Social Services and Welfare

commentary

Los Angeles Mayoral Debate Misleads on Approaches to Homelessness

They may not mean to, but Los Angeles politicians continue to imply that there is a primary “fix” for homelessness, be it temporary shelters or permanent supportive housing. But those are just pieces of a very complex puzzle. The region needs a robust continuum of care. Although some efforts exist, they have not been scaled up to meet the need.

Sarah B. Hunter

commentary

The Marriage Plot

For more than a quarter century, the U.S. government has been sending an unmistakable message to poor, single mothers: Get married. If America genuinely wants to address poverty and achieve gender equality, this has to change.

Kathryn A. Edwards

commentary

With the Ukrainians, Avoid the Mistakes of Other Refugee Crises

Because of Russia's invasion, millions of Ukrainians have fled their country or are internally displaced. At this critical moment, European Union countries have an opportunity to avoid some of the worst pitfalls of how the world has handled other refugee crises.

Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

essay

The Lives of Veterans Experiencing Homelessness

The United States pledged in 2009 to end veteran homelessness. The numbers have fallen by nearly half since then, but there are still more than 37,000 veterans living in their cars, in temporary shelters, or in makeshift camps. Researchers followed 26 of them for one year to see how they live and what keeps them on the streets.

commentary

Why Are U.S. Veterans at Heightened Risk of Food Insecurity?

U.S. veterans are at great risk of food insecurity, but there is limited understanding of exactly how many veterans lack resources to attain adequate and nutritious food and why. If resources are to be directed more effectively, the United States needs better clarity into the magnitude of the problem.

Tamara Dubowitz @TamaraDubowitz, Andrea Richardson @ASRichardson3

commentary

The Biden Administration's Chance to Improve SNAP and Nutrition Support

If policymakers were to make permanent the relaxed rules forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, it could be a start to increased racial equity in SNAP. Given broad public support for SNAP, making benefits easier to access, particularly for those already eligible, could be a bipartisan priority.

Sameer M. Siddiqi

commentary

Should Mothers Work? We've Been Asking the Wrong Question

As schools and day cares closed due to the pandemic, millions of women were driven from the labor market. What is it worth to the United States to have mothers in the workforce?

Kathryn A. Edwards

commentary

Domestic Violence Support Staff Need More Help to Tackle Challenges of the 'Shadow Pandemic'

During the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns, European Union states had a 60 percent increase in emergency calls about intimate-partner violence. Amid a protracted second wave that has led to further lockdowns, it may not be too late to provide the funding and legislative changes necessary to ensure domestic violence service providers can offer crucial support.

Lillian Flemons, Shann Hulme

essay

Rethinking How Police Respond to Homelessness

Around one-fifth of people experiencing homelessness have a severe mental health disorder. Almost as many have a substance-use disorder. Police need better policies and community partnerships to help make their response to homelessness safer, more humane, and more effective.

commentary

Other Voices: Striking Rates of Food Insecurity in the Hill District and Homewood

The number of Americans experiencing food insecurity has increased since the pandemic began. And rates are higher among African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. Proactive and aggressive policy actions could help reduce the inequities in places like Pittsburgh's Hill District and Homewood neighborhoods.

Wendy M. Troxel @wendytroxel, Tamara Dubowitz @TamaraDubowitz

commentary

A New Way to Manage the Growing Global Refugee Situation

As of 2020, a full 1 percent of humanity is living in displacement—as refugees, internally displaced persons, or asylum-seekers—because of conflict or persecution. The world's existing strategies for managing the displaced are no longer sufficient, but the next U.S. administration has an opportunity to lead the world in creating a new way forward.

Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

commentary

How Better Support Can Be Provided to Ex–Service Personnel in the Criminal Justice System

Former armed forces personnel make up the UK's largest group of male prisoners by occupation. What can police and government do to provide targeted support in the criminal justice system to those from a military background?

Sarah Grand-Clement

commentary

Unaccompanied Women Become an Official Homeless Subpopulation in LA County

Unaccompanied homeless women are more likely than other subgroups to be chronically homeless, to have mental illness, and to have work limitations. Los Angeles County is now recognizing these women as a subgroup in the official homeless count. An assessment will also be conducted to identify this group's unique needs.

Alicia Revitsky Locker, Sierra Smucker, et al.

commentary

Learning from Existing Novel Approaches to Solving the Adult Social Care Crisis Is Better Than Reinventing the Wheel

The growing gap in the UK between the need for social care for older people and the provision of support arises not only from a crisis of funding, but also from a failure to learn from what is already being done well. Closing the gap might be achieved by learning from creative approaches already being tried and then implementing them.

Tom Ling, Jon Sussex, et al.

commentary

Access to Mobile Technology Could Help to Alleviate LA's Homelessness Crisis

The vast majority of people experiencing homelessness have cell phones, which often serve as their lifelines. Providing technological supports, such as Wi-Fi access and opportunities to charge devices, could result in better access to social services and, ultimately, better quality of life and outcomes.

Sarah B. Hunter, Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand, et al.