Effectiveness of a Functional Literacy Program for Formerly Homeless Adults

Sixty‐five percent of homeless adults are reported to be illiterate or marginally literate. The lack of literacy in a high technological society negatively impacts this population's ability to participate in daily life activities including finding and maintaining employment, renting and maintaining an apartment, seeking health care, using public transportation, and managing finances. Poor literacy marginalizes this population from societal participation and maintains this group in a state of lack and deficiency. A literacy program will be delivered to participants who are formerly homeless and now residing in supported shelter. Participants will be randomly assigned to an intervention (n=20) or control (n=20) group. The intervention group will receive the functional literacy intervention over 8 weeks, twice weekly. Intervention sessions will allow participants to learn literacy skills within the context of real‐life daily activities like grocery shopping, preparing a meal, and purchasing subway cards. Control group participants will not receive intervention.