Policy Strategy For Intervention And Prevention Of Homelessness

Ali Amirhosseini

Celine Kuklowski

A Policy Strategy for Intervention and prevention of Homelessness

Introduction

In the recent years, the United States has experienced growing cases of homelessness that are

caused by different metrics. Many single adults and families that have never been homeless find

themselves on the streets after losing their housing and shelter(Robbins, 2015). . Nonetheless, the

government efforts in ending or preventing have failed to completely solve homelessness since

new cases arise such as natural calamities(Bell, 2015). Policies developed and implemented by

the government referred as “closing the front door” to homelessness has helped in combating

new cases; however, they have not yielded the expected results(Delany-Moretlwe, 2015).

Homelessness is a problem that is experienced across the world whereby densely populated cities

lack adequate housing facilities. The government has enhanced its measures of preventing

homelessness to empower individuals and put them in a better position of actively contributing to

the economic development. Indeed, preventing homelessness is not a simple process because it is

caused by various factors that require combined efforts of the government and community.

Some of the challenges that currently hamper the development and implementation of

appropriate strategies to end homelessness in the US include frequent rent increase and minimal

financial resources (Robbins, 2015). The unpredictable increase of housing fees in the urban

centers and low-income subjects individuals to displacement which ultimately results in

increased cases of homelessness. The government institute activities that mostly aim at averting

housing loss for households facing eviction (Bell, 2015). Moreover, its actions address moments

when individuals are vulnerable to homelessness; for instance, those who are at the discharge

from prisons, mental hospitals, and jails. Causes of homelessness are ostensibly multifaceted

hence requiring the application of different strategies to curb its increase.

Homelessness adversely affects the individuals, society, and the economy in general.

Typical examples are the homeless children who usually experience worse health conditions

including asthma, chronic physical disorders, minor skin ailments, upper respiratory infections,

among others (Delany-Moretlwe, 2015). Again, homeless children suffer from developmental

delays, poor school attendance, depression and behavior problems, and other harmful

conditions(Robbins, 2015). Adverse effects resulted from the homelessness in any country

becomes a burden to the government in establishing rehabilitation centers and providing medical

services and assistance to the depressed people. Moreover, homeless individuals lack the

capability of contributing to the economic development; instead, they consume the government

resources which probably undermine the growth of the economy. Frequent movement from one

house to the other has a negative impact on the behavior of children since it increases emotional,

behavioral and school problems. Homeless parents experience similar challenges except those

related to schools; it is, therefore, undesirable conditions that substantially retard the societal

development (Bassuk & William 73). Dreams of children are cut short as the filthy conditions

they are raised in, and harsh life experiences hinder brain development. Understanding clear

insights regarding destructive impacts of homelessness, it is crucial to apply intervention

measures to prevent the situation. Therefore, the report will focus on intervention and preventive

measures the government can use to reduce or end homelessness.

Statement of the Problem

In the US, homelessness is classified as a social issue characterized by lacking adequate housing

and residential address. Over the line, homelessness has continued to be a persistent social crisis

caused by a range of factors such as post-traumatic stress disorders, lawful evictions of

individuals from their residential places, poverty, substance abuse, lack of income, unaffordable

housing, fire, divorce, low-paying jobs, unemployment, and lack of supportive services, and

gambling (Meghan et al.). Homelessness emanates from diverse factors which delimit the

measures set forth by the government (Hossain, 2015). A wide range of the population is

ostensibly affected including the aged, families, children, ex-convicts, domestic violence, among

others.

Homelessness surfaced as a national challenge during 1970's. During this period, most

people lived in developing towns and cities and were further contributed by immense migration

and the release of patients from state psychiatric institutions. Homelessness plummeted during

1980's caused by the increased cuts in social services and housing. Nevertheless, the number of

homeless has grown over time, and at the end of 2013, the estimation of the homeless adults was

about 57,849 persons. The number of homeless children has continually grown from 1.5 to 2.5

million yearly. Vacant houses in most populated cities outnumber the homeless individuals and

are as well highly charged which limits the capability to access. Distribution of homeless people

varies from one city or town to the other. For instance, cities with a large number of homeless

individuals including but not limited to Kansas, Arizona, Virginia, Mississippi, Rhode Island,

Maryland, Los Angeles, Denver, Alabama, New Jersey, Washington DC, among others. Thus,

this report explicitly describes the most appropriate policy strategy for intervention and

prevention of homelessness in the US (Robbins, 2015).

