The purpose of this monograph is to introduce a series of studies dealing with the rehabilitation of socially dependent individuals in poverty settings. Four demonstration programs, located in low-income housing projects in four U.S. cities, are designed to determine the feasibility of locating on-site rehabilitation agencies in low-income housing projects in order to render rehabilitation services to disabled residents. Following discussions of the four demonstration projects, the concept of dependency, and outlines of its dimensions, three conceptual models are presented for analyzing the influences that individual clients, their families, and their housing project neighborhoods may have upon the goal of rehabilitation. Complementing this approach to the rehabilitation process is a discussion of the elements of the vocational rehabilitation system, the related social welfare agencies, and the larger community. Related documents are VT 008510 and VT 008 512. (CH)