Review of “Homeless: Poverty and Place in Urban America,” by Ella Howard. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 2013, cloth, 276 pages.
The economy is doing great! But thousands sleep on the sidewalk, in tents, on the train, in police stations…
As advocates for change—and professionals who help the homeless—it is important to look at the current homeless situation in Chicago and other cities in perspective.
There are now well over 59,000 unroofed persons in the Windy City. In fact, estimates coming in from a variety of sources make it look more like over 60,000 for 2023.
However, this does NOT include the 20,000? Venezuelans migrants—the number is not firm yet. And each and every one of these people is a homeless person. Sleeping in a shelter or on the floor in a police station does NOT mean you are no longer homeless.
What has happened in history to provide a place for the unroofed in our country? What are some of the historical lessons and realities? This book is not about current homelessness so obvious throughout our nation. Instead, it discusses some important and related issues in our American past. The book tells the story of the Depression and the community known as “Skid Row.” It explains the need for, and the peopling of, the famous Bowery and talks at length about the political processes related to Skid row and how the American people felt about the area.
Always feeling most of the poor living in Skid Row did not deserve much help, Americans assigned a great deal of stigma and shame to those who had bad luck and wound up there.
It is essential for young persons to read this book now, in this time of the new great homeless encampments in Chicago (and many other cities) to see how poorly their fellow citizens were treated in the last century…
Seeing what went on almost 100 years ago might help some younger Americans to embrace a more humane approach to thinking of the poor and take on some of the problems facing those currently living in poverty in our nation.
That having been said, there were in fact many good programs to assist the poor and many very devoted advocates to aiding them in their need. Great ideas did emerge and hard-working individuals did in fact step forward. Some people were able to see past the stigma of poverty and “roll up their sleeves” to do something rather than just judge others. The book is helpful for telling us about human nature, and it is a good source for educating also.
What happened to the homeless back in the day? How were they treated? How would we compare that treatment to today?
“Vagrants” could be arrested for standing around, for doing nothing. Poor people today in urban areas are still often harassed or arrested by police officers because some Americans assume the Homeless will commit a crime of some sort, it being part of their list of hobbies.
Not giving all the content away, I have to say I enjoyed reading the book because I got some in-depth understanding of Skid Row and profiles of some of the people who lived there. Before this, I had never been aware of how the communities, residents, social service providers, landlords, politicians, and he American public had a very complex existence. This book was an eye-opener in terms of how badly this nation responded to the needs of those in Skid Row.
The flop houses, bars, brothels, and programs did provide some relief to the Skid Row residents. A review of the social programs related to religion, alcoholism, and unemployment is interesting in light of the current poor economy and lack of opportunity we are experiencing as a people.
I recommend the book be read by a very wide range of advocates and professionals… street helpers, social workers, professors, and researchers…
The book should be read by all educators, especially by teachers of history and social studies. The possible uses may be just a beginning to how the book can inform us.
Look at how the economy is improving. Think of the great wealth currently being generated, the better salaries, the increased revenues, and the higher minimum wages being paid. There is all this wealth and some people are still starving.
There are many questions so essential to consider. What have we as a nation learned since the Depression? How are we serving people better? How are we providing more opportunities for our citizens to access food and housing? How are we helping Americans to excel? Is there such a thing as the American Dream anymore for the great majority of the citizens?
Will only the richest Americans—or the luckiest—survive the current improved but confusing economic conditions, in this country where luxury automobiles, big parties, great holiday purchases, and big new houses can be seen—while thousands are still sleeping on the sidewalk? Still sleeping in a police station? Still sleeping in a tent in the park?