The growing government commitments in preventing homeless have apparently reduced

the housing problems in some cities. In the period 2015-2016, the government US government

achieved success as the statistics that indicate the decrease was experienced in cities such as

Florida, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Nevada. A significant decline in homelessness

was experienced in North Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Montana and Nevada with 29%,

27%, 24%, 17%, and 15% respectively (Meghan et al.). The decline undeniably depicts more

success, unlike the previous years where homelessness cases were rising amidst combined efforts

of the society, non-governmental institutions and the government.

Developing and implementing various strategies to curb homelessness depends on the

ability to understand in advance the causes and possible intervention and preventive measures.

Knowing the reasons for any problem plays a vital role in designing effective intervention

strategies. Unfortunately, homeless problem has persistently existed for an extended period

because the real causes are low salaries and high demands for the houses due to the increased

population. The harshening economic conditions shrink individual’s income particularly those

employed in low-paying jobs as well as those unemployed remains the primary challenge beyond

the government and society capability (Bassuk & William 73). Communities can apply the

knowledge gained about causative agents for homeless in the community to prevent them from

occurring. The government has the ultimate role in intervening through financial assistance and

developing stable housing systems to reduce homelessness in the country significantly.

Strategy for Intervening Homelessness

Overwhelming success in combating homelessness requires accurate identification of the risks

and embracing effective intervention strategies in helping individuals to retain their houses. As

earlier enumerated, homelessness can be intervened through providing financial assistance and

establishing stable housing systems. These methods are elaborated as follows.

Providing Financial Assistance

Most cases of homelessness currently experienced in the US are financially related. For example,

both landlords and tenants lack the enough money to construct adequate houses. The cost of

building homes is very high, and this is passed to the tenants regarding high rent. Providing

financial support to home developers is crucial in assisting them to spend little funds on

constructing the houses. Consequently, many homes will be built which can be afforded by 1500

customers. On the other hand, the homeless individuals will be given financial assistance such as

paying rent for the unemployed. This approach seems costly; nonetheless, it can work perfectly

well if the authorities liaise with landlords in identifying individuals that hardly pay or fail to

timely remit their dues (Park et al. 255). Providing monetary support of 500 dollars probably

reduces individual’s exposure to the risk of eviction from houses. Sometimes, people who risk

losing their homes can indirectly receive assistance in the form of employment. Employing

homeless individuals is a long-term source of income that will help them pay rent and provide

for other personal needs and this can only be solved by introducing a program which helps in

curbing the homelessness.

A Model of Biopsychosocial Intervention

Vagrancy proposes a nonattendance of one of life's most basic needs: a place to call home.

Disregarding the way that the specific parts for treatment providers will vacillate over the

differing models of organization transport, these models incorporate some mix of dialog,

composed exertion, prompting and support. All models of intervention start with the key needs

of sustenance, clothing and safe house and progress to additional necessities of propelling those

aptitudes required for autonomy. In such way, Maslow's physiological and prosperity needs are

tended to before other higher demand needs.

A fundamental period of mediation incorporates a meeting with the down and out client to ask

what is required and expected to make the world work. An assessment of physiological and

prosperity needs is frequently completed, and game plans are made for sustenance, pieces of

clothing and asylum. Given the brevity of the dejected people, clients may end intercession at the

present time. Regardless, given open entryway, various down and out instantly partake in

additional sections of organization transport.

A minute period of mediation incorporates joint exertion with available gathering workplaces to

address continuing with needs. In the midst of this stage, an assessment is made of capacity to

work inside the gathering. As needs be, an evaluation is made of physical and enthusiastic

wellbeing status, mental working, and ability to get to resources for social help. An evaluation of

flexible working perceives what aptitudes and limits the client needs to adjust to biological

solicitations of work, school, and family. In that limit, joint exertion and referral is regularly

critical to address the various prerequisites of the down and out client. This planned exertion part

routinely incorporates a case organization ability to screen the organization transport of other

gathering resources.

Family Intervention

Working with down and out families- The treatment of vagrancy as often as possible occurs

inside setting of family intercession, as watchmen and children commonly experience the takeoff

of a home. Numerous wellsprings of research exhibit that a family-based and multi-crucial

treatment gives a fruitful philosophy to address issues of down and out families. Family-based

drugs help re-setting up the social agreement routinely aggravated when people live without a

home and can be most important when helping the adult people from the family adjust to the

stress of youngster rising inside a dejected space.

