The Problem

Homelessness has been with us for generations and the problem shows no real sign of ending. Despite rapid innovation in homelessness services and indicators of success over the last few decades, hundreds of thousands of people can still be counted on the streets and in shelters in the United States on any given night. Homelessness is also increasingly criminalized. In this chapter, we argue that despite being in an era in which we have a lot of information about homelessness, making a difference will require shifts in thinking and practice. These include broadly viewing homelessness as a social symptom that can be treated, respecting common humanity, prioritizing social equity, coordinating efforts across services and sectors, and improving prevention and coordinated response efforts. Such changes can facilitate better access to and quality within housing, employment, and health and social services. After briefly reviewing the history of homelessness in the United States and describing our current state of knowledge, we further elaborate on our recommendations.

Numerous scholars have described the history of homelessness in the United States alongside changing social factors— industrialization, the great depression, the New Deal, and nuanced contemporary times. Attention has ebbed and flowed, with varied concern and relationships between public and private sectors. The tail end of the era of deinstitutionalization— a period of time in which people were transferred out of the confined spaces of asylums and into community oriented care— is often associated with increased homelessness, but deinstitutionalization as a primary cause is disputed and, importantly, this period coincided with a confluence of additional factors such as reductions to welfare (including the dismantling of social sector housing), wage stagnation, declining union strength, growing income inequality, and rising housing costs. In any event, greater public exposure to extreme poverty and homelessness during this period precipitated a movement of sorts. Organizations such as the Community for Creative Non-Violence, led by the likes of charismatic leaders like Mitch Snyder, conducted hunger strikes, tent-city protests, and housing marches to advocate for housing as a basic human right.

The passage of the McKinney– Vento Homelessness Assistance Act of 1987 was a legislative success. McKinney– Vento funds transitional housing, job training, primary care, education, and permanent housing. Private and public sector funding converged at this time as well.