Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America

Record Description
This brief from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago examines the effects of housing instability in adolescence on the transition to adulthood. The brief, the first in a series, uses evidence to seek solutions to avoid missed opportunities to provide not only housing stability, but also stability in other areas of life including sleep, safety, and education. A lack of credible data about youth who experience homelessness has previously been a barrier, and this brief helps provide credible numbers when looking to address this problem in communities.
Record Type
Combined Date
2017-11-14T19:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://voicesofyouthcount.org/brief/national-estimates-of-youth-homelessness
Publication Date
2017-11-15
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

How Neighborhoods Affect the Social and Economic Mobility of Their Residents

Record Description
Low-income families and people of color often struggle to find safe neighborhoods to live in due to high housing costs and discrimination. These challenges lead to economically segregated neighborhoods that suffer from neglect, inadequate services, and high levels of crime, which prevents residents from moving out of poverty. This report from the US Partnership on Mobility from Poverty summarizes the research on the four ways that neighborhoods can negatively impact the lives of their residents: the availability and quality of services, crime and violence, the role of social networks, and access to employment.
Record Type
Combined Date
2017-07-31T20:00:00
Source
OFA Initiatives
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.mobilitypartnership.org/publications/how-neighborhoods-affect-social…
Publication Date
2017-08-01
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Evaluation of the Compass Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Programs Administered in Partnership with Public Housing Agencies in Lynn and Cambridge, Massachusetts

Record Description
This Abt Associates report details evaluation results from Family Self-Sufficiency programs in Lynn and Cambridge, Massachusetts. In these programs, Compass Working Capital partnered with local public housing agencies to provide case management and an escrow savings account to help participants achieve their financial goals. The researchers compared the change in earnings, welfare income, credit scores, and debt over time between program participants and a matched comparison group. Participants experienced an average gain of $6,305 in household income between 2010 and 2016 and a decline of $496 in annual welfare income. Credit scores also increased an average of 23 points for participants, and their total debt decreased by an average of $764.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2017-09-14T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
https://www.abtassociates.com/compassFSS
Publication Date
2017-09-15
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Special Collection: Housing and Domestic Violence

Record Description
Domestic violence survivors often face challenges when trying to secure safe and affordable housing. This special collection from VAWnet provides resources to help providers of services pertaining to sexual assault, homelessness, and housing serve the housing needs of domestic violence survivors. The collection starts by describing the intersection between domestic violence and homelessness, especially for survivors of color. Next, the collection provides case studies illustrating partnerships between domestic violence organizations and affordable housing providers, and supplies four key strategies for helping addressing survivors’ barriers to safe housing. The collection also includes relevant public policies and statistics on the intersection between domestic and sexual violence, housing, and homelessness.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2017-05-14T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
https://vawnet.org/sc/housing-and-dv
Publication Date
2017-05-15
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

National League of Cities City Summit

Record Type
Event
Posting Date
Combined Date
Source
Partner Resources
Sponsor
National League of Cities (NLC)
Location
Charlotte, NC
Web Url
http://citysummit.nlc.org/
Topics/Subtopics
Employment
Education and Training
Supportive Services
Housing Assistance
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)
Event Date
-

Scaling Up a Place-Based Employment Program: Highlights from the Jobs Plus Pilot Program Evaluation

Record Description
This MDRC report highlights early findings from the Jobs Plus Pilot Program Evaluation, which provides employment services for public housing residents. This study focuses on how the nine Public Housing Authorities selected as grantees implemented their four-year grant programs. In the first 18 months of the grant, all nine sites had begun implementing their programs and developing a variety of partnerships and employment services. The researchers found that the employment services offered were often generic and not tailored to individual needs, and that grantees needed more guidance on how to develop community support for work. Grantees voiced a need for more technical assistance in implementation, including clearer guidance and program standards.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2017-09-14T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.mdrc.org/publication/scaling-place-based-employment-program
Publication Date
2017-09-15
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Hungry and Homeless in College: Results from a National Study of Basic Needs Insecurity in Higher Education

