A brief ethnographic study of a metropolitan airport revealed that a relatively small number of people had taken up residence there, prizing the airport mainly for its survival utility and amenities. Policies and attitudes regarding the homeless and a critique of the pathological explanation for homelessness are explored. (CJS)

Discusses emerging educational service delivery systems for homeless children and youth, stressing policy implications for overcoming barriers to their education. Mainstream program models fit the intent of the 1990 Mckinney Act amendments. Programs should address individual and family resource needs through interagency collaboration and provide…

North Carolina experiences serving homeless adults suggest four goals for adult basic education: rethinking the potential of literacy programs, reimaging the curriculum, redesigning teacher training, and reformulating funding. Practitioners should consider an expanded role in solving social problems. (SK)

Reflects on a teenager's experience with Covenant House, a shelter and rehabilitation center for homeless youth. Discusses the steps the shelter takes to help youth move towards stabilization. This process of reversal is helped by a predictable schedule, a secure environment, limiting anxiety producers, and limiting the number of demands placed on…

Evaluated the Homeless Families Program implemented in nine cities to create systems change by restructuring systems of health and support services and housing and to develop and test a model of services-enriched housing for homeless families. Considers the evaluation as a case study of evaluation approaches and results presentation. (SLD)

Investigates the health status of 310 homeless and marginally housed people to determine the usefulness of mental health self-help agencies (SHAs) in addressing their physical health needs. Findings indicated that frequencies of health problems among respondents were similar to those of other homeless or marginally housed groups and that the study…

Characterizes subcultural differences within an inner-city street youth population. Used brief, structured interviews (N=752), targeting youth living on the streets for two or more consecutive months. Results demonstrate unique patterns with respect to places stayed/slept, means of financial support, and use of available services according to peer…

Explores the cycle of family violence and its impact on homeless families. Once family violence sends families into homelessness, community violence prevents them from escaping. Re-envisioning shelters as centers of learning rather than emergency facilities can begin to break the cycle of violence. (SLD)

Assessed ability of three models of adolescent substance abuse--deviance-prone, affect regulation, and normative development models--to predict the substance abuse of a high-risk homeless adolescent sample with high rates of deviance, depression, and substance abuse. Found support for the deviance-prone model, with delinquency but not aggressive…

Includes edited versions of four presentations on library services for homeless children originally given at the 1993 American Library Association (ALA) annual conference. Topics addressed include story times at homeless shelters and juvenile halls for teenaged felons; giveaway books; identifying needs; funding sources; and Reading Is Fundamental…

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)

Describes outreach projects of CityLit, a London college: Rolling Shelters, Meaningful Occupations Programme, which provides educational opportunities for homeless persons, and parent education offered in elementary schools, which involves sharing learning with children. (SK)

In 1987 Congress authorized the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act to protect the rights of homeless students and to ensure that they receive the same quality and appropriate education that other students receive. This article summarizes key aspects of the 2001 reauthorization of the act, now known as the McKinney-Vento Act, outlines how…

The author articulates key stressors in the lives of families who are homeless. These stresses often combine with barriers such as lack of job opportunities and/or insensitive professionals. Strategies for helping homeless families overcome these barriers and related issues are presented.

Objective: To explore the attitudes of nursing students and faculty toward people who are homeless. Methods: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 377 students and 45 faculty using attitude and knowledge scales. Results: Attitudes ranged from neutral to positive. Frequency of contact with people who were homeless and knowledge about…