For homeless people there are many ways to get access to temporary housing or permanent housing. The most common way for homeless people to get a temporary roof over their head is by staying at a homeless shelter. However, there are also other options for homeless individuals such as low-income housing. Other organizations also offer homeless people housing first, and give them the chance to work toward employment or recovery.
Function
Pathways to Housing is a New York City-based organization that offers apartments to homeless individuals, in particular ones with mental illness. In existence since 1993, Pathways to Housing gives homeless people an apartment and the chance to get back on their feet either by getting a job.The organization believes that for homeless people to recover, they first need a safe, comfortable place to live.
Significance
Other programs such as the Bowery Residents' Committee, or BRC, offer homeless people both transitional and permanent housing options. In the transitional housing, the BRC helps the residents understand their problems (or mental illnesses), manage their health and develop skills for obtaining jobs. As their confidence and health beings to increase, they graduate to a shared-living program or to having their own apartment.
Theories/Speculation
As for homeless shelters, they are usually located in urban areas. They are open to anybody at any time of the day, seven days a week. Occasionally homeless shelters will restrict access based on age or gender. Most homeless shelters prefer that the homeless are somewhere else during the day and return only at night to sleep. There are also daytime-only shelters where homeless people who have nowhere to go during the day can stay.
Prevention/Solution
There are also a lot of organizations, such as Common Ground, that provide low-income housing for homeless people. It is necessary to apply for this housing, and the applicants will generally be placed on a waiting list. There are no guarantees for how long this process can take; depending on availability, it can be very fast or very slow. Also, the more flexible an applicant is about housing preferences, the quicker they should be accommodated.
Potential
There are various ways to help out homeless housing programs and shelters. You can donate blankets, warm coats, winter clothing, canned food items, food vouchers, paper goods such as paper towels and tissue and more. Money donations are also a good way to help homeless housing programs and shelters in your area.
Tags: homeless people, homeless shelters, help homeless, help homeless housing, homeless housing, homeless housing programs