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UMass Libraries > Subject Research Guides > HomelessPrintable Version

HOMELESS

Homelessness in America is a growing and tragic problem for our society.  Attempting to count the homeless is problematic, and lack of consensus over definitions make compilation of statistics and reports an arduous process.  Finding statistics and good information about homelessness can be time consuming and difficult. This web page alleviates the difficulties of doing research on the homeless by consolidating authoritative web sites and documents that contain the most informative statistics and information available on homelessness.

| Catalogs and Indexes | | Find Journal Articles | | Internet Sites | | Books |

Catalogs and Indexes
 
Library Catalog
Locate Library materials on homelessness by Keyword, Subject, Author, and Title searches.  
 
Marcive Web DOCS  1976 to present  (Marcive, Inc.)
Online catalog of all federal government documents cataloged by the Government Printing Office (GPO). Available to all users from the Library's public terminals. Only available off campus to members of the University community through their OIT account.
 
Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications  1994 to present  (GPO Access) 
Complete listing of all government documents issued through the Government Printing Office. Monthly with annual cumulations.
 
Find Journal Articles
 
Database Locator  (UMass Amherst Library)
Alphabetical listing of all databases for locating journal articles on Homelessness.  Allows for selection of databases by subject area such as "government information", "business and economics" or "social sciences".  Available to all users from the Library's public terminals. Only available off campus to members of the University community through their OIT account.
 
Listed below are four major databases from the Database Locator for researching journal articles and documents on homelessness.
 
Academic Search Premier
Citations, abstracts and full text articles from scholarly and general-interest periodicals relating to social sciences, humanities, education, physical, and biological sciences.
      
CQ Researcher  (CQ Press)
Well-documented full text overviews of current issues, including bibliographies, chronologies and other useful features.
 
Congressional Research Service Reports  (Gallerywatch)
Nonpartisan public policy research arm of the U. S. Congress, produces thorough research and analytical reports on current issues and their legal and legislative status.
 
LexisNexis Statistical  (LexisNexis)
Comprehensive statistical database with contributions from government, private sector, and the international community.  Locate tables or abstracts by keyword searching with multiple limiters.
 
Internet Sites
 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Plan to End Family Homelessness  2006.  (Mass. Family Policy Academy)
Comprehensive plan to end family homelessness in Massachusetts. Contains priorities, implementation strategies, and action plans.
 
Group Quarters Population by Race and Hispanic Origin: 2000  (Bureau of the Census)
Statistical tables divide the group quarters population into residents of institutionalized facilities and residents of noninstitutionalized facilities and subdivide them by sex and four age groups.
 
Homeless and Substance Abuse Information  (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
Reports from 2000-2004 on characteristics of homeless admissions to substance abuse treatment.
 
Homeless Assistance Programs Library (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
Information and guidance to creating and administering homeless assistance programs.  Includes reports and guidance, tools for assisting in programs, and HMIS materials.
 
Homeless Management Information Strategies  (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
Provides guidance and tools to help communities collect data and information about the homeless in order to assess and provide better programs and services to assist the homeless.
 
Homelessness: Recent Statistics, Targeted Federal Programs, and Recent Legislation  (Congressional Research Service)
2005 CRS report that includes some data on the homeless, summaries of federal programs for the homeless, and legislation on homelessness.
 
How Does the Census Bureau Account for Homeless People?  (Bureau of the Census)
Explanation of the Census Bureau's counting of the homeless and instructions on how to retrieve data from the 1990 and 2000 censuses and access to a report done by the Census on the homeless.
 
National Coalition for the Homeless Publications and Fact Sheets  (The Coalition)
Links to lists of online and paper publications and fact sheets concerning all aspects of homelessness.
 
Population in Group Quarters by Type, Sex, and Age for the United States  (Bureau of the Census)
Statistical tables of total population figures for different types of group quarters for 1990 and 2000 censuses.
 
Poverty and Homelessness  (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
Series of reports on different aspects of homelessness such as care, housing, programs, and strategies for prevention.
 
Books
 
Census Bureau Releases 1990 Decennial Counts for Persons Enumerated in Emergency Shelters and Observed on Streets.  1991.  (Bureau of the Census)
(UM/Gov. Docs. C 1.32/8:91-117)
Summary of the program, methods, and definitions.  Statistics by state and major cities.
 
Decennial Census: Method for Collecting Data and Reporting Data on the Homeless and Others Without Conventional Housing Need Refinement.  2003. 
(General Accounting Office).
Describes methods for counting and reporting on the homeless for the 2000 census.  Analyzes problems of collecting data on the homeless and makes recommendations for improving census collection data on the homeless.
 
Emergency and Transitional Shelter Population: 2000.  2001. (Bureau of the Census)
Census special report on homelessness and population in emergency and transitional shelters by age, race, sex, hispanic origin.
 
Homelessness: Programs and the People They Serve.  Technical Report.  1999.  (Interagency Council on the Homeless).
(UM/Gov. Doc.  HH 1.2:H 75/4/Report)
Comprehensive, in-depth report on homelessness covering topics such as demographics, health, income, food, special needs, families, children, and veterans.
 
Hunger and Homelessness Survey  (United States Conference of Mayors)
Available annually from 1998.  Also has title, Status Report on Hunger and Homeless in America's Cities.  Analyzes problems, services, funding, and data, for hunger, homelessness, and housing.  Number of cities covered varies from 20 to 30 cities with each report.
 
1990 Census: Limitations in Methods and Procedures to Include the Homeless.  1991.  (General Accounting Office)
(UM/Gov. Doc. Fiche GA 1.13:GGD-92-1))
19 page report summarizes history of the first Bureau of the Census attempt to count the homeless population and presents analysis of methods and procedures.  Includes a bibliography.
 
 
 

 

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