescents. · Runaway and homeless sexual minorities. · Court responses to runaway offenses and other juvenile status violations. · Street youth in different countries. Presenting the complex situation as it stands, and with clear suggestions for action, Runaway and Homeless Youth is a valuable resource for family therapists, sociologists, social workers, school administrators, health professionals, police, judges, and other criminal justice professional, along with professionals involved in young people’s well-being and policy-making initiatives.
This document presents the Queer Students of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation's (QSAPP) research into housing for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness in New York City. Based at Columbia GSAPP, QSAPP's interdisciplinary project looks at this issue from the various disciplines of the built environment represented at the school: architecture, real estate, planning, and preservation. The book draws on a range of sources--including data from government and social service organizations, operating models of existing organizations in New York, and interviews with service providers and experts in the field--and perspectives in sociology, public health, and advocacy. Funding is often cited as one of the biggest barriers to solving this housing crisis, but an analysis of funding models and strategies does not currently exist. In addition, housing is a design problem but there are no published reports that analyze LGBTQ youth housing from a spatial perspective. QSAPP hopes that by visualizing this issue and highlighting ways in which these shelters fit into specific planning and real estate systems in the city, we can further shed light on the specific needs of LGBTQ youth and help advise on ways forward with these concerns in mind.
"Brings together leading and emerging researchers to advance understanding of the complex relationships between homelessness and health. Covering a wide range of topics from youth homelessness to end-of-life care, contributors outline policy and practice recommendations to respond to this public health crisis."--Back cover.
There is no single definition of the term "runaway youth" or "homeless youth". However, both groups of youth share the risk of not having adequate shelter and other provisions, and may engage in harmful behaviours while away from a permanent home. The precise number of homeless and runaway youth is unknown due to their residential mobility and overlap among the populations. Determining the number of these youth is further complicated by the lack of a standardised methodology for counting the population and inconsistent definitions of what it means to be homeless or a runaway. Estimates of the homeless youth exceed one million. Thus homelessness among adolescents and young adults is a major social concern in the United States. In this book, the authors cite research indicating that youth may be the single age group most at risk of becoming homeless, yet comparatively little research has been done in the past decade on this vulnerable population. After reviewing the characteristics of homeless youth, the authors review recent research findings on the homeless youth population and interventions developed to address their housing and service needs. These include interventions directed at youth themselves (education, employment, social skills training) as well as family-focused strategies. The authors conclude with future directions for both research and practice. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.
This important text provides a comprehensive survey of homelessness in America: its scope and causes, its diverse populations, and the array of responses at the individual, community, and systems levels. Expert contributors explore the links between trauma and homelessness, the cycle of homelessness and health/mental health problems, and barriers preventing people from accessing services. Case studies of effective programs and practices focus on science-based interventions, broad understanding of client needs, and close coordination between systems and agencies. Finally, specialized chapters discuss issues and experiences common to homeless youth and young adults, including housing instability on college campuses and empowerment-based strategies for engaging youth voice in programming . Included in the coverage: Homelessness and health disparities: a health equity lens Affordable housing and housing policy responses to homelessness Street talk: homeless discourses and the politics of service provision Multisectoral collaborations to address homelessness Trauma-informed care in homelessness service settings: challenges and opportunities Incorporating youth voice into services for young people experiencing homelessness Homelessness Prevention and Intervention in Social Work fills a critical gap in the social work curriculum as a main or a supplementary text. It also makes an accessible resource for clinicians and community practitioners seeking current knowledge on the topic, practical approaches to working with clients experiencing homelessness, and useful information for effective program and policy design.
Being Young and Homeless is an intimate portrayal of life on the street from the perspective of young people in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and Guatemala City. Jeff Karabanow passionately portrays street youth experiences in various locales, highlighting reasons for entering street life, struggles to survive on the street, encounters with service providers, and for some, the street exiting process. This insightful book is relevant for students and practitioners of social work, sociology, social administration, and public policy.
