This policy research commentary examines rapid re-housing where the rubber hits the road, recounting experiences in cities and communities across the nation and taking a closer look at where it works and where it does not. …
This issue takes a close look at both services and policies to understand where they do, can, or might have an impact on family homelessness.…
This community profile takes an in-depth look at “affordable housing” in the Concourse/Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx—one of the poorest neighborhoods in New York City. A large percentage of new affordable housing units are financially out of reach for low-income residents in the neighborhood. Could new plans for development and affordable housing in the Jerome Avenue Corridor of the South Bronx destabilize this already vulnerable community?…
Struggles with homelessness and poverty are not new to East New York. It is the largest feeder of families into New York City’s shelter system and one of the first neighborhoods designated for affordable housing redevelopment. This new community profile examines the impact this redevelopment may have on the neighborhood’s poorest residents. Will it prevent more families from becoming homeless or are these “affordable units” out of reach for the families who need them most?…
Return to shelter is a critical factor contributing to the growth of family homelessness in New York City. Among families living in shelter at any point during the last half of 2014, 84% had entered shelter for the first time prior to 2014. This trend is reflective of the focus on moving families out of the shelter system as quickly as possible, with limited attention directed towards addressing the underlying reason that each family entered shelter in the first place. In order to further the conversation about the dynamics that drive family homelessness in New York City’s communities, this report provides a geographic analysis of demographic patterns and newly-available data on family homelessness.…
This report reveals that low-income families in the Elmhurst/Corona section of Queens, New York, are at risk of growing housing instability in the face of gentrification, rising rents, and a rapidly vanishing affordable housing stock. Community development and gentrification often push lower income residents out of desired and affordable neighborhoods. Understanding that a potential crisis is on the doorstep, this community has a unique opportunity to manage and hopefully reduce the instability that ultimately drives many families into homelessness.…
Our 2016 conference brought together over 600 service providers, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners from across the country and around the world to discuss best practices and share insights on how to address the issue of family homelessness with tools that stem far beyond simply housing.…
At present, more than 12,000 families and about 23,000 children reside in New York City homeless shelters. New York City has built more affordable housing, has dispersed more rental vouchers, and has established more prevention programs than any other city in the country. So, why, after 30 years, do the number of families residing in shelters continue to grow?…
The Fall 2015 issue explores the technology gap between low-income students and their peers in “The Digital Divide;” describes the home visiting model of support for expectant and new parents in “Changing Lives with a Knock on the Door;” and shares how City of Refuge, a nonprofit in Atlanta, Georgia, is addressing the booming suburban poverty rate with innovation that includes culinary and automotive social enterprises in “Middle Class by Middle Age.”…
Publisher’s Note Dear Reader, Summer is the season that conjures up images of fun in the sun, vacations, and a break from school. But for homeless families—parents, young children, and college-age youth—this season can offer even more obstacles to overcome when school doors are closed and so are easy access to free meals, child care,…
The return of a policy to give some homeless families priority placement in New York City public housing has been hailed as a first step to ending family homelessness. With close to one in six families entering shelter from public housing, what impact will this policy actually have? There has been little discussion about the role of public housing as a feeder into the family shelter system. This policy brief examines the complex relationship between city policies and families entering shelter from public housing. …
Our Spring 2015 issue emphasizes the importance of programs and services that go beyond housing to support children and families experiencing poverty and homelessness. We look programs that offer at yoga, culinary and janitorial training programs, essential budget and life-skills training, and more for at-risk and homeless populations.
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