Homelessness is a global problem, but it’s hard to fully understand. this is in part because nations have different definitions and levels of “homelessness.” In a 2005 United Nations global survey, about 150 million people are homeless, while 1.6 billion lack adequate housing. While it’s not easy to understand the true extent of homelessness, some resources can give us some insight. Here are five must-read books on the crisis:
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City (2016) – Matthew Desmond
sociologist matthew desmond explores the experiences of eight milwaukee families as they struggle to keep their homes. Backed by years of research and fieldwork, these personal stories from renters and homeowners demonstrate just how much access to housing affects the poor. while there is still a misconception that homelessness is always the result of certain choices, evictees show that this is not the case. most poor renters spend more than half of their income on housing and constantly face the risk of eviction. In addition to telling the stories of families, Desmond presents solutions to one of modern America’s most serious social problems.
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Evicted was named one of the best books of 2016 by several publications, including npr, the new yorker, fortune, and the new york times book review. Matthew Desmond is a professor of sociology at Princeton University and a recipient of a MacArthur Genius Scholarship. As a senior researcher at the Evictions Lab, Desmond focuses his research on American poverty, housing insecurity, racial inequality, and more.
No Room of Their Own: Stories of Homeless Women, Life, Death & resistance (2011) – wishe hellegers
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Hearing directly from people who have experienced homelessness is the best way to learn what it’s really like. In this collection, fifteen women share their stories. The accounts come from interviews conducted in Seattle, Washington over 20 years. The women hail from across the United States and recount experiences like living in the South at the end of the Jim Crow era, surviving child abuse, and growing up gay and black in the 1960s. Their stories are about much more than homelessness; they are activists and survivors.
Desiree Hellegers is co-founder of the Environmental and Social Justice Collective at Washington State University in Vancouver, where she is also an Affiliate Professor. she is also an associate professor of English.
tell ’em who i am: the lives of homeless women (1993) – elliot liebow
Although published nearly 30 years ago, this book about homeless women in Washington, D.C. still has a lot to offer. provides an intimate look at the lives of the women and the relationships they build while staying in the shelters. the book takes an hour-by-hour approach, putting the reader right there with the women. shatters the myth that homeless people are stuck in their ways and unwilling to change. rather, homeless women face many obstacles within a society that lacks compassion.
elliot liebow was a sociologist, anthropologist, poet, and author. For many years he served as head of the Center for the Study of Work and Mental Health at the National Institute of Mental Health. Throughout his career, he has won numerous awards, including the John W. macy award from the national alliance to end homelessness. he died in 1994.
Housing First: Ending Homelessness, Transforming Systems, and Changing Lives (2015) – Deborah Padgett, Benjamin Henwood, and Sam Tsemberis
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Housing First is an evidence-based approach to ending homelessness. It began in New York City in 1992 and has since been adopted in cities both nationally and internationally. hf represents an alternative to shelters and transitional housing programs. This book explores the history of homelessness, the “homeless industry” of religious, nonprofit, and advocacy organizations, and research on the results of HF. Anyone interested in learning more about the different solutions to homelessness should read this book.
dr. Deborah Padgett is an author and qualitative methodologist recognized for her research on homelessness. dr benjamin henwood, assistant professor of social work at the university of southern california, is an expert in mental health and housing services research. dr Sam Tsemberis is the creator of Housing First and on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center.
there is no house to call my home: love, family and other transgressions (2015) – ryan berg
Written from his experiences in two group homes for lgbtq+ youth, ryan berg draws attention to the seriousness of homeless lgbtq+ youth. these young people are often forced to choose between coming out or losing their homes, families and other basic needs. violence is also a problem. In addition to sharing stories from the youth she has worked with, Berg discusses issues such as institutional homophobia and transphobia, which are fueling the homeless crisis.
ryan berg is an activist, writer, and program director for the avenues conneqt host home program for homeless youth. No House to Call My Home won the 2016 Minnesota General Nonfiction Book Award and was listed in the top 10 LGBTQ books of 2016 by the American Library Association. Berg’s writing has appeared in such publications as Salon, The Sun, Slate, and Ploughshares.
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