Designing for the Homeless: Architecture That Works

Rating:
Summary: A Timely and Timeless Overview on Solving Homelessness
Review: To my knowledge, this is the first book which addresses how architecture plays a key role in any long-term solution to the complicated urban phenomenon of homelessness. The author, an architect with deep experience in designing shelters and transitional housing, provides an explanation of how the "continuum of care" (from emergency shelters thru assisted housing) and the integration of services and community are the key factors in any solution. He then covers the practical difficulties involved in building or renovating structures for the various homeless populations, including why "low cost housing" ends up being a misnomer. The well-researched case studies of successful shelter and housing projects from around the country will help architects, service providers and municipal agencies with their own planning.
This book packs a lot into a relatively short 145 pages (including a brief but cogent history of the problem), and I would recommend it as essential reading to anyone tasked with addressing homelessness in their own community. Architecture students interested in designing "real world" solutions would profit as well. They might well wish the illustrations were larger, but the black-and-white photos and drawings are helpful in udnerstanding the concepts and examples.