Innovative Ways to Address Homelessness
Homelessness is a serious problem in the United States. Despite programs aimed at providing the homeless with temporary assistance and housing, homelessness is on the rise. Approximately 2.3 million people experience homelessness each year, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Organizations are developing new ways to address the issue of homelessness that are significantly different from solutions of the past.
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Housing First Method
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In the United States, standard methods of addressing homelessness rely on temporary solutions such as homeless shelters and emergency housing, which often do not lead to attaining long-term housing. The housing first method bypasses temporary solutions and prioritizes permanent housing. Social service organizations place the homeless in permanent residences, often with their own lease agreements, and provide them with an in-home social worker for 6 to 12 months. This method has proven successful for long-term homeless such as those with mental illness.
Prevention Programs
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Methods to address homelessness often address the problem of people who are already homeless. A more innovative approach is working with people on the brink of becoming homeless. Prevention programs focus on supporting people who are at risk of homelessness due to singular life events such as losing a job or medical problems. The Ventura Homeless Prevention Fund has been successful in providing funds, through a partnership with three social service agencies, to assist with housing, automobile and mortgage payments.
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Permanent Supportive Housing
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Many homeless people are mentally or physically disabled. Homeless people with mental or physical disabilities are often unable to find permanent housing solutions and temporary shelters are not equipped to handle their needs. Permanent supportive housing programs place disabled homeless in affordable subsidized housing. Once they are placed in such housing, new residents have access to assistance for their specific illness or disability. These support services -- home health care for example -- lower the instances of people returning to homelessness. Studies by the Coalition for the Homeless on the New York/New York agreement show that permanent supportive housing programs reduce the number of emergency shelters needed.
Identification Assistance Programs
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For the long-term homeless, not having proper identification is a barrier to finding a job and a permanent residence. Without a physical address, it can be difficult to attain Social Security cards, birth certificates and identification cards. Identification assistance programs help the homeless by providing them easy access to the Social Security Administration, the Department of Motor Vehicles, veteran services and the health department. With the appropriate identification, homeless people can apply for jobs, housing and government assistance programs. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness describes such a program in Orlando, Florida, called "IDignity," in its e-newsletter article "08 Innovations in 08 Days."
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References
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