The book first traces this crisis to more and longer prison terms, the failure of prisons to rehabilitate inmates and engage in prerelease and postrelease planning for reentry, and inadequate policies of supportive housing. Attention is given to criminal justice system policies and prison practices that undermine rehabilitative efforts with inmates and ill-prepare them for life in the community after release. The book further notes that having been in prison not only complicates obtaining postrelease housing, but illnesses and handicapping disorders that commonly afflict ex-prisoners impact the accessibility of housing. These factors have implications for the kind of housing ex-prisoners require. In focusing on solutions for ex-inmate housing problems, this book describes how prerelease and postrelease programs can better serve released inmates and their housing needs, discusses what is involved in developing new housing, contrasts paradigms of postrelease housing, identifies where to find funding, and suggests how to resolve neighborhood opposition and other controversies related to housing for ex-inmates. The book also presents concepts and strategies for housing staff, case managers, and social workers in working with ex-prisoners to address their housing problems. Finally, the book presents proposals for how to change the wider influences in local communities that contribute to homelessness among ex-prisoners. Each section of the book contains discussion, activity, and reading suggestions, and an index of model programs is provided.