CMHS Program Spotlight - Homeless Programs Branch
January 2003

According to the National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness (NRC), an estimated 842,000 adults and children are homeless in the United States in any given week. That number may reach as high as 3.5 million over the course of a year. The NRC also reports that the majority of homeless people (66 percent) are single adults. However, minorities, especially African Americans (40 percent), are over represented in the homeless population.

People who are homeless are most often at or below the poverty level. In addition, they may suffer from a variety of physical and mental health problems. For example, 39 percent report some form of mental health problem, 66 percent report substance use and/or mental health problems, 26 percent report acute health problems such as tuberculosis or pneumonia, and 46 percent report chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or cancer (National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness, 2002). Despite overwhelming socioeconomic and health problems, and the fact that more than 40 percent of homeless people qualify for disability benefits, fewer than 11 percent receive them (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2002).

The Homeless Programs Branch of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) serves as the lead within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for administering programs and interdepartmental initiatives that address the treatment, support services, and housing needs of homeless persons with serious mental illnesses.

Current CMHS Homeless Programs include:

• Programs for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) - This formula grant program provides funds to States to support services to individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and have serious mental illnesses. States contract with political subdivisions and/or local nonprofit organizations to provide a broad array of services, including outreach, mental health treatment, support services, and a limited set of housing services.
  
  
• Homeless Families - In response to the increase in the number of homeless families, this program is examining and documenting strategies to provide treatment, housing, support, and family preservation services to homeless mothers with psychiatric and/or substance use disorders who are caring for their children.
  
  
• Housing Alternatives - This program is examining the effectiveness of different housing approaches (supported housing versus other housing models) in contributing to the rehabilitation and recovery of individuals with serious mental illnesses.

The CMHS Homeless Programs Branch has recently completed two programs that are being used as models for projects in other areas of the country:

• Access to Community Care and Effective Services and Supports (ACCESS) - This innovative, interdepartmental program tested the impact of systems integration on outcomes for homeless people with mental illnesses. Interim observations from the project have shown that comprehensive service systems at the community level are successful at getting individuals off the streets and helping them obtain and stay in housing. In addition, drug use decreased by 14.3 percent; incidence of minor crimes decreased by 41.7 percent; and use of outpatient psychiatric services increased by 30 percent.
  
  
• Homelessness Prevention - This 3-year knowledge development program evaluated and documented the effectiveness of approaches to prevent homelessness of high-risk adults with mental health and/or substance use disorders.

Today, many people are at risk of becoming homeless if their economic, social, or health status changes unexpectedly and/or drastically. However, people with disabilities who are unable to work, and depend solely on benefits like Social Security income, are especially vulnerable. Knowing where to go for help when faced with such situations can be the best tool in dealing with the threat of homelessness. To obtain information on homeless assistance programs in your State, visit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) web site at http://www.hud.gov/homeless/hmlsagen.cfm.