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A poorhouse is a publicly maintained facility for the support and housing of dependent or needy persons, typically run by a local government entity such as a county or municipality. In particular, the term is most commonly applied to such a facility that houses the elderly; institutions of this nature were widespread in the United States prior to the adoption of the Social Security program in the 1930s. Facilities housing indigents who are not elderly are typically referred to as homeless shelters, or simply "shelters," in current usage.
Perhaps the best example of a "poorhouse" serving the elderly today is the Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco.
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