Homelessness: a documentary and reference guide

420 Pages·2012·52.841 MB·English

by  Neil Larry Shumsky

HOMELESSNESS
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HOMELESSNESS
A Documentary and Reference Guide
Neil Larry Shumsky
Documentary and Reference Guides
Copyright2012byNeilLarryShumsky
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Shumsky,NeilL.,1944–
Homelessness:adocumentaryandreferenceguide/NeilLarryShumsky.
p.cm.—(Documentaryandreferenceguides)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978–0–313–37700–6(cloth:alk.paper)—ISBN978–0–313–37701–3(ebook)
1. Homelessness—UnitedStates—History—Sources.2. Homelessness—UnitedStates—History.
I.Title.
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362.50920973—dc23 2011043428
ISBN:978–0–313–37700–6
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CONTENTS
Reader’s Guide to DocumentsandSidebars vii
Introduction xi
Prologue: Vagabondsin England xxv
PartI Words andNumbers 1
1. Words 3
2. Numbers 11
PartII Hoboes,Tramps,andBums,1790–1930 17
3. Ben Reitman DefinesHobo, Tramp,and Bum 19
4. Jack London Explains “the Rods” 25
5. Train Jumping 31
6. A Migrant FarmWorker 39
7. The Extentof the Problem,1890–1925 45
8. Country Lodgings 51
9. The Stem, or MainStem 59
10. The Hobo Jungle 65
11. “Tramp-Speak”and theHobo Subculture 71
12. Hobo Songs 81
13. Hobo Politics 89
14. The Hobo College 97
15. Hobohemia Disappears 105
PartIII Migrantsand Transients,1930–1960 111
16. On the Farm 115
17. In theCity 123
Contents
18. Bonus Army 131
19. FERA and FTP 143
20. BumBrigade 153
21. Squatters 163
22. WeedpatchCamp 169
23. Hooverville 177
24. Picking Grapesin Lodi 189
25. Arts and Culture 197
26. Liquidatingthe FederalTransientProgram 215
221
PartIV Street People,Bag Ladies,and HomelessPeople
Defining Homelessnessand CountingHomelessPeople 225
27. Charles DickensCoins the Word 225
28. Congress Defines Homeless 231
29. Mitch SnyderClaims“Millions” 237
30. HUD Disagrees Sharply 245
31. Making Senseof the Conflict 249
32. The Number of Homeless 253
Who Arethe Homeless? 263
33. An Overviewof the HomelessPopulationToday 263
34. Special Populationsof HomelessPeople 269
35. Homeless ChildrenandTheir Families 287
36. Homeless Veterans 297
37. Homeless Peoplein RuralAreas 307
38. Homeless Peopleof Color 317
39. Homeless Latinosand aDifferent Perspective 327
ContendingwithHomelessness 335
40. Staying Alive—HomelessPeopleCope 335
41. Housing forthe Homeless 345
42. Criminalizingthe Homeless 353
43. Washington Takesthe Lead 363
Bibliography 375
Index 379
vi
READER’S GUIDE TO
DOCUMENTS AND SIDEBARS
The Control andRegulation of Homeless People Homeless ChildrenandTheir Families, 287
Bonus Army, 133 Homeless Infants,291
BumBrigade, 155 Homeless Latinosand aDifferent Perspective, 329
Congress Defines“Homeless,” 231 Homeless Peopleof Color,317
Criminalizingthe Homeless,353 Homeless Veterans,297
FERA and FTP,143 An Overviewof the HomelessPopulationToday,263
The HoboJungle, 65 The Special Circumstances of HomelessLatinos, 329
HobohemiaDisappears, 105 Special Populationsof HomelessPeople,269
Hooverville, 177
Housing
Low-CostHousing IssueConfronts SantaPaula, 349
Conditionsin Illinoisand Chicago, 265
PickingGrapes in Lodi,189
Country Lodgings,51
Vagabonds in England,xxv
Decreases in PubliclyAssisted Housing...,347
The Extentof the Problem,1890–1925,45
Definitionsof Homelessnessand Homeless People
Fieldworkers in California, 170
Ben Reitman DefinesHobo,Tramp,and Bum,19
The Hobo Jungle,65
CharlesDickens Coins theWord,225
Hobohemia, 59
Congress DefinesHomeless, 231
Hobohemia Disappears, 105
Defining HomelessnessDown,225
Hooverville, 177
DifferentWaysofConceivingHomelessness,233,235
Housing forthe Homeless,345
Is HomelessnesstheMost AppropriateWord?,290
HUD Disagrees Sharply, 245
Vagabonds in England,xxv
Low-Cost HousingIssue ConfrontsSanta Paula,349
Words,3
In the City,123
HomelessPeople, Social andDemographic Inexorable Disease, 165,166,167
