This article deals with the need for housing with the shrinking resources available to assist those who are "hard to house," which include grandparents caring for grandchildren, families with a disabled member, families with multiple barriers, and larger families.

This article is an evaluation of the Family Permanent Supportive Housing Initiative and its role in meeting long-term needs of formerly homeless families in permanent supportive housing.

This article, through the Housing Assistance Council, reviews the extent to which housing assistance is reaching TANF recipients in rural areas. Only 30 percent of TANF recipients are receiving housing assistance, which can prove to be a huge financial burden for these families. For many, who earn about $15,000 a year on average, housing costs can reach up to 58 percent of their income.

This research includes 25 cities and the status of hunger and homelessness from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The research is based on information from the cities on the demand for emergency food and shelter and the capacity to handle the need, the causes of hunger and homelessness, programs to combat hunger and homelessness, the availability of affordable housing, and the outlook for the future.

This resource examines the nature and causes of family homelessness and outlines approaches that communities are pursuing to provide homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing. Family homelessness is a widespread problem and is driven largely by the inability of very low-income families to afford housing. Housing stability can greatly improve a family's chances of success in employment, education and health. This paper reviews family homelessness on a national level and includes specific information to the District of Columbia metropolitan region.

This article reviews community prevention strategies that reduce the number of homeless people in local areas. Best practices included targeting through control of eligibility screening, developing community motivation, maximizing resources, fostering leadership, and ensuring access to data systems to track progress.

This brief reviews poverty and housing issues in rural America. Issues include affordability, quality, and access to mortgage loans. Approximately 5.2 million, just under one-quarter of rural households pay more than 30 percent of their monthly income for housing costs.

From the National Alliance to End Homelessness, this article reveals that when asked, many Americans underestimate the problem of homelessness in the U.S. This piece reviews best practices on strategies to reduce family homeless from Washington, D.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Hennepin County, Minnesota; Westchester County, New York; Massachusetts; and New York City.

From the Center for Social Development, this policy brief offers ideas on how IDAs and WIA can collaborate in increase access to education and training. Adults with a high school education earn on average $26,332, compared to $32,154 for Associate degrees and $42,116 for Bachelor degrees. Therefore, expanded IDA programs can improve access to education for the low-income population.

Since welfare reform, there has been a significant decrease in food stamp participation, especially among families moving off welfare. Authors suggest that the low participation may be tied to the fact that families who are able to meet the food needs of their families are unlikely to apply for benefits. This paper offers a new approach to help encourage participation among working families.