Homelessness in the United States

Policy considerations

Bibliographic Data

ID11043372
AuthorsPaul A Toro (Wayne State University, corresponding author), Melissa G Warren (American Psychological Association)
Year1999
Volume27
Issue2
Pages119-136
Publication date1999-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Community Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-4392 • E-ISSN: 1520-6629
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/(sici)1520-6629(199903)27:2<119::aid-jcop2>3.0.co;2-i
OpenAlexW2138198667
LanguageEN
Citations received24
References cited50

Over the past 15 years, the general public, media, scholars, and policy makers have all become concerned about homelessness as a widespread social problem. The amount of money the federal government spends on housing and the number of scholarly publications on homelessness have grown dramatically during this period. The general public is not only well informed about homelessness but has indicated a willingness to pay higher taxes to help homeless people obtain housing. Three discernible groups active in the debate—politicians, housing advocates, and social scientists—often use different study methods, adhere to different estimates on the prevalence of homelessness, and hold divergent beliefs about the causes of homelessness. While the debate about numbers and prospective solutions continues, the duration of the problem defies emergency relief measures. Short-term measures are likely to be counterproductive if they are funded at the expense of long-term solutions. Attention to the wide array of housing problems and cooperation among state and local governments and community groups is essential if efforts to end homelessness are to succeed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Duration (music) · Economic growth · Economics · Government (linguistics) · Local government · Political science · Public housing · Public policy · Social policy · State (computer science) · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Homelessness and Social Issues · Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism · Law · Public Administration · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies