Homelessness among families is quickly reaching crisis proportions across the country. Over 30 percent of America's three million homeless people are members of families, and families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Perhaps more disturbing, homelessness represents only the most extreme manifestation of a more…

This report describes the Hotels-Motels in Partnership Program, a human services resource sponsored by the Red Cross and other organizations to respond to housing needs of the homeless, disaster victims, and others in need of emergency assistance. The partnership program involves several hundred businesses in more than 240 communities. Since its…

Homelessness affects a wide cross-section of society. Causes of homelessness, attempted remedies, and potential solutions for the future are presented. Descriptions of the experiences of men, women, and children who have fallen through the "safety net" of social services are included from cities throughout the country. Support is given for the…

This grant application requests $50,000 from the Federal Government under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, Title VIIB, for the Connecticut State Department of Education to continue the Office of Coordinator of Education and Homeless Children and Youth for fiscal year 1989-90. Based on data collected by the State Departments of…

This record of testimony before the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Development focuses on the affordability of housing for low- and moderate-income people. A decent home and suitable living environment is a right guaranteed by the 1968 Fair Housing Act, but many Americans are in housing crisis. The subcommittee investigated ways for…

The Basic Education Development Scheme (BEDS) was first proposed in 1983 as a way of extending adult basic education services to single homeless persons. Its overall objective was to explore through programs (not research) the most fruitful ways of helping homeless men and women improve their literacy skills and eventually enter the mainstream…

Interviews with 489 runaway and homeless youth (often victims of abuse and neglect) identified two groups: (1) "runners," who leave home intending not to return and (2) "in and outers," who run away as an impulsive temporary coping mechanism. Risk of engaging in illegal activity increased with distance and time away. (Author/VW)

The special needs of the homeless elderly are discussed, followed by the presentation of a program designed to augment the work of public shelters by coordinating medical, nutrition, and social services in a day center format that is structurally integrated within the local aging service infrastructure, utilizing existing resource patterns.…

The need to respond to the concerns of transgender youth in care is compelling. Transgender youth, particularly those involved with the child welfare system, are often severely stereotyped and subject to abuse, homelessness, depression, and fear. The Child Welfare Leaguer of America convened a roundtable of professionals and transgender youth to…

This document is designed to help New Jersey parents, guardians, and caregivers understand the legal concepts and procedures involved in disputes over the enrollment of homeless students in local public schools. It also informs them of their legal rights. The requirements of the McKinney Act and of the state regulations concerning the education of…

This forum discusses the importance of safeguarding the wellbeing of older children enmeshed in Minnesota's child welfare system, emphasizing the need for permanency and acknowledging of the ascendancy of the court system. Section one presents basic data on Minnesota adolescents in out-of-home care, noting the high proportion of minorities.…

This report looks at the unemployability of today's poorest welfare recipients, homeless families, and explores avenues for overcoming their obstacles to gainful employment. These impediments cannot be addressed with traditional job training or immediate placement. Instead, it is job readiness (skills, knowledge, and work ethic) combined with…

Educational and developmental researchers suggest that children who have experienced homelessness suffer both in self-esteem and in literacy development, although early research is not complete. The Reading Connection (TRC), a community-based nonprofit organization in northern Virginia, focuses on the social aspect of reading, rather than…

This document describes a program designed for women and children living in homeless shelters to offer them creative, interactive experiences. The activities served to provide personal contact with the children and to read with them; help the families participate in creative expressions of self; and provide visits with the larger community. These…

This report pulls together recent research from the Centers for Disease Control, leading medical and public health journals, and firsthand observations by pediatricians across the country on the link between affordable housing and children's health and outcomes. Also included are the most recent data from the America Housing Survey, the U.S.…