Family treatment consolidates four systems that are regularly shown progressively. At first, the

ID and insistence of the family's key concerns will pass on an understanding that their needs and

saw. These stresses as often as possible consolidate issues related to cabin, alteration of cash

related resources, nonattendance of having a place, loss of security, and fear of losing children to

cautious organizations. Making a shielded and secure condition transforms into a basic target for

the family in the midst of the hidden period of intercession.

Building a convincing relationship requires the treatment provider to pass on a cognizance of the

family's sentiment confidence and moreover an appreciation of any inconveniences they are

going up against. The establishment of a therapeutic relationship requires all components of the

supportive association together, i.e., the assertion, affirmation and endorsement of each relative.

Third, family intervention methods are planned to adjust the family remarkable in such a path, to

the point that the family ends up being more valuable in satisfying the fundamental and higher

demand needs of each relative. Observational assessment can perceive qualities and challenges

of the family system, including an examination of the remedial and energetic needs of the family.

The stress of living in various passing homes every now and again changes it up of extreme

physical issues, including restorative inabilities, skin aggravations and colds; and moreover a

compounding of unattended wearisome conditions, including neurological, developmental, and

gastrointestinal difficulties. Desperate conditions moreover fuel past seizure and asthmatic issue.

Family mediation in like manner focuses on different eager segments, including slants of family

intermittence, demoralized impact, fomentation and exacerbation, and social avoidance.

Posttraumatic push is consistently associated with the loss of cabin, friends, and reserves, and

furthermore the loss of regular habitat.

Establishing Stable Housing Systems

Developing stable housing systems aim to shape the transformation of the US homelessness and

shelter services client-centered and outcome focused system that can fundamentally help

individuals to remain in their homes. The system will focus on the administration of the

emergency responses and social housing programs to homelessness. Importantly, an affordable

housing program will be put in place to ameliorate construction of many houses across the

country to solve homelessness challenge. An affordable housing program will serve as the

roadmap for policy-work and investment decisions which importantly help in providing the right

housing facilities to everyone. Comparing the program to the other existing programs, it appears

to be cheaper and affordable by majority of the people in the country. The stable housing

systems ought to have the following attributes.

➢ The program should promote the development of affordable houses which is a pertinent

matter and concern for house developers and homelessness individuals.

➢ A housing plan that enhances access to affordable houses that are user-centered supports.

➢ The program should also emphasize the relevance of homelessness prevention and

prioritize it within planning.

➢ It should attract more collaboration and partnerships between the government, service

providers and sectors to support efficient and innovative solutions.

However, the effectiveness of the two intervention strategies faces various obstacles during

the implementation. Fundamental success of the approaches is how well the authorities respond

to the problems to continually accomplish overall objectives or positive results in the context of

decreasing budget allocations for handling homelessness due to the growing government

financial commitments. Despite ensuring homeless prevention is the key objective, financial

constraints and little commitments among stakeholders are the potential deterrents which ought

suppression before the obvious challenges. Employing the entire homeless population and paying

rents is perhaps difficult; nonetheless, the few identified will be assisted accordingly thus

reducing the number of the affected.

Besides, a proactive and early intervention that is integrated across the systems such as the

government, the society, and agencies will enhance comprehending drivers of homelessness

which will ultimately bolster the development of the most appropriate preventive strategies. The

intervention is based on three pertinent models (primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention)

(Forss, 2015).

Table1. Summarized homelessness intervention strategies

Model

Activities

1. Primary

Involving the entire population to minimize homelessness. Some of the

initiatives to be taken include:

➢ Helping individuals to improve income and money management

practices.

➢ Maximizing access to benefits.

➢ Preventing addition to alcohol and drug abuse.

➢ Establishing employment protection policies.

➢ Providing life skills lessons to people.

➢ Advocating the use of mediation and conflict resolution to prevent

homeless caused by domestic violence.

➢ Initiating poverty eradication or reduction programs.

➢ Developing housing pathway planning.

2. Secondary

Programs at this level will mainly target groups or individuals at risk of

homelessness such as those in a crisis situation, facing eviction, lost

employment, and others.

➢ Providing financial assistance.

➢ Creating employment opportunities to absorb individuals fired.

➢ Assisting those involved in domestic violence to solve their

differences amicably.

