Chronic homelessness is a highly complex social problem of national importance. The problem has elicited a variety of societal and public policy responses over the years, concomitant with fluctuations in the economy and changes in the demographics of and attitudes toward poor and disenfranchised citizens. In recent decades, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the philanthropic community have worked hard to develop and implement programs to solve the challenges of homelessness, and progress has been made. However, much more remains to be done. Importantly, the results of various efforts, and especially the efforts to reduce homelessness among veterans in recent years, have shown that the problem of homelessness can be successfully addressed. Although a number of programs have been developed to meet the needs of persons experiencing homelessness, this report focuses on one particular type of intervention: permanent supportive housing (PSH). Permanent Supportive Housing focuses on the impact of PSH on health care outcomes and its cost-effectiveness. The report also addresses policy and program barriers that affect the ability to bring the PSH and other housing models to scale to address housing and health care needs.

Homelessness prevention is an essential element of any effort to end homelessness either locally or nation-wide. To close the front door of entry into homelessness, the central challenge of prevention is targeting our efforts toward those people that will become homeless without the intervention. This book identifies elements of community homelessness prevention strategies that seem to lead to reductions in the number of people who otherwise would become homeless. The contributing elements include targeting through control of the eligibility screening process; developing community motivation; maximising mainstream and private resources; fostering leadership; and ensuring the availability and structure of data and information used to track progress, improve on prevention efforts, and facilitate outcome-based contracting. Evidence from the six communities studied indicates that those employing the most elements seem to be more successful at prevention and better able to document their achievements. This book also identifies four promising homelessness prevention activities that may be used alone or in combination as part of a coherent community-wide strategy: (1) supportive services coupled with permanent housing, particularly when combined with effective discharge from institutions, especially mental hospitals; (2) mediation in Housing Courts; (3) cash assistance for rent or mortgage arrears; and (4) rapid exit from shelter. This study provides insight into approaches that will help prevent homelessness. It is an important contribution to our understanding of how to help homeless Americans.

Covering the nurse's role in promoting community health, Community/Public Health Nursing, 5th Edition is known for its "upstream" preventive focus and social justice approach, photo novellas with clinical stories, and a concise, readable style. It shows how you, as a nurse, can take an active role in social action and health policy – especially in caring for diverse population groups. Expert authors Mary A. Nies and Melanie McEwen discuss today's issues and trends, and describe the key issues and responsibilities of contemporary community/public health nursing. An "upstream" focus addresses factors that are the precursors to poor health in the community. A "social justice" approach promotes health for everyone. Photo novellas use photographs to tell stories showing real-life clinical scenarios and applications of important community health nursing roles. Case Study: Application of the Nursing Process feature presents specific community components of the nursing process separately from individual and family. Clinical examples offer snippets of real-life client situations. Research Highlights boxes show the application of current research to chapter content. Ethical Insights boxes highlight ethical issues and concerns. Healthy People 2020 boxes summarize objectives and their importance in community health. Objectives, key terms, and chapter outlines introduce important concepts and terminology at the beginning of every chapter. Learning Activities at the end of each chapter ask you to apply concepts to the world outside the classroom. New Health Promotion and Risk Reduction chapter details the promotion of health and presents strategies that can identify risk factors for illness. Faith Community Nursing chapter reflects current terminology from the ANAÕs Scope and Standards of Practice, and includes more coverage of the spiritual health of clients. Health: A Community View chapter expands its discussion of the continual challenges and strategies associated with the delivery of health care. Communicable Disease chapter includes new information about public health surveillance, outbreaks, and bioterrorism. Cultural Diversity and Community Health Nursing chapter features new content on complementary and alternative therapies.

This in-depth examination reviews fundamental changes of the past decade that have reduced homelessness in the United States and other Western democracies. Focusing on the last decade, Modern Homelessness: A Reference Handbook examines the issue in the United States and in other nations that have adopted new strategies to address homelessness—and achieved notable results in preventing and ending it. The handbook covers the unprecedented reductions first announced in 2007 and the crucial shifts in strategy and investment, and the results that brought them about. These fundamental changes are analyzed to identify the factors that proved most effective in altering the national and local dialogue and response relative to this daunting issue. In addition to a brief history of homelessness in contemporary times, the handbook examines key developments of the past decade in research, policy, housing models, and service delivery that have been shown to decrease homelessness. These include active partnership among the governments of the United States, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, and others that moved the discussion in a new direction. The story is brought up to date with a consideration of the effects of the 2008 economic crisis.

Examines costs associated with the use of homeless and mainstream service delivery systems by families and individuals experiencing homelessness for the first time in six study communities. Assigning costs to public programs is a first step toward developing measures of the value of public interventions compared to the public costs incurred by ignoring or avoiding the problems those interventions are intended to address. The study finds that the experience of homelessness is diverse and the associated costs vary tremendously depending on the pattern of homelessness and family or individual status. It is not, however, a study of either cost-effectiveness or quality of care, but rather a calculation of costs associated with homelessness. Illustrations.