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Homelessness has now been on the American policy agenda for close to two decades. In 1989, when the Urban Institute published America's Homeless, by Martha R. Burt and Barbara Cohen, policymakers and the public may have hoped that we could end the crisis relatively quickly. The arrival of the new millenium has not fulfilled that expectation. In this new volume, Helping America's Homeless, Martha Burt and coauthors returns to the problem with the most in-depth analysis of homelessness that has ever been published. Drawing on data from the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC), and extending their pioneering work, the authors examine every aspect of the issue, from how many homeless people there are, where they are, why they became homeless, to how long their homelessness lasts. They explore the programs that provide assistance to the homeless, and how they are configured within communities of different sizes. Finally, the authors look at how policymakers have approached this problem, and our prospects for solving the crisis in the new millenium.

Seldom do the needs of children with disabilities divide neatly along program lines. Instead, children and their families navigate a large, complex, and fragmented array of programs with inconsistent eligibility standards, application procedures, and program goals. "Meeting the Needs of Children with Disabilities" examines these programs, focusing on the three largest—special education, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income—and suggests ways to unify them into one system that will provide continuous care and support. Efforts at early intervention and prevention and difficulties caused by programs' funding structures are given particular attention.

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