➢ Supporting those evicted from their residential areas by helping them

to pay rent.

➢ Support access to affordable housing schemes including contributing

to buy, starter home, and shared equity.

➢ Supporting vulnerable tenants to retain their tenancies.

➢ Offering counseling and support service provision to alcohol and drug

addicts.

3. Tertiary

Responsible parties will intervene once homelessness problems arise to

avert them from getting worse.

➢ Assist the affected group access to supported houses.

➢ Prevent eviction by liaising and brokering with landlords.

➢ Help individuals access to social and private rented housing.

Homelessness Prevention Strategies

Homelessness in the US can be handled by developing promising prevention approaches that

conflate with intervention measures crafted by the authorities. The success of the prevention

strategies depends on the main elements including the ability to target well, elements reflecting

community motivation, attributes that maximize resources, and those affecting sustainability,

control, direction, and the application of information to guide future development.

As a matter of fact, it is not the entire population that should be targeted. Thus, an

appropriate homeless prevention strategy should be capable of targeting well the affected

individuals. Attaining this aspect is possible through working with relevant agencies to share

required information to enhance tracking of the right clients across the data systems. Again, the

authorities should use a single agency or system to control the eligibility determination process

to ensure the right individuals are identified. Regarding the motivation attribute, the community

can only accept the obligation of housing or assist the homeless if the demand comes from the

authority such as the governor’s commitment, statutory requirement and through distinct

mechanisms established to combat the problem (Park et al. 255). The jurisdiction should support

the community in the fight against possible causes of homelessness such as providing financial

assistance for executing different programs started in the society. Substantial funding will

motivate and increase community participation in government programs established to reduce

and prevent homelessness. Ideally, resource maximization is crucial in any policy development

and implementation. Thus, the authorities will collaborate with the community and private

agencies to stretch and create new resources and further develop a service that did not previously

exists such as mediation in the housing courts. Moreover, sustainability, direction, and control;

the prevention strategy must have a clear goal, stimulate the new thinking, provide feedback on

the progress, identify gaps and next steps, and give appropriate ground regarding needed actions

to ensure contract agencies are committed to achieving success.

Having clear insights concerning the development of preventive mechanisms will allow

the development of the following homelessness preventive measures. Therefore, the following

strategies will be applied to solve homelessness.

A significant number of the best lodging based strategies intended to address the vagrancy

emergency — specifically, lasting steady lodging for people living with inabilities and other

exceptional needs — were spearheaded in New York City and have been duplicated all through

the nation. Various research thinks about have reliably affirmed that long haul lodging help not

just effectively diminishes vagrancy — it is additionally more affordable than protect and other

institutional care. Demonstrated lodging based strategies include:

Federal lodging help: Federal lodging programs are standouts amongst the best lodging based

answers for lessen vagrancy. The two biggest government lodging programs are open lodging

and elected lodging vouchers, known as Housing Choice Vouchers or Section 8 vouchers.

Lodging vouchers permit low-wage families to lease unassuming business sector rate lodging of

their decision and give an adaptable appropriation that alters with the family's salary after some

time. Studies demonstrate that open lodging and government lodging vouchers are very effective

at lessening family vagrancy and in guaranteeing that these families remain steadily housed out

of the asylum framework.

Permanent strong lodging- Pioneered in New York City in the 1980s, changeless steady lodging

has now turned out to be a fruitful and practical answer for the vagrancy emergency. The strong

lodging model consolidates moderate lodging help with fundamental help administrations for

people living with dysfunctional behavior, HIV/AIDS or different genuine medical issues. In

addition, various research examines have demonstrated that changeless strong lodging costs not

as much as different types of crisis and institutional care..

"Housing first"-Another demonstrated arrangement created in New York City and reproduced

across the country is the "lodging first" way to deal with road vagrancy, which expands on the

accomplishment of perpetual steady lodging. The "lodging first" approach includes moving long

haul road destitute people — the lion's share of whom are living with psychological

maladjustment, substance mishandle disarranges and different genuine medical issues —

specifically into financed lodging and after that connecting them to help administrations, either

on location or in the group. Research ponders have discovered that the greater part of long haul

road vagrants moved into "lodging first" flats remain steadily housed and encounter noteworthy

upgrades in their medical issues. Much like changeless steady lodging, the "lodging first"

approach is far less expensive than crisis and institutional care, for example, safe houses, healing

facilities and restorative offices.

The major reason for vagrancy is the broadening lodging moderateness hole. In New York City,

that hole has extended altogether finished the previous decades, which have seen the loss of a

huge number of units of moderate rental lodging. While lodging moderateness has exacerbated,

government at each level has decreased officially lacking lodging help for low-wage individuals

and has diminished interests in building and saving reasonable lodging.

Establishing Effective Housing Development and Land Use Policies

The immense government commitments in ending homelessness problems in the US are deterred

by inefficient housing development policies in densely populated cities more so in the big towns

and cities where people come from different social divides. As a result, few houses which do not

match the rising homeless population. However, the landlords usually charge high rents which

consume about fifty percent of their monthly income according to a study carried out by different

groups of people. Apparently, the establishment of appropriate policies will help address some

issues that compel owners to charge high rent beyond people capability (Park et al. 255).

Inadequate housing development plans are also the primary contributors to living overcrowding

spaces (Australia, 2000).. New policies should be formulated to enhance collaboration between

the federal and state governments, housing agencies, and investors to bolster development of

many and affordable houses. Thus, homelessness will be avoided through:

➢ Appropriate use of the public land to build houses to meet the growing demands in most

populated cities experiencing homelessness cases. With the fact that homelessness is a

social problem and a primary obstacle to economic growth, the government has a pivotal

role in ensuring the most suitable solution is developed to curb its increase. Therefore, the

public land will be used to establish adequate housing at an affordable price.

➢ Establish effective house development measures to encourage private developers. The

government can accomplish this by eliminating barriers such lack of land and a rapid

growth in population that exist for house developments.

➢ Additionally, the policies will remove complexities that are encountered while applying

for funding from financial institutions and government housing agencies. Access to

financial aid will speed up the period taken to build more houses. This amount of money

will be generated from a volunteer program which will be set to help the needy people in

the society.

Furthermore, inappropriate policies on land use are also major constraints towards

developing adequate housing facilities. Presently, the zoning restrictions in cities such as Los

Angeles limit availability of sufficient places to build many affordable houses. Regarding this

challenge, the following actions will be considered.

➢ Meeting the future housing demand will be achieved through establishing balance

zoning density profiles.

➢ Improve land use by establishing new zoning in the entire country.

Moreover, this policy advocates providing housing subsidies. The strategy is effective in keeping

the first-time homelessness factors for at least three years. Subsidizing the housing costs for

extremely low-income earners will significantly lower the rate of homelessness as compared to

other intervention strategies applied. Also, this approach will importantly help 70000 homeless

families to achieve stability (Australia, 2008)..

Delivering Effective Early Intervention and Prevention through Focusing Providing

Employment, Education, Health and Well-Being

This strategy will be pursued through partnering with the principal players who are the working

class members of the society and commissioning in tackling economic, social and health

inequalities. As earlier stated targeting the right people vulnerable to homelessness will allow the

authorities to develop the most appropriate homelessness prevention strategy. Most causes of

homelessness are obvious and can efficiently be handled if the affected group is timely identified

from the population. Consequently, preventive measures including providing or equipping

individuals with relevant knowledge and skills to assist them secure employment opportunities.

The team chosen to oversee these program will liaise with various employers to offer job

opportunities to the identified groups. Fundamentally, communication campaigns will be used to

ensure that:

➢ Residents understand and play their responsibilities of providing suitable solutions to life

challenges to aid in overcoming housing problems.

➢ Create awareness among the residents regarding support housing services available

across the country to meet their needs.

Notably, this strategy is paramount in empowering vulnerable groups in the society by helping

them suit staying anywhere in the community. Basing on the premise that “education is the key

to life”, it is beyond doubt the approach will unlock individual’s potentials of securing job

opportunities which assist them to overcome homelessness. Also, liaising with employers and

ensuring homelessness people are offered jobs is a long-lasting solution towards taking full

family responsibility and improving living standards. Communication campaigns initiated will

help people to seek assistance from relevant bodies in the countries that deal with housing issues.

