title: Twenty-five years of child and family homelessness: where are we now?
abstract: Family homelessness emerged as a major social and public health problem in the United States during the 1980s. We reviewed the literature, including journal articles, news stories, and government reports, that described conditions associated with family homelessness, the scope of the problem, and the health and mental health of homeless children and families. Much of this literature was published during the 1980s and 1990s. This raises questions about its continued applicability for the public health community. We concluded that descriptions of the economic conditions and public policies associated with family homelessness are still relevant; however, the homeless family population has changed over time. Family homelessness has become more prevalent and pervasive among poor and low-income families. We provide public health recommendations for these homeless families.
authors.affiliation: Roy Grant, Delaney Gracy, and Grifin Goldsmith are with Children's Health Fund, New York, NY. Alan Shapiro is with Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. Irwin E. Redlener is with Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Delaney
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gracy
authors.forename: Grifin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Irwin E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Redlener
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D005190:Family; D006304:Health Status; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018453:Homeless Youth / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D011634:Public Health; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data