Table Of Content

“This book shifts the focus about the causes of homelessness, moving from individualistic explanations to social and political causes. I am unaware of other books that take this perspective exclusively and thus this book will be of value to a variety of audiences, particularly undergraduates, many of whom are considering broader issues for the frst time upon starting their college careers.” —Catherine Mobley, Professor of Sociology, Clemson University “Southworth and Brallier approach homelessness with the keen eyes of sociologists who understand that the homeless make choices within constraints of a social structure over which they have little control. The authors’ comprehensive treatment of the interplay between structure and agency that generates homelessness sets this book apart from other eforts to illuminate and address this social problem. The Rolling Forward Project epitomizes their thoughtful, feasible, creative, and empowering eforts to reduce homelessness by addressing one structural cause in Myrtle Beach, SC.” —Roslyn Arlin Mickelson, Chancellor’s Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte “Southworth and Brallier ofer a major advance in scholarship on homelessness through a compelling and insightful investigation of historical trends and policies that exacerbate poverty and constrain housing accessibility. Their extensive dataset and rich analysis expose how changes in US social and political structure over the last half century, including neoliberal economic reforms and the expansion of the non-proft industrial complex, function to increase homelessness over time. Most importantly, their analysis ofers tangible pathways for solutions via afordable housing, living wages, access to mental and physical health care, and public transportation. This book shows that homelessness is a choice: a choice made by policy makers who refuse to fund basic public services that would provide a lifeline for the most vulnerable among us.” —Jaime J. McCauley, Associate Professor of Sociology, Coastal Carolina University Homelessness in the 21st Century 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 feld, use data from over 250 interviews and feld 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 afordable housing, the stigmatization and criminalization of homelessness, inadequate access to health care, employment that does not pay a living wage, and difculty 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 afects 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 afect individuals and guide 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. Stephanie Southworth, PhD, is an assistant professor of sociology at Coastal Carolