Transitional Housing Programs Research Articles

Toward Self‐Sufficiency: Evaluating a Transitional Housing Program for Homeless Families

Homeless families face the economic and personal challenges of sparse employment opportunities and child care and nutrition needs, compounded by the loss of adequate housing. The Family Development Center (FDC) is a transitional housing program in Atlanta, Georgia, designed to provide young homeless mothers an opportunity to emerge from what may well be desperate circumstances and begin the journey to economic self‐sufficiency. This paper describes the research on programs for homeless families and presents the results of a comprehensive look at the operation and effectiveness of the FDC program during its first 5 years of existence. The work shows that while many families were able to effect notable positive changes in their lives during and after taking part in the housing program, for some the recovery from homelessness was extremely difficult. For even the most successful formerly homeless families—those that secured employment, housing, and other social supports—the escape from welfare dependence and poverty proved very difficult. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for relevant public policy.

Moving Along: An Exploratory Study of Homeless Women with Children Using a Transitional Housing Program

Moving Along: An Exploratory Study of Homeless Women with Children Using a Transitional Housing Program

Running on Empty: Monitoring the Lives and Circumstances of Formerly Homeless Families with Children

Homelessness is a manifestation of acute poverty accompanied by long-term unemployment, deficient human capital, problems with substance abuse, inadequate welfare benefits, and other vulnerabilities. Homeless people have problems that require sustained intervention strategies that will permit them the opportunity to enter the labor market, maintain permanent housing, remain healthy and functional, and take care of their families. To this end, more and more transitional housing programs have been opened—programs that provide shelter stays of longer duration than emergency shelters as well as an array of support services designed to help people move along the path toward economic independence. Do people do better after living in transitional housing? To address this question, this research monitored homeless families who “graduated” from a large transitional housing program in Baltimore. Following two cohorts of families for more than one year at several points in time, this research finds that families exhibited a series of positive changes in the lives of both adults as well as children. Families did not become economically self-sufficient as indicated by complete independence from income maintenance programs. This study suggests that the availability of income maintenance programs, particularly rental housing subsidies may be a critical factor in permitting homeless people to stabilize their life situations.

Evaluating Transitional Housing for Single-Parent Women

AbstractThe body of research that examines the residential experiences of single parents and their children continues to grow. The role of specially designed housing and programs in reducing housing poverty and improving the overall condition of women’s lives, however, is unclear. In June 1993, 26 low income, single-parent women who are former residents of a transitional housing program were interviewed to determine the extent to which the housing and program were successful in helping them to meet their personal goals and the objectives of the program. The information collected from each former resident provides insights into individual, housing/program, and community resources, plus characteristics necessary to improve conditions for single mothers and their children.

A New Urban Housing Policy for the 1990S

: A crisis of housing affordability confronts US Cities. The authors outline a plan for federal investment for cities. Specific proposals include creation of a National Housing Investment Corporation to provide equity for homeowner ship project development: new laws to encourage pension fund investment in urban housing and to encourage employer-assisted housing, enhanced rental production programs for neighborhood-based nonprofit corporations, a national homelessness prevention law, a new transitional housing program for the homeless, and “housing with needed services” programs for the elderly, handicapped, and homeless. The authors outline how urban governments can better enforce property maintenance codes, take over abandoned property, adopt planning processes that enhance housing affordability, encourage historic preservation, and invest additional city funds in housing.