The National Survey of Programs and Services for Homeless Families: The Red, White, and Blue Book is an online resource for service providers, advocates, researchers, and public policy makers working in the field of family homelessness. This guide provides a state-by-state snapshot of the interconnections between governmental and nonprofit work to end family homelessness.
Click the data tabs above to find out more.

Two-page state briefs summarizing public and private initiatives to address family homelessness are available for all 50 states. Click each state on the map to download.

RECENT POLICY REPORTS

Intergenerational Disparities Experienced by Homeless Black Families, March 2012
The stark reality is that black Americans are greatly overrepresented in U.S. homelessness and poverty statistics when compared to whites. In 2010, one out of every 141 black family members stayed in a homeless shelter, a rate seven times higher when compared with persons in white families (one in 990). This brief outlines some of the longstanding and interrelated social and structural issues that leave black families more likely to experience homelessness.

A Tangled Web: Homeless Family Subpopulations and Their Overlapping Needs, November 2011
Homeless families often have intense service needs resulting from mental illness, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, and veteran status. Unfortunately, most reports depict families as a homogenous group or lump them with homeless singles, which has resulted in a very limited picture of families. This report sheds light on the interconnectedness of homeless family subpopulations and stresses the importance of comprehensive data collection.

Does CoC Participation in SOAR Training Improve SSI/SSDI Enrollment?, November 2011
The SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) initiative improves homeless persons' access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. This report examines the effect that participation in SOAR training alone has on SSI and SSDI enrollment among homeless adults and highlights how crucial SOAR implementation is after the initial training period.

Housing Assistance Underfunded but Critical for Survivors of Domestic Violence, October 2011
Federal Funding Essential to Finding and Aiding Homeless Students, October 2011
Head Start's Positive Impact on Homeless Families, September 2011
Failures and Solutions: New Yorkers' Views on Homelessness, July 2011
On the Brink: Homelessness a Reality in the South Bronx, July 2011
The Beginning of the End of Transitional Housing? May 2011
Beyond Chronic Homelessness: A Review of Statewide Plans, March 2011