Gimme Shelter: A Social History of Homelessness in Contemporary America

According to current projections, the number of homeless in the United States will continue to swell in the 1990s unless more aggressive efforts to combat the problem are initiated. Based upon an analysis of the underlying social and political causes of homelessness in the USA, this study takes a look at the realities and misconceptions that surround the victims. Gregg Barak argues that current public service programmes inadequately address the issue, and proposes governmental policy changes that could prove beneficial. In an effort to dispel the myths that stereotype the homeless, he places their plight within the continuing domestic and worldwide economic emergency and defines their demographics according to such factors as age, sex, race, health, and education. Barak’s subsequent focus on the violence and criminality associated with the condition and treatment of the homeless uncovers controversial issues of injustice and constitutionality, and aims the discussion toward possible solutions for this problem.