Editing Megacity (section)

===Homelessness===

Megacities often have significant numbers of [[Homelessness|homeless]] people. The actual legal definition of homelessness varies from country to country, or among different entities or institutions in the same country or region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.homeless.org.au/glossary.htm |title=Glossary defining homelessness |publisher=Homeless.org.au |access-date=2010-09-01}}</ref>

In 2002, research showed that children and families were the largest growing segment of the homeless population in the United States,<ref>FACS, "Homeless Children, Poverty, Faith and Community: Understanding and Reporting the Local Story", March 26, 2002
Akron, Ohio. {{cite web |url=http://www.facsnet.org/edu/progs/family_03-26-02.php3 |title=Homeless Children, Poverty, Faith and Community: Understanding and Reporting the Local Story |access-date=2006-10-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928072235/http://www.facsnet.org/edu/progs/family_03-26-02.php3 |archive-date=2007-09-28 }}</ref><ref>National Coalition for the Homeless, "Homeless Youth" 2005 {{cite web|url=http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/youth.pdf|title=Homeless Youth|access-date=2013-04-15|archive-date=2018-08-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822050017/http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/youth.pdf|url-status=dead}}&nbsp;{{small|(164&nbsp;KB)}}</ref> and this has presented new challenges, especially in services, to agencies.<!-- Too specific? Applies worldwide. --> In the US, the government asked many major cities to come up with a ten-year plan to end homelessness. One of the results of this was a "[[Housing first]]" solution, rather than to have a homeless person remain in an emergency homeless shelter it was thought to be better to quickly get the person permanent housing of some sort and the necessary support services to sustain a new home. But there are many complications with this kind of program and these must be dealt with to make such an initiative work successfully in the middle to long term.<ref name="HF1">Abel, David, [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/24/for_the_homeless_keys_to_a_home/ "For the homeless, keys to a home: Large-scale effort to keep many off street faces hurdles"], Boston Globe, February 24, 2008.</ref><ref name="HF2">[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]], [https://www.pbs.org/now/shows/305/index.html "Home at Last?&nbsp;– A radical new approach to helping the homeless"], ''[[NOW on PBS|NOW]]'' TV program, December 21, 2007.</ref>