Homeless

Colorado Weighs Reopening A Psychiatric Hospital To Serve the Homeless

Thu, 02 May 2013 20:16:00 +0000

Last summer's mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., led Gov. John Hickenlooper to call for stricter gun control and big new investments in mental health care.

Several significant gun bills passed, and a package of mental health reforms is moving forward.

Changes Help San Diego Homeless, But Long Road Remains Ahead

Pam Fessler — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:55:00 +0000

Two years ago, we reported on an ambitious campaign to end homelessness in downtown San Diego, a city with one of the largest homeless populations in the nation. The effort involved an unprecedented coalition of business leaders, community groups and government agencies.

At the time, some advocates for the homeless — after years of seeing other, failed efforts to get people off city streets — were skeptical that the campaign would amount to much.

Mobile Clinic Looks Out For Detroit's Homeless

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:29:00 +0000
A new program in Detroit is targeting chronically homeless people who do not seek out medical help. A mobile medical team visits the homeless on their turf and aggressively follows up with these patients to help get them the medicine and care they need.

Health Problems Compound For Aging Homeless

Pam Fessler — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:23:00 +0000
Tony Lithgow and Andrea Mayer have been living under a highway overpass in downtown Baltimore since last year. He's 49 and has been homeless on and off for eight years. She's 51 and has been homeless for 10 years.
Living on the streets has clearly taken a toll on the couple, both physically and mentally. While they're standing at a corner waiting for a free city bus to take them to a soup kitchen, Tony shouts at a passenger staring at them from a car stopped at the light.
"We're homeless!" he calls out to the man.
Andrea tries to get him to stop, but Tony is on a roll.

Aging Homeless Face More Health Issues, Early Death

Pam Fessler — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:35:00 +0000
If aging is not for sissies, that's especially true if you're homeless. You can be on your feet for hours, or forced to sleep in the frigid cold or seriously ill with no place to go. But, increasingly, the nation's homeless population is getting older. By some estimates, more than half of single homeless adults are 47 or older.
And there's growing alarm about what this means — both for the aging homeless and for those who have to foot the bill.