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Article: Are shelters the answer to family homelessness? (Life in America).(Cover Story)
- Article from:
- USA TODAY
- Article date:
- January 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Society for the Advancement of Education. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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FAMILY HOMELESSNESS is undergoing a marked transformation and entering a new stage of unprecedented growth. After shifting from an emergency housing problem in the early 1980s to one of sustained poverty during the 1990s, homelessness is on the verge of taking yet another turn. Limitations on the availability of public assistance and a booming, then faltering, economy have destabilized millions of families and ultimately forced thousands into homelessness.
Twenty years ago, one-time housing emergencies--fires, hazardous living conditions, and personal calamities--were the primary cause of family homelessness. Forced out of their homes, families required ...