May 29, 2003 | Read Time: 1 minute
Holes in the Safety Net: Mainstream Systems and Homelessnesspresents some of the failures of government-financed programs for homeless people, and suggests ways in which foundations can improve social services to the homeless. This report, prepared by Katharine Gale Consulting, in Berkeley, Calif., and commissioned by the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, in San Mateo, Calif., summarizes some of the reasons homeless people have difficulty getting access to services. For example, they are often required to fill out complex forms and show numerous documents before they can receive benefits. The report also discusses programs that are trying to alleviate such problems. One nonprofit group in Massachusetts, for instance, coordinates support services for people as they are released from foster care, hospitals, and prisons, in an attempt to help them find housing and avoid having to turn to shelters.
Publisher: Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, 1650 South Amphlett Boulevard, Suite 300, San Mateo, Calif. 94402-2516; (650) 655-2410; fax (650) 655-2411; info@schwabfoundation.org; http://www.schwabfoundation.org; 34 pages; free for download on the foundation’s Web page.
