By The Editors
The January 14 news article in the Washington Post describes in wrenching detail the struggle of several Washington-area families who, having lost their relatively well-paying jobs, are struggling to hold on to a basic standard of living.

It’s clear that, if they lose that struggle, what likely awaits them is what awaits many others unable to overcome a fruitless search for work: homelessness.

By Lee A. Daniels
A two-year-long program just begun by New York City’s agency for the homeless to test how good its services are has provoked harsh criticism because it appears to arbitrarily deny help to some needy families.

The effort is part of the city Department of Homeless Services’ “Homebase” program whose specific purpose is to help homeless families. The experiment involves 400 families whose financial situation has deteriorated so badly they are nearly destitute and had applied to the agency this summer for help.

By Jackie Jones
Without a national agenda on mental health treatment, Torrey predicted, many states would be wrestling with substantial increases in the number of and funding treatment for the mentally ill homeless and mentally ill prison inmates.