Homeless: Policies, Strategies, And Lives On The Street

Poverty, unemployment, deinstitutionalization, and economic dislocation are among the leading causes of homelessness. Voluntary organizations point to the failure of emergency shelters and food banks, the reductions in social programs, and the severe shortage of affordable housing. On the international scale, the changing global system has placed new demands on the economies of Europe and North America which have had a negative effect on resource allocation, employment, and even political will. This book is the first comprehensive international study of homelessness. It points the way to new, constructive approaches to this critical social issue. The author demonstrates that the definition of "homeless" must itself be broadened, to encompass those at immediate risk of dispossession as well as those chronically without shelter, if homelessness is to be effectively confronted (before and after it happens) by public policy, voluntary organizations, and individuals themselves.

Homelessness is a growing sore on the body of civilization. The causes of homelessness are varied and poorly understood, but the quiet knowledge that life on the streets is dangerous and debilitating is cause for alarm in the rest of society. Public interest groups point to the failure of shelter systems, cutbacks in government funding, and shortages of affordable housing, and the effects run so deep that any measure of community well-being or quality of life must be called into question as we see more and more people become homeless every year.
"Homeless" is the first comprehensive international study of homelessness. If the issue is to be addressed correctly, according to author Gerald Daly, then the category of "homeless" itself must be broadened. "Homeless" is crucial reading for counselors, policy makers, volunteers, and anyone concerned about this very critical condition.