Homelessness in the 21st Century: Living the Impossible American Dream

Description

An accessible and engaging introductory text on homelessness and housing policy, this timely book uses a sociopolitical framework for understanding issues of homelessness in the United States. The authors, leading sociologists in their field, use data from over 250 interviews and field notes to demonstrate that homelessness is rooted in the structure of our society. They identify and describe the structural barriers faced by people who become homeless including the lack of affordable housing, the stigmatization and criminalization of homelessness, inadequate access to healthcare, employment that does not pay a living wage, and difficulty accessing social services. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, most of the people included in this book believe strongly in the American Dream. This book examines how the belief in the American Dream affects people experiencing homelessness. It also highlights individuals’ experiences within the social institutions of the economy, the criminal justice system, and the health care system. Furthermore, this book explores how stereotypes of people experiencing homelessness affects individuals and guides social policy. The authors examine policy changes at the local, state, and national levels that can be made to eradicate homelessness, but argue that there must be a political will to shift the narrative from blaming the victim to supporting the common good. Expertly combining history, theory and ethnography, this book is an invaluable resource for those with an interest in housing policy. Cover Endorsements Half Title Title Copyright Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables Introduction Chapter Outlines SECTION 1 Homelessness in America 1 How Did We Get Here? A Brief History of Homelessness Introduction Early American Vagabonds “Homelessness” as a Social Problem in the Nineteenth Century Homelessness 1900–1945 The Great Depression and the New Deal World War II The Aftermath of World War II Federal Policy’s Effect on Homelessness The War on Poverty Conclusion 2 Neoliberal Ideology and Homelessness Introduction Setting the Stage for a Neoliberal Shift Ronald Reagan’s Administration The Non-Profit Industrial Complex Consequences Fixing the New Problem: The McKinney-Vento Act Bill Clinton’s Administration The Emergence of the Continuum of Care Welfare Reform Culture of Compliance The George W. Bush Administration The Barack Obama Administration The Donald Trump Administration Joe Biden’s Administration Neoliberalism and Space Conclusion 3 The Evolution of Risk Factors for the New Homeless Introduction Deinstitutionalization and the Closure of Psychiatric Hospitals Nineteenth-Century Psychiatric Care Twentieth-Century Psychiatric Care Deinstitutionalization and Homelessness Mental Illness and Housing The Criminal Justice System Incarceration as a Cause or Consequence of Homelessness The Commodification of Public Space Anti-Homeless Laws The Criminal Justice System Contributes to Homelessness Broken Windows Policing Policing Encampments Conclusion: Mental Health Care and Policing in a Neoliberal Economy 4 Theoretical Explanations of Homelessness Introduction Using Grounded Theory to Understand Issues of Homelessness Structural Theories Marxist Theory Guy Standing Michel Foucault The Interaction Between Structure and Agency Pierre Bourdieu Nicholas Pleace Structuration Conclusion SECTION 2 Research on Homelessness in Myrtle Beach, SC 5 Counting and Providing Services for People Experiencing Homelessness Introduction Counting People Who Are Experiencing Homelessness Comparing HMIS Data to the PIT Count Non-Profit Organizations Serving People Experiencing Homelessness in Myrtle Beach Shelters Housing Support Food Medical Care Clothing Conclusion 6 Work, Effort, and the American Dream Introduction Work as the “Key to Success” in Springhouse Believing the Dream Still Believing—I Can Still Do It All I Need Is a Little Help I Just Need Job Training Just a Temporary Setback Selling Himself (Literally) for the Dream If I Did It Once, I Can Do It Again A New Start and a Parrot to Boot Mental and Physical Health and the American Dream I Want to Work: It’s Just Hard It’s Not Worth It I’ll Be Better Off or Dead Jail or Dead Happy Families Chasing the Dream Conclusion 7 Health and Perceptions of Health Introduction The Relationship Between Health and Homelessness Health as a Cause of Homelessness Mental Illness Causing Homelessness From Riches to Rags Physical Health Causing Homelessness Self-Employment All in the Family Health Problems as a Consequence of Homelessness I’m Better Off Than Him Shared Spaces Affecting Health Health as Both a Cause of Homelessness and a Detriment to Finding Housing Veteran’s Benefits Health and Outreach Efforts What Can We Do? 8 Stigma for All Introduction Stigma from Service Providers Toxic Charity Stigma and Employment Can I Get a Mat, Please? Stereotyping Each Other I Worked My Way Up I’m More Worthy Stigma as a Coping Mechanism They’re Crazy—I’m Not Stereotyping by Others Internalizing the Stigma Conclusion What Can Be Done? 9 The Police Made Me Homeless: Regulating Behavior Introduction The Crime of Homelessness Feeding People—Kindness or Criminal? Encampment Sweeps A Revolving Door Collateral Damage Attitudes Toward the Police Keep Moving Why Criminalize? Police as First Responders to Health Incidents What Can Be Done? Affordable Housing Permanent Supportive Housing with Intensive Case Management Outreach Public Restrooms and Monitored Campsites Prison Reentry Programs Conclusion 10 Making an Impact: The Poverty Project Introduction Transportation as a Structural Barrier The Rolling Forward Project Outcomes of the Rolling Forward Project Managing Rolling Forward Divergent Goals The Giving Wall Latent Consequences of the Giving Wall Advocacy and Free Buses Conclusion Conclusion: The New American Dream In Conclusion Basic Human Rights Seeing the Truth in the Familiar It’s My (Their) Own Fault Going Upstream What Can We Do? Conclusion Appendix 1: Methodology In the Beginning Our Data Reflexivity Gaining Access to the Homeless Community Interviews Sample Appendix 2: Definitions Index