For the chronically homeless the evidence argues for a continuum of care built around affordable housing finally prevention is essential to eradicate the risk of homelessness what does all this mean for community mental health professionals according to the authors of helping americas homeless having an alcohol drug or mental health problem greatly increases the risk of homelessness homeless people with dual diagnoses seem to fare the worst. Helping americas homeless makes a significant contribution to our understanding of homelessness today nan roman president national alliance to end homelessness this is the most comprehensive thorough and practical material to date on homelessness. Homelessness has now been on the american policy agenda for close to two decades in 1989 when the urban institute published americas homeless by martha burt and barbara cohen policymakers and the public may have hoped that we could end the crisis relatively quickly the arrival of the new millennium has not fulfilled that expectation in this new volume helping americas homeless martha . Homelessness has now been on the american policy agenda for close to two decades in 1989 when the urban institute published americas homeless by martha burt and barbara cohen policymakers and the public may have hoped that we could end the crisis relatively quickly the arrival of the new millennium has not fulfilled that expectation in this new volume helping americas homeless martha . Articlebradford2002helpingah titlehelping americas homeless emergency shelter or affordable housing authordaniel w bradford journalpsychiatric