Record Description
This study from the Wisconsin HOPE Lab was designed to help practitioners and policymakers understand the extent of food and housing insecurity at different community colleges across the country. The researchers analyzed data from 33,000 community college students at 70 community colleges in 24 states. They found that two-thirds of students were food insecure, about half of students were housing insecure, and about 13-14% were homeless. There was very little geographic variation in the hunger and homelessness that community college students experienced, but former foster youth experienced homelessness at a higher rate than other community college students. The researchers recommend improvements in policy and practice to ensure the basic needs of community college students are met.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2017-03-14T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.wihopelab.com/publications/Hungry-and-Homeless-in-College-Report.pdf
Publication Date
2017-03-15
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Gaining Financial Security through Housing

Record Description
This Prosperity Now brief describes how three types of housing organizations have started to integrate financial capability services into their housing programs. Those housing organizations include affordable housing developers, public housing authorities, and housing counseling organizations, and they most frequently offered financial education or one-on-one financial counseling and coaching. Through interviews, the authors found that these housing organizations are started to offer financial capability services either in-house or through partnerships, but they face challenges in implementing those services. Lack of staff capacity, the need for training, and having enough resources available to offer financial capability services are the challenges that housing organizations face. Despite these challenges, housing organizations stated that helping clients proactively address their financial concerns can reduce the need for evictions.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2017-08-16T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
https://prosperitynow.org/files/PDFs/gaining_financial_security_through_housing…
Publication Date
2017-08-17
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Ending Family Homelessness: An Opportunity for Pay-for-Success Financing

Record Description
This Urban Institute brief analyzes how a pay-for-success model could help solve family homelessness. Family homelessness remains high, and the authors believe that political will and arbitrary budget divisions stand in the way of solving this problem. Using a pay-for-success model allows state and local governments to overcome these challenges. In a pay-for-success project, an investor provides the upfront funding to a program, and if the program can achieve positive outcomes, then the investor can get their money back plus a potential positive return. The brief describes how such a model has been used for other housing interventions, such as housing vouchers and permanent supportive housing, and describes the benefits and complexities of a pay-for-success project.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2017-08-14T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.urban.org/research/publication/ending-family-homelessness
Publication Date
2017-08-15
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)
Innovative Programs

Solutions for Change

Mission/Goal of Program

Solutions for Change solves family homelessness, one family and one community at a time, delivering a permanent solution to family homelessness and deep poverty through social enterprise. Founded in 1999 by social entrepreneurs Chris and Tammy Megison, Solutions for Change works to transforms lives and communities by permanently solving family homelessness.

Programs/Services Offered

Solutions for Change delivers permanent solutions to family homelessness through an innovative academy-like experience where parents of families in the deepest of poverty are equipped with the skills, knowledge and resources needed to reclaim a contributory stake in society through jobs and by ending dependency. The model blends affordable housing, education, health services, servant leadership and workforce training to create a "work therapy" community.

Participants tripled their income in the first year through employment. 74% achieve the 500-day milestone of full-time employment and achieve their own rental housing. For those participants, TANF and Food Stamp benefits decrease by 62% at 500-day mark and 87% by end of engagement contract (1000 days). 850 families and 2200 children have moved permanently out of homelessness and obtained housing and employment, resulting in $51 million dollars in public support savings and $120 million in employment revenue generated into local economy. 

Start Date
Friday, January 1, 1999
Type of Agency/Organization
Community-Based Organization
City
Vista
State
California
Geographic Reach
Onesite
Clientele/Population Served
Homeless Families with Children
Topics/Subtopics
Employment
Education and Training
Supportive Services
Health/Behavioral Health Referrals and Supports
Housing Assistance
Special Populations
Homeless Families
URL
http://solutionsforchange.org/