Improving health and wellbeing is important. Some of the matters the policy intends to

address drug and substance abuse, low educational attainment, mental health concerns, domestic

violence, and offending behavior. Combination of these dimensions in individuals increases

homelessness as they may become exacerbated particularly if they remain unsettled. Health and

wellness improvement strategy will thus play a vital role in helping individuals to overcome the

above-highlighted problems and homelessness. To enhance effectiveness in the health and

wellness policy, various agencies across the settlement sector will be involved to encourage

change at organizational, individual and community level, promote adoption of healthy lifestyles

to people and provide training and resources for key workers committed to promoting healthy

lifestyles. Therefore, provision of education, employment opportunities, health, and well-being is

the cornerstone of this strategic policy because it will provide a long-term prevention approach.

Use the most Appropriate Temporary Accommodation to Avert Economic and Social

Deterioration

Most overpopulated cities have established a temporary shelter that is utilized in the short term

and this, however, fails to address homelessness problems fully. The housing council

experiences substantial hindrances in securing additional and affordable accommodation. To

normalize the condition, the policy proposes the removal of temporary management housing

allowance to bring down the maximum rent to an affordable level. Temporary housing will be

utilized as a last resort alongside other homelessness prevention measures. Despite serving for

more than seven years in populated cities, the report advocates for building more houses that can

be efficiently used for an extended period. Continuous development of temporary

accommodation does not help solve homelessness completely; nonetheless, it de-motivates

relevant parties from taking appropriate measures in ensuring many houses are constructed to

shelter the growing population as seen in other developed countries such as Russia. People will

be helped to independently secure accommodation at an affordable price across all the affected

cities (Park et al. 255). Also, homeless families will be assisted to successfully transition and

secure suitable and long-term through financial support and apt information. To achieve this, the

following further actions will be considered.

➢ Develop a suite of products to assist property developers and agents in partnering with

housing council through private sector leasing and options. Consequently, most obstacles

experienced before being cleared by the authorities regarding land use and city planning

will be minimized to encourage the establishment of many houses.

➢ Manage and control letting processes for temporary accommodation to ensure they are

used for the right purpose.

Moreover, homelessness will be prevented through providing supportive services coupled

with building permanent houses. For instance, other options such as providing education,

temporary accommodation are ineffective in preventing homeless for mentally disturbed

individuals; instead, they need to be given permanent homes (Gaetz, 2014). Permanent and

supportive housing will house initial people without homes and help chronically homeless

individuals to leave streets. Besides, some families might be homeless just because they lack

financial resources to put up their own houses. They rapidly move from one house to the other

causing disturbances to children such as depression, poor brain development, and schooling.

Such groups will be identified and be provided with financial aid to put up their homes.

Therefore, understanding different causes of homelessness in the country will guide the

authorities regarding the best preventive strategy to embrace.

Helping Individuals on how Appropriately Deal with or Prevent Domestic Violence

Currently, the frequent breakdown of the relationship is a single leading cause of homelessness

accounting about 15% of the total cases among the children in the cities. In the past years, many

incidences of domestic violence were reported in different regions of the country and children

were the most affected parties. Apparently, victims of domestic violence fail to apply the apt

conflict resolution approach to prevent separation or divorce. To handle or prevent such

occurrence, the following actions will be implemented:

✓ Focus on assisting families that experience unhealthy relationships and intolerances to

amicably solve their differences rather than engaging in violence which results in

separation.

✓ Engaging health professionals to provide guiding and counseling programs to families on

how to avoid or deal with potential conflicts that might arise.

✓ Supporting perpetrators programs.

These measures form the prevention strategy, and the council will be entrusted to deliver

a holistic approach to achieving a reduction or prevention in cases of domestic abuse. This

approach aims at making early intervention against various forces that probably result into

family misunderstandings such as providing treatment and counseling services to individuals

addicted to drug and alcohol abuse (Shinn, 2013). People who engage in violence because of the

economic hardship will be offered financial support and other valuable ideas on how to use their

little knowledge to make ends meet.

Table 2 Summary of other homelessness prevention

Strategic direction

Actions to undertake

Preventing homelessness

✓ Developing eviction prevention strategy to build

relationships with various stakeholders such as

cooperative housing providers, community partner’s

service agencies, private sector landlords, and others.

✓ Partnering with healthcare, correction systems, and child

care to effectively transition planning methods that aim to

prevent institutions from discharging individuals into

homelessness.

✓ Identify priorities and resource requirements to improve

the effectiveness of housing support services and further

enhance stability and successful tenancies.

✓ Increase community social integration, connectivity, and

economic well-being to support successful tenancies

through leveraging investments in community-based

programs.

