Housing and Homelessness

Homelessness in America cuts across age, gender, and place. Approximately 578,000 individuals were homeless on a single night in January of 2014; nearly 50,000 veterans are homeless; and 2.5 million children and their families are homeless each year, according to a 2014 AIR report. Common contributors to homelessness include poverty, lack of affordable housing and Family at homeless shelteremployment opportunities, domestic violence, and health and mental health issues, including the effects of trauma.

AIR’s National Center on Family Homelessness leads the field in addressing these factors. We bring our expertise in research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, systems integration, and trauma-informed care to find solutions to improve peoples’ lives and end homelessness. On behalf of federal clients such as the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Education, and Justice, AIR assists communities to use data-driven strategies, cross-system collaboration, and mobile technology to respond to the many factors placing people at risk.

Related Topics

Child Welfare
Trauma-Informed Care

Latest Work

Image of girl with flag holding soldier's hand
8 Nov 2019
Spotlight

Caring for America's Veterans

Hundreds of thousands of veterans return from conflict having experienced trauma; many struggle with PTSD and some are at risk for homelessness. We can serve veterans better by developing the best trauma-informed care practices, engaging families, and making the physical and mental well-being of service men and women a priority.
Image of girl with flag holding soldier's hand
9 May 2019
Brief

How Public Datasets Can Address Data Obstacles in Pay for Success: A Demonstration for Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities

As part of its Pay for Success work, AIR developed a workaround to common data obstacles these projects face. AIR was contracted to develop the evaluation design for the San Diego-based Project (re)Launch, which sought to improve employment and health outcomes for veterans with service-connected disabilities by providing intensive case management and wraparound supports.
Project

Project (re)LAUNCH: San Diego Veterans Employment Pay for Success Initiative

The transition back to civilian life is difficult for many veterans. Often times, military training does not directly translate to civilian skills and available jobs back home. Addressing these challenges is the central aim of the San Diego Veterans Employment Pay for Success Initiative, Project (re)LAUNCH, a partnership of the San Diego Workforce Partnership; Third Sector Capital Partners, Inc.; 2-1-1 San Diego; and AIR.
Project

National Capital Region Pay for Success Demonstration Project for Permanent Supportive Housing

Pay for Success models bring together investors with local, state, and federal government agencies to fund and improve education, health, and social services. For the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Justice, AIR is testing a PFS model in Maryland to support people experiencing chronic homelessness in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
16 Jun 2017
Service

Pay for Success/Social Impact Bonds

The Pay for Success (PFS) model, also known as the Social Impact Bonds model, is a relatively new way to finance improvements in persistent social problems. PFS brings together investors with local, state, and federal government agencies to fund and improve education, health, and social services. AIR is implementing this approach in many communities around the country.
Project

Transitional Housing for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence: A 2014-15 Snapshot

The Snapshot explores challenges facing transitional housing programs serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and examines underlying issues, contributing factors, and diverse approaches taken to address those challenges.
1 Dec 2016
Report

Report │Transitional Housing for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence: A 2014-15 Snapshot

The 12 chapters of the Transitional Housing for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence: A 2014-15 Snapshot report comprehensively explore the challenges facing transitional housing programs and the survivors of domestic and sexual violence they serve, the underlying issues and contributing factors, and the diverse approaches that programs take to address those challenges.
Project

National Poverty Study

In the U.S. and many other countries, there’s a well-developed infrastructure for counting the number of people in poverty. The National Poverty Study seeks to move beyond that to answer questions regarding the changing conditions of poverty, how those conditions differ across places and “poverty types,” and how those in poverty respond to these differing conditions.
Project

Runaway and Homeless Youth Management Information Systems (RHY-HMIS)

An estimated 4.2 million American adolescents and young adults aged 13 to 25 experienced some form of homelessness in the previous year. Collecting high-quality data about the services provided to young people is an important step in finding solutions to homelessness. AIR, under contract to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, developed, launched, and maintained the Runaway and Homeless Youth Homeless Management Information System.
10 Feb 2015 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

