This article describes a unique population within the homeless community--women who are homeless and mentally ill. Homelessness prevalence and etiology data are presented, followed by a general discussion of how mental illness affects people who are homeless. The article provides an overview of women who are homeless, focusing on those who are…

This study represents the first enumeration of the street homeless population in Canada. Past enumeration attempts have been challenged on their significant methodological shortcomings. This enumeration directly addressed the lessons learned from previous attempts, and improvements to the methodology are presented and discussed. In addition,…

Following a review of approaches taken to generate accurate estimates of the scale of child and youth homelessness in America, this article documents the methods and results of a multipronged count of homeless children and youth in New Haven, Connecticut. The survey used in this count accessed demographics and service needs, and was administered…

Kenyan policy-makers use the language of children's rights to legitimize, within the new global political order, an old colonial concern about controlling the urban marginal population. The local business community's worries about the safety of Nairobi's streets stand paramount, while the growing financial and political leverage of NGOs…

Project Forum at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) and the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) worked together to collect information regarding the need for a policy forum on the topic of administrative collaboration between school personnel who support homeless education under the McKinney-Vento…

It is difficult for families dealing with homelessness to enroll their children in school and ensure their daily attendance. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act gives homeless children and youth the right to enroll in school immediately, even if they do not have documents that are usually required for enrollment. The Individuals with…

This paper describes a service-learning project designed for an upper-level sociology course in Policy and Social Change. The project, Breaking Ground, had two main goals: to change students' perceptions about persons who are homeless and to increase students' sense of efficacy for engaging in social advocacy. Through Breaking Ground, students…

"Kids Count in Colorado!" is an annual publication of the Children's Campaign, providing state and county level data on child well-being factors including child health, education, and economic status. Since its first release 20 years ago, "Kids Count in Colorado!" has become the most trusted source for data and information on…

Unaccompanied homeless youth are young people who lack safe, stable housing and who are not in the care of a parent or guardian. They may have run away from home or been forced to leave by their parents. Unaccompanied youth live in a variety of temporary situations, including shelters, the homes of friends or relatives, cars, campgrounds, public…

Building upon previous exploratory qualitative research (Kidd S.A. (2003) "Child Adol. Social Work J." 20(4):235-261), this paper examines the mental health implications of social stigma as it is experienced by homeless youth. Surveys conducted with 208 youths on the streets and in agencies in New York City and Toronto revealed…

This paper examines data drawn from interviews with homeless people who were undertaking a "Clemente" programme offered by the Australian Catholic University in the Vincentian Village in East Sydney. The "Clemente" programme, conceptualised by Shorris, is based on the belief that an education in the humanities empowers people…

Increasing numbers of diverse families, caught in the web of poverty, are becoming homeless. Homeless shelters have tended to focus on meeting only critical necessities such as food and shelter. However, the needs of the homeless are much more complex and challenging. Homeless families have deep-rooted problems and fractured relationships. Staff…

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…

This book takes an interdisciplinary approach in discussing the issue of homeless children and the resolution of the problem. An introduction by Nancy A. Boxill presents background on the nature of the problem and summarizes the subsequent papers. "Home and Homelessness in the Lives of Children" by Leanne G. Rivlin analyzes the impact on children…

The increasing presence of the mentally ill among the nation's homeless is the topic of this report. The problems presented by deinstitutionalization are discussed, including: (1) the homeless mentally ill as a disruptive element of society; (2) mentally ill persons who shuttle between the hospital and the community; (3) young chronic patients who…