We love reading about new ways to address/mitigate longstanding social problems, and a recent article on technology to deal with homelessness intrigued us. In a New York Times article, Claire Cain Miller, documents the way that access to technology has the ability to combat homelessness. For many homeless folks, their priorities lie in securing shelter, food, and potentially employment, not necessarily getting a smartphone — or at least one would think. Miller points out, however, that in an increasingly digital (and consequently paperless) society, finding the right resources to secure their necessities can be very difficult. In order to augment efforts to reduce homelessness, non-profits, such as the one written about in the NYT piece, have surfaced with a mission of equipping homeless folks with technology and therefor access to the internet.

“In the United States, though, Internet access has in many ways become like a basic need. Without it, it can be difficult to find a home, apply for a job, sign up for classes, make homeless shelter reservations or find soup kitchens. And for people who live on the streets, smartphones are the most efficient way to connect to the Internet. So while clothing and food are vital, advocates say equipping homeless and low-income people with phones and technical skills also makes sense.”

Click here to read the full article and check out the ways in which non-profits are helping homeless folks with some of the challenges they face.