CanadaNews’ Reporter Notes

Even with the optimistic vision of the new century, homeless statistics show the number of homeless has remained stubbornly high. Between six and even hundred thousand people are considered “homeless” at any given time - without a “permanent, safe, decent, affordable place to live.”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. 

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.  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.  Children in homeless families do worse in school and have lower attendance and more long-term absences. 

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.  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.  One of the hardest groups to reach, however, is the one fourth of homeless who have been homeless for at least five years. 

Permanent housing provides a “base” for people to move out of poverty.  Many organizations that address the homeless population have shifted their focus from emergency shelter to prevention.  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.   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),

·         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,

·         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

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.

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. Services in transitional housing include education and job training and homeownership and employment counseling, which can be very successful.

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. Supportive housing can be very effective in facilitating treatment of mental illness and preventing emergency hospital visits. Organizations that provide transitional and supportive housing strategies can utilize effective strategies.