Analysis of the Homelessness Problem

In the US approximately 643, 067 people are homeless. Over 238,000families faces housing

challenges. 25% suffers from mental illness including depression, 17% are chronically

homeless, 13% represents those fleeing from domestic violence, and 12% are veterans. Recently,

the face of homelessness has been revolving thus exposing people with disabilities, veterans, and

single families to high risk of homelessness. Amidst various intervention and preventive

measures instituted by the government, community and interested parties, homelessness has

continually increased in locations such as central Texas whereby the most affected population

are women and children (Meghan et al.). In January 2016, 39, 471 veterans faced homelessness;

77, 486 individuals and 8,648 people in families with children experienced chronic patterns of

homelessness. Moreover, there was 35,686 unaccompanied homeless youth; whereby 89%

comprised the ages between 18 and 24.( Ellen, 2014)

Despite governments’ overwhelming efforts in setting a path for ending homelessness the

challenge still emanates from the growing cost of living. Individuals spend almost 25% of their

paycheck in paying rent for the apartments. For instance, the average rent in most apartments

across the main cities ranges between $1600- $1800 which is unaffordable among low-income

earners. Also, most employers are unwilling to pay a minimum of $30 per hour to enable them to

afford to own homes and meet other daily demands. Home value has grown up to about 9%, and

it is expected to continue over the next couple of years (Meghan et al.). Additionally, poverty

level among individuals particularly the unemployed is ever rising. Annual jobs created by the

government sectors do not match the growing semi-skilled people. Therefore, high rate of

unemployment and rising cost of living affects the government and the community in the fight

against homelessness.

Survey Solutions

Evidently, homelessness is a major social problem caused by a wide range of variables. To

effectively deal with the challenge, the responsible parties are required to target the right people

and quickly respond by applying effective intervention and preventive measures. Thus, the

success of this policy is heavily depended on the capability of the assigned parties to identify

vulnerable groups and match every cause with a preventive strategy. Having identified families,

children, unemployed, alcohol and drug addicts, veterans, mental ill, prisoners, and families as

the potential groups exposed to the risk of homelessness all preventive strategies laid in the

policy will separately address every segment. Intervention and preventive approaches will be

easily distinguished through basing on three paramount models; primary, secondary, and tertiary.

These models identify potential causes and allow the provision of a clear long-term

homelessness preventive measure. The policy advocates for the following homelessness

intervention and preventive measures from 2017 to 2019.

Preventive Strategies

❖ Establishing effective housing development and land use policies.

❖ Delivering effective early intervention and prevention through focusing on providing

employment, education, health, and well-being.

❖ Use the most appropriate temporary accommodation to avert economic and social

deterioration.

❖ Helping individuals on how appropriately deal with or prevent domestic violence.

Intervention Strategies

❖ Providing financial assistance.

❖ Establishing stable housing systems.

Recommendations

Apparently, the proposed strategies can work perfectly well if effective implementation plan is

formulated to guide on how to respond to possible challenges that will be experienced. Success is

always associated with some costs or inputs that must be put into maximum use, evaluated, and

timely fixed to remain in line with the strategic objectives (Shinn, 2013). Many practical

homelessness preventive strategies have been proposed; however, their effectiveness will

significantly depend on the intervention measures. Thus, concerned jurisdiction should accord

the required priority on intervention strategies including the provision of financial assistance and

establishment of stable housing systems. Undeniably, house shortages can only be solved if

appropriate policies are set and effectively implemented; therefore, the goal of reducing

homelessness will be accomplished if adequate financial aid is given to house developers and

individual’s owners or families. Equally, effective policies will substantial help to eliminate

unnecessary barriers that prevent private investors in the real estate industry and proper use of

the government land in building many houses. It is important to liaise with the major

stakeholders to improve collaboration and work towards achieving a common purpose (Gaetz,

2014). Concentrating on general prevention strategies is perhaps a short-term solution the

affected individuals should be empowered through training to allow them to secure employment

to serve as a source of income that will assist to cater for housing needs.

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Meghan Henry., Rian Watt, Lily Rosenthal, and Azim Shivji. “The U.S. Department of

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contribution, and beyond. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

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Delany-Moretlwe, S., Cowan, F. M., Busza, J., Bolton-Moore, C., Kelley, K., & Fairlie,

L. (February 01, 2015). Providing comprehensive health services for young key populations:

needs, barriers and gaps. Journal of the International Aids Society, 18.

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