Shelters

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Homeless shelters are the oldest and most traditional approach to helping those experiencing homelessness, meeting their most basic and immediate need: a place to stay for the night. While in the modern era shelters alone are no longer enough to bear the burden of all homelessness needs, they play an important role in the broader ecosystem of social services by providing on-demand refuge for those with nowhere else to go. Models have emerged that target specific populations (women, youth, veterans, families) and make use of existing physical resources (vacant motels or rehabilitated buildings) to maximize efficiency and impact.
Homeless shelters are the oldest and most traditional approach to helping the homeless, meeting the most basic and immediate need of the homeless: a place to stay for the night. While in the modern era shelters alone are no longer enough to bear the burden of all homeless needs, they play an important role in the broader ecosystem of social services by providing on-demand refuge for those with nowhere else to go. Models have emerged that target specific populations (women, youth, veterans, families) and make use of existing physical resources (vacant motels or rehabilitated buildings) to maximize efficiency and impact.