Press Room

The philanthropic, community-building model of development isn't going to spread wildly. But it's a catalyst for other investment and a stabilizing force, so the effect of just of a few of these mixed-income development projects in Hartford is huge.

A Boston nonprofit focused on ending homelessness is launching a campaign today to push the state Legislature to limit the amount of time families live in emergency shelters and free up funding to help them move to permanent homes. The Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation said it is releasing a paper, “Ending Family Homelessness in Massachusetts,’’ to ignite discussion about the state’s policy to house eligible needy families in emergency shelters.

Much like the Great Depression, when millions of previously working people came to rely on a new social safety net for their sustenance, a swelling group of formerly middle-class Americans like Mr. Moore, 30, is seeking government aid for the first time. Without help, say economists, many are at risk of slipping permanently into poverty, even as economic conditions improve. The question is whether the modern-day safety net has enough money and the right initiatives to aid those who need it most.

Today, Fannie Mae released results of the Fannie Mae National Housing Survey, a comprehensive research project that surveyed more than 3,000 consumers to assess their confidence in homeownership as an investment, the current state of their household finances, their views on the U.S. housing finance system, and their overall confidence in the economy. The research shows that, despite the recent downturn in the housing sector, Americans continue to value homeownership and think about their homes in ways that go much deeper than the financial investment. The survey also found that the public strongly believes in the importance of upholding the financial commitment involved in buying and owning a home, even during these challenging times when home values have fallen.

As long as there have been homeless people sleeping in Times Square, there have been social workers and city officials trying to persuade them to leave. In the past, the homeless were offered a free ride to one of the city’s warehouselike shelters. These days, workers for nonprofit groups help people move into apartments, keeping track as the number of the chronically homeless in Times Square goes down. According to their records, by 2005, there were only 55. Last summer, it was down to 7. Now there is one.

Cities, states and the federal government pay more to provide the homeless with short-term shelter and services than what it would cost to rent permanent housing, the U.S. government reports.

Skeptics envisioned a skid row when developers first proposed 200 downtown apartments for low-income and formerly homeless residents. But so far, the project, CityWalk@Akard, has not lived up to those fears.

A recent study by the Department of Homeless Services showed that the median length of stay for families entering shelters last summer is even shorter — just over five months. But others say the city is merely trying to make its failed larger efforts look prettier, moving families out quickly but too soon for many of them to complete education or training courses that would help them live on their own. Some of the families find their way back to shelters soon enough.

New York City’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS) announced the results of its annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) street homeless survey. Based on information gathered from the survey, DHS estimates that 3,111 homeless individuals were living on the streets of New York City in January 2010. The 3,111 figure represents 783 more individuals over the 2009 number but 1,284 fewer than the street homeless population estimated in 2005, the first year that the HOPE survey was conducted—a 29 percent decrease. The ratio of street homeless individuals to the City’s population as a whole—1 in 2,688—remains one of the lowest of any major city in the country.

The Silicon Valley Community Foundation has announced grants totaling $525,000 to seven housing and legal services organizations to help area homeowners and renters facing foreclosure.