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Full-Text Articles in Family, Life Course, and Society
Policy Shifts In The Massachusetts Response To Family Homelessness, Margaret A. Leonard, Stacy Randell
Policy Shifts In The Massachusetts Response To Family Homelessness, Margaret A. Leonard, Stacy Randell
New England Journal of Public Policy
Massachusetts's response to the tragedy of family homelessness during a period of economic prosperity (1983-1987) is contrasted to a period of economic decline (1988-1992). The article describes the movement toward a structural response in the boom years and its dismantling with the emergence of a "blame the victim" response in the decline years. The roles of state government, advocacy groups, human service providers, private funding sources, academic institutions, and the media, as they influence these responses, are outlined. Interviews with key actors in these groups, group interviews with formerly homeless women, a review of the literature, and the authors' direct …
The Last Thing We Need Is Another Shelter, Jessica Segré
The Last Thing We Need Is Another Shelter, Jessica Segré
New England Journal of Public Policy
Segre suggests that family homelessness is merely the latest and most devastating example of America's lack of commitment to children and families. The history of human services for children is presented to show that, both at the community and at the policy levels, this population and its needs have been neglected, subjected to fragmentation, and consistently downgraded on our lists of priorities. The societal values that have led to this situation are discussed and revealed as still reflecting an individualistic, frontier outlook, which is, however, becoming an anachronism. The need for a child/family policy is stressed, as is the urgency …