Characteristics of A Migrant FarmWorker, 39
HomelessAdolescents, 289 On theFarm, 115
Reader’s Guide to Documents and Sidebars
AnOverview ofthe HomelessPopulationToday,263 Liquidatingthe FederalTransientProgram,215
Squalorand Filth,166 MakingSense of the Conflict,250
Squatters,163 Mitch SnyderClaimsMillions,237
SubsidizedHousing forthe Homeless,347 The Number of Homeless,253
SurvivalStrategies, 294 Numbers,11
TomCollinsExplains HisAttitudes toward Questioningthe Accuracy of the Counts,256,257
Camp,172 An Overviewof theHomeless PopulationToday, 263
Literatureand Writing aboutHomeless People Political Activitiesof Homeless People
CharlesDickens Coinsthe Word,225 Bonus Army, 133
Jack LondonExplains “the Rods,”25 Hobo Politics,89
Onthe Farm,115 Hobo Songs,81
Squatters,163 Hooverville,177
WeedpatchCamp,169 PickingGrapesin Lodi,189
Migrants andMigration (see Mobility) Poverty
Conditionsin Illinoisand Chicago, 265
Mobility
The Extentof theProblem,1890–1925,45
CountryLodgings, 51
Fieldworkers in California,170
The Extentof theProblem,1890–1925,45
HomelessPeoplein Rural Areas, 307
FERAand FTP,143
Low-CostHousing IssueConfronts SantaPaula, 349
The HoboJungle,65
In the City,123
HoboSongs,81
Liquidatingthe FederalTransientProgram,215
HobohemiaDisappears, 105
A Migrant FarmWorker, 39
Jack LondonExplains “the Rods,”25
On theFarm, 115
A MigrantFarm Worker,39
Squatters,163
TrainJumping,31
WeedpatchCamp,169
WeedpatchCamp,169
Recollections, Reminiscences, and Memoirs about
The Numberof Homeless People
HomelessPeople
Askthe CensusBureau, 255
Country Lodgings,51
Backlash over Report Showing Big Drop in L.A.’s
HomelessLatinos anda Different
HomelessPopulation,258
Perspective,329
DefiningHomelessnessDown,225
On theFarm, 115
The Extentof theProblem,1890–1925,45
Squatters,163
HobohemiaDisappears, 105
WeedpatchCamp,169
HowManyPeopleExperience Homelessness?, 255
HUDDisagrees Sharply, 245 Recollections,Reminiscences, and Memoirs
IsIt Even theRight Question?,255 byHomelessPeople
L.A. Homeless Population Drops despite Recession, Bonus Army, 133
259–60 The HoboJungle, 65
viii
Reader’s Guide to Documents and Sidebars
Hooverville, 177 A Migrant FarmWorker, 39
Jack LondonExplains “the Rods,”25 Train Jumping,31
Train Jumping,31
United StatesGovernment
“Tramp-speak” andthe HoboSubculture,71
Bonus Army, 133
Rural Homelessness Congress Defines Homeless,231
All HomelessnessIsNot the Same, 311 Congress Hears about HomelessVeterans,299
Country Lodgings,51 Decreases in PubliclyAssisted Housing...,347
Andthe Differences Can Be Surprising,309–10,311 FERA and FTP,143
Fieldworkers in California,170 Homeless Veterans,297
The HiddenHomeless, 312 HUD Disagrees Sharply, 245
The HoboJungle, 65 The Kansas Transient Service,145
HomelessPeoplein Rural Areas, 307 Liquidatingthe FederalTransient Program,215
Liquidatingthe FederalTransientProgram,215 TomCollinsExplainsHisAttitudestowardCamp,172
A Migrant FarmWorker, 39 Washington Takesthe Lead,364
On theFarm, 115 WeedpatchCamp,169
PickingGrapes in Lodi,189
UrbanHomelessness
Squatters,163
Hobohemia, 59
WeedpatchCamp,169
Hobohemia Disappears, 105
Social and CulturalRelations andInstitutions Hooverville, 177
of HomelessPeople In the City,123
Arts and Culture,197
The HoboCollege, 97 Wages (seePoverty)
The HoboJungle, 65
Work and Labor
Hobo Politics,89
Ben Reitman DefinesHobo,Trampand Bum,19
Hobo Songs,81
Conditionsin Illinoisand Chicago, 265
Hobohemia,59
Country Lodgings,51
Hooverville, 177
The Extentof the Problem,1890–1925,45
“Tramp-speak” andthe HoboSubculture,71
The Hobo Jungle,65
WeedpatchCamp,169
Hobo Politics,89
Trains (see Transportation) Hobo Songs,81
Hobohemia Disappears, 105
Tramps (seeDefinitionsof Homelessness and A Migrant FarmWorker, 39
HomelessPeople; Mobility)
On theFarm, 115
Picking Grapesin Lodi,189
Transients (see Definitionsof Homelessness
Squatters, 163
and HomelessPeople;Mobility)
Vagabonds in England,xxv
Transportation WeedpatchCamp,169
Jack LondonExplains “the Rods,”25
ix