This review highlights the need for more rigorous evidence on interventions to prevent and address youth homelessness, particularly in areas like mental health and housing instability.

Interventions for youth homelessness: A systematic review of effectiveness studies

Abstract Because of the misery and deprivation suffered by homeless persons, the initial response to homelessness in the United States focused first on quickly addressing the dire need for emergency food and shelter, and then on providing additional assistance to already homeless persons—ideally to help them move out of homelessness. New preventive measures to help people avoid becoming homeless were largely ignored or put off.1 But now that efforts to provide emergency food and shelter are well under way throughout the country, many more experts, policymakers, and service organizations have begun focusing on homelessness prevention.2 Nevertheless, actual prevention efforts are still tentative and somewhat haphazard. In support of a more rapid expansion of effective homelessness‐prevention activities, this paper discusses the benefits of prevention, develops an initial framework for a comprehensive homelessness‐prevention strategy, and, using this framework, evaluates existing prevention efforts and sugge...

Toward a comprehensive homelessness‐prevention strategy

A prevention-centered approach to homelessness assistance can effectively end homelessness and reduce institutionalization, with potential benefits for both the homeless and the communities they serve.

A prevention-centered approach to homelessness assistance: a paradigm shift?

A range of housing programs and case management interventions effectively reduce homelessness and improve housing stability, but more high-quality evidence is needed to confirm their effectiveness.

Effectiveness of interventions to reduce homelessness: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Personalized case management and financial assistance combined effectively prevent homelessness, but more intensive case management and quick financial assistance payments are associated with better outcomes.

Personalizing homelessness prevention: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial

A comprehensive Framework for Homelessness Prevention, incorporating six domains and incorporating quaternary prevention, can effectively prevent homelessness through upstream approaches.

Evolving an evidence-based model for homelessness prevention.

High-intensity services, such as Housing First and Assertive Community Treatment, are effective in preventing homelessness for single adults experiencing multiple exclusion homelessness.

Homelessness Prevention Interventions for Single Adults at Risk of or Experiencing MEH: A Systematic Review on their Effectiveness

Successful community-wide strategies for preventing homelessness among families and single adults with serious mental illness include accurate targeting, jurisdictional commitment, mainstream agency involvement, and continuous system improvement.

Community-Wide Strategies for Preventing Homelessness: Recent Evidence

A "critical time" intervention after discharge from a shelter can help prevent recurrent homelessness among individuals with mental illness, even after active intervention.

Preventing recurrent homelessness among mentally ill men: a "critical time" intervention after discharge from a shelter.

An empirical risk model can increase the efficiency of homelessness prevention services, increasing correct targeting of families entering shelter by 26% and reducing misses by almost two thirds.

Efficient targeting of homelessness prevention services for families.

Social innovation can help Canada prevent homelessness by identifying and testing effective preventive interventions in youth, aiming to break the cycle and scale up successful strategies.

Making the Prevention of Homelessness a Priority: The Role of Social Innovation

A comprehensive homelessness-prevention strategy should focus on early intervention, evaluate existing efforts, and suggest new initiatives to prevent future homelessness.

Toward a Comprehensive Homelessness-Prevention Policy

Small efficiencies in keeping people housed can yield disproportionately large reductions in homelessness, but policies ensuring reliable delivery of coordinated prevention efforts are crucial for sustainable solutions.

Solving Homelessness from a Complex Systems Perspective: Insights for Prevention Responses.

Homelessness prevention requires practice changes, evidence development, and a systematic approach to identify and disseminate good practices, as some cases are preventable.

Developing homelessness prevention practice: combining research evidence and professional knowledge.

Homelessness prevention should shift focus from identifying at-risk individuals to increasing the supply of affordable housing and sustainable livelihoods.

The Prevention of Homelessness Revisited

Addressing structural causes and preventing homelessness are crucial, with a focus on targeting those at risk and rethinking shelter systems.

How to Address Homelessness: Reflections from Research

Restrictive vehicle regulations can directly reduce vehicular homelessness in specific areas, but indirectly shift the homeless to neighboring areas.

Planning for and Against Vehicular Homelessness

First-time emergency shelter users in Canada are more likely to exit into housing, but existing prevention strategies need improvement for first-time users with financial and substance use challenges.

Homelessness prevention and determinants of housing among first-time and recurrent emergency shelter users in Canada

Abandoning inappropriate homelessness interventions can be challenging, but identifying those that need to be phased out is crucial for improving homeless conditions.

De-Implementation: Lessons to be Learned when Abandoning Inappropriate Homelessness Interventions

Homelessness and mental illness are linked, making it even more difficult to maintain a medication schedule and work on mental health recovery.

Preventing Homelessness: A Consumer Perspective

What are effective ways to prevent homelessness?

These studies suggest that effective ways to prevent homelessness include personalized case management, financial assistance, high-intensity services like Housing First, and comprehensive community-wide strategies.