America's 2.5 Million Homeless Children: A Panel Discussion

You're invited to a discussion featuring the latest research-driven solutions on child and family homelessness, including the America's Youngest Outcasts Report. The American Institutes for Research/National Center on Family Homelessness released the America’s Youngest Outcasts in November 2014. The report documents the number of homeless children in every state, their well-being, their risk for child homelessness, and state level planning and policy efforts.
Project

Impact Evaluation of an Affordable Housing Program in India

In the absence of viable affordable housing policies, the percentage of India’s urban population that cannot afford a home will increase substantially in the next couple of years. AIR is examining the impact of a program, developed by the UK Government and the Indian National Housing Bank, that focuses on increasing access to affordable housing.
Project

Preventing Homelessness in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth

Research reveals that experiencing marginalization, physical or verbal threats, discrimination, and trauma can undermine physical, social, emotional, and mental health. This can be particularly true for LGBTQ youth. AIR is supporting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the True Colors Fund on a first-of-its-kind project: The LGBTQ Youth Homelessness Prevention Initiative. Its aim is to identify successful strategies to ensure that no young person is left without a home because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
America's Youngest Outcasts report cover
30 Nov 2014
Report

America's Youngest Outcasts: A Report Card on Child Homelessness

Based on a calculation using the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education and the 2013 U.S. Census, 2.5 million children in America—one in every 30 children—go to sleep without a home of their own each year. America’s Youngest Outcasts looks at child homelessness nationally and in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, ranks the states from 1 (best) to 50 (worst), and examines causes of child homelessness and solutions.
11 Nov 2014
Brief

Trauma-Informed Care for Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: An Organization-Wide Framework

Trauma-informed care is a universal framework for addressing trauma that requires changes to the practices, policies, and culture of an entire organization, so all staff have the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to support veterans. This brief provides an introduction to trauma-informed care and identifies reasons why trauma-informed care is a best practice for serving veterans experiencing homelessness.
11 Nov 2014
Brief

Brief Series: Trauma-Informed Care for Veterans Experiencing Homelessness

The National Center on Family Homelessness has developed a series of briefs based on findings from Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness, a first-of-its-kind, multi-site demonstration project focused on building the capacity of veteran-serving agencies, particularly those serving women veterans, to adopt a universal, organization-wide approach to understanding and responding to trauma.
Project

Education and Homeless Cross-system Collaboration

Collaboration between education and homeless systems can be challenging due to differences in organizational culture, legal guidelines, nomenclature, goals, data, and deadlines. AIR is working with The National Center for Homeless Education on a five-year effort to improve collaboration between the education and homeless systems.
Project

Supporting Federal Efforts to End Homelessness

Hundreds of thousands of families and more than one million children are homeless in America each year, and the numbers are increasing. Female-headed families, veterans, and LGBT youth are among those most at risk, often due to extreme trauma that precedes and is made worse by homelessness.

20 Jun 2013
Toolkit

Closing the Gap: Integrating Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence

While there are well-established links in the literature on domestic violence and homelessness, integration of the two systems in policy and practice is still emerging. This toolkit was created to address the gap between domestic violence and homeless service systems.

19 Jun 2013 | 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Event

National Center on Family Homelessness Hosts Congressional Briefing

On May 22, 2013, The National Center on Family Homelessness hosted a briefing with Congressional Caucus on Homelessness co-chairs—Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson and Alcee Hastings—and Senator Patty Murray. More than 100 people participated and learned about experiences, challenges, and solutions facing children, youth, families, veterans, and individuals who are homeless.
9 May 2013 | 7:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Event

Event: Wed., May 22 – Homelessness in America: Experiences & Solutions in the 113th Congress

The National Center on Family Homelessness is hosting a briefing with the Congressional Caucus on Homelessness and Senator Patty Murray: Homelessness in America: Experiences & Solutions in the 113th Congress. Speakers will share pressing issues facing families, youth, veterans, and individuals who are experiencing homelessness and will discuss solutions.

