PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA

EVEN IN THE FACE OF 1990s ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, homeless statistics show the number of homeless has remained stubbornly high. Between five and six hundred thousand people are considered "homeless" at any given time - without a “permanent, safe, decent, affordable place to live” (Granruth and Smith*). Homelessness in America persists in part because many urban areas remain economically depressed, housing costs have risen rapidly in the past decade, and wages for lower skilled workers have remained stable (Burt, Aron, and Lee*).

Homeless Statistics

The most proximate cause of homelessness in America is poverty.  Statistics show between twenty and thirty percent of homeless families surveyed in 1996 said they had gone without food for part of the previous month (Burt, Aron, and Lee*). The homeless also face persistent deprivation and constant threat of harm. They spend more time in the hospital and in jail than their poor counterparts. The majority are victims of violent crimes, and one fourth lack needed medical care (Burt, Aron, and Lee*). Children in homeless families do worse in school and have lower attendance and more long-term absences (National Alliance to End Homelessness*).

Although single men constitute about sixty percent of the homeless population, families constitute about one third of all homeless and are the fastest-growing group of homeless. The homeless elderly will also be an important group as America ages in the next decades (Rosenheck, Bassuk, and Salomon*; Burt, Aron, and Lee*). Although about seventy percent of the homeless live in central cities, rural homelessness is a hidden problem. The rural homeless are more likely to be families that are homeless for shorter periods of time, often as a result of domestic violence (Singleton et al.*). One of the hardest groups to reach, however, is the one fourth of homeless who have been homeless for at least five years (Burt*).

Preventing Homelessness in America

Permanent housing provides a “base” for people to move out of poverty (Granruth and Smith*). Many organizations that address the homeless population have shifted their focus from emergency shelter to prevention (Burt et al.*). In part this shift is a result of the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, the federal law that provides funding for homeless assistance programs. The law emphasizes “continuums of care”—regional systems that provide services and housing for an entire range of needs, from medical care to employment (Burt et al.*). Research shows that organizations that want to focus their resources on preventative efforts should:

	Involve local governments. Because the homeless usually qualify for various kinds of public assistance, public agencies need to be involved in coordinating services and referring clients to homeless programs. Consider forming a local interagency coordinating body to bring all of the important players who might be included in prevention together (for example, community development corporations, literacy programs, programs for the mentally ill) (Burt et al.*).
	Do a “gap analysis” to determine the character of the homeless and potentially homeless in the community, the services most in need (for example, rent assistance or employment), and how best to provide those services in a coordinated manner (Burt et al.*).
	Hire staff experienced at coordinating various funding streams, especially federal grants (Burt et al.*).
	Train providers of mainstream services such as health clinics, public assistance offices, and food pantries, about how to integrate homeless awareness into their usual procedures. This requires significant outreach by homeless programs to service providers that may not be used to addressing the issue.
	Provide rural homeless families with temporary shelter and rental assistance funds, because rural homeless are often homeless for only short periods of time. Rural shelters, however, must undertake more rigorous outreach to find these families (Singleton et al.*).

Placing the Homeless into Permanent Housing

For families and independent able adults, programs should be designed to place the homeless into permanent housing as soon as possible. Tenants who have both serious mental illnesses and substance abuse problems have the hardest time thriving in permanent independent housing, but those with either mental illness or substance abuse problems often do well. Groups that assist clients in permanent housing should:

Keep services, such as job training, available to new residents, if possible for at least one year after placement (Burt et al.*). Often clients have to “start from scratch” in their finances and employment. Provide services such as credit counseling, courses in financial management, and mediation with landlords to head off financial problems that can lead to eviction and a new cycle of homelessness (Burt*).

Follow up on the status of their clients. Studies of placement programs often find that they lose track of residents within the first year, so track clients carefully, and assess their need for specific services (Burt et al*).

Placing Homeless into Transitional and Supportive Housing

Transitional housing provides a temporary place for the homeless to live for one to two or more years while they wait for a permanent home to become available, or shelter for homeless who are not yet able to live in permanent housing (for example, those with a severe substance abuse problem). Transitional housing is becoming less popular as focus shifts to moving homeless into permanent housing as soon as possible, but is often necessary in areas where vacancy rates in permanent housing are low (Burt et al.*). Services in transitional housing include education and job training and homeownership and employment counseling, which can be very successful (Long*; Burt*; Granruth and Smith*).

In addition to shelter, supportive housing provides treatment for the mentally ill and substance abusers. Clients have access to in-house or off-site services such as medical and psychological care and substance abuse treatment. Supportive housing is crucial as about half of all homeless adults have problems with alcohol and one third with other drugs. In addition, between twenty and twenty-five percent also have a major mental illness (Greiff, Proscio, and Wilkins*). Supportive housing can be very effective in facilitating treatment of mental illness and preventing emergency hospital visits (Culhane, Metraux, and Hadley*; Corporation for Supportive Housing [CSH]*). Organizations that provide transitional and supportive housing strategies can utilize effective strategies, such as:

	Drafting a plan for the types of clients you want to serve and the services you want to provide (Greiff, Proscio, and Wilkins*).
	Coordinating service providers and funding sources. Frequent meetings among all relevant players are crucial, as is a staff that is skilled at diplomacy and administration (Greiff, Proscio, and Wilkins*).
	Keeping the quality of tenants in mind. The initial tenants in supportive housing create the culture of the community, so select tenants carefully (Barrow and Rodriguez*). The screening process may differ based on the type of client you are including. For example, many organizations use a stricter screening process for single men from large shelters than they do for single women or families (CSH*).
	Carefully considering substance use requirements. It is unclear whether requiring clients to take medication and stay substance-free is more effective than a more permissive approach. However, if the program does require behavior modification, it is more useful to focus on the client’s behavior as it affects the community-for example, the commotion caused by causing a fight while using drugs rather than the drug use itself (CSH*).
	Focusing on helping clients comply with leases, make prompt rent payments, and keep their housing clean to prevent potential problems and help clients make the transition to permanent housing (Greiff, Proscio, and Wilkins*).
	Reaching out to the surrounding community, perhaps by opening meeting facilities to community groups (Greiff, Proscio, and Wilkins*).
	Measuring outcomes. Are the services sufficient and effective, does the surrounding community have good relations with the housing residents, are able clients placed as soon as possible?
	Having tenants on staff increases their job skills for future employment, and also provides necessary feedback to the program (Greiff, Proscio, and Wilkins*).

HOMELESSNESS RESOURCES: PUBLICATION FINDER

	What Will It Take to End Homelessness? (PDF) Martha R Burt A short survey of existing research on the homeless and an argument that prevention of homelessness is the best way to address the problem. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, 2001.
	A Plan Not a Dream: How to End Homelessness in Ten Years (PDF) National Alliance to End Homelessness Contains helpful statistics and other facts about homelessness, particularly the cost of homelessness, and an argument that ending homelessness should focus on prevention and affordable housing. 2000.
	Homelessness in Urban America: A Review of the Literature (PDF) Heidi Sommer This literature review covers methodology issues in counting the homeless, the history of homeless policy, the best strategies for successful prevention and transitional housing, and challenges posed by community opposition to housing sites for the homeless. Berkeley: Institute of Governmental Studies, 2000.

HOMELESSNESS RESOURCES: WEB SITE FINDER

	Beyond Shelter Beyond Shelter is an organization committed to combating homelessness and poverty through research and action. It sponsors several housing and welfare to work programs and advocates a “housing first” strategy and provides information on service-enriched housing.
	Center for Supportive Housing The Center supports efforts to integrate permanent housing and services for the homeless. Their web site contains more than thirty publications, funding resources, and links to their offices in eight states and regions.
	National Alliance to End Homelessness The NAEH is a nonprofit organization committed to understanding the root causes of, and possible solutions to, homelessness in America. Their web site contains comprehensive links to other organizations, analyses of federal housing policies and budget appropriations and a ten-year plan to end homelessness (PDF).
	National Coalition for the Homeless The NCH engages in policy advocacy and education, as well as providing extensive technical assistance to organizations.
	National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty The NLCHP undertakes litigation related to homelessness in America, policy advocacy, and public education. Their housing page contains useful links to publications, legal briefs and housing case summaries, and a link to the text of the Fair Housing Act.