Project

Service and Housing Interventions for Families in Transition (SHIFT) Study

The Service and Housing Interventions for Families in Transition (SHIFT) Longitudinal Study examines and compares the long-term outcomes of families entering shelters, transitional housing programs, and permanent supportive housing programs in four communities in upstate New York.

Project

START with Kids

START with Kids provides trauma-informed, clinically driven care to children and families in emergency shelters in Worcester, MA. Conducted by The National Center on Family Homelessness, START with Kids is part of the Safe Start Initiative—a federal effort to prevent and reduce the impact of family and community violence on children and their families funded by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Project

Technical Assistance and Training for HUD Continuum of Care Grantees

The National Center on Family Homelessness leads an initiative to provide technical assistance to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and communities receiving HUD funding with two partners—the Center for Social Innovation and HomeBase. The focus of this work is implementation of specific federal goals to end homelessness.
Project

Domestic Violence and Homelessness

The National Center on Family Homelessness is supporting Transitional Housing grantees of the Office of Violence Against Women at the U.S. Department of Justice. The project supports the transition of domestic violence survivors from homelessness to safe, stable, permanent housing.
Project

Trauma-Informed Care for Organizations Serving Homeless Female Veterans

Research shows that traumatic experiences prior to and during military service can have a significant impact on the health and well-being of women Veterans, increasing their risk for homelessness. Traumatic experiences can also affect ability to maintain health and sustain employment. With advances in awareness of the prevalence and impact of trauma in the lives of women Veterans, trauma-informed care is now seen as a best practice to support recovery.
Project

Chicagoland Women Veterans Employment Study

Recently, the social and cultural needs of women veterans, such as the reintegration of women veterans into civilian culture, gender-specific family concerns, and post-separation support, have begun to receive greater attention. The goals of the Chicagoland Female Veteran project were to compare male and female veteran unemployment and underemployment, understand the dynamics of homelessness among unemployed female veterans, and explore effective service interventions for women veterans.
Project

Community Circles Strength at Home: Central Valley, CA

Veteran status has been associated with increased rates of interpersonal violence, with veterans perpetrating violence up to three times as much as civilians, which can be largely attributed to combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder or to a prior history of trauma. Strength at Home is a relationship-strengthening intervention for veterans/service members and their families and friends designed to address conflict, anger, and readjustment to civilian life after deployment.
Project

Community Circles of Support for Veterans' Families

The return of American men and women in uniform serving in Iraq and Afghanistan rivals the scale of World War II demobilizations in some communities. In partnership with the National Center on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the National Center on Family Homelessness created Community Circles of Support for Veterans Families, a multi-site demonstration project designed for use by community-based organizations.
mother and two children
8 Jul 2010
Report

Service and Housing Interventions for Families in Transition (SHIFT) Study - Final Report

A study of long-term outcomes for families entering shelters and other housing programs found that more than half still didn’t have stable residences after 30 months.
11 Mar 2009
Report

Evaluation of the Minnesota Supportive Housing and Managed Care Pilot

The Minnesota Supportive Housing and Managed Care Pilot evaluation suggests that it is possible to end homelessness for the most marginalized single adults and families in America with housing and intensive supports. Although this population has experienced long spells of homelessness exacerbated by physical health problems, mental illness, chemical dependency and traumatic stress, this evaluation found that stable housing, recovery and reintegration into community life are possible. The intervention of supportive housing—housing and services focused on the unique needs of people exiting homelessness—broke the cycle of homelessness.
Project

Strengthening At Risk and Homeless Young Mothers and Children

To address the complex needs of at-risk and homeless families, the Strengthening At Risk and Homeless Young Mothers and Children initiative was created. The Initiative sought to improve the housing, health, and development of homeless and at-risk mothers and children by supporting locally-based partnerships that included housing/homelessness and child development agencies, as well as those that address family preservation, domestic violence, mental health, substance use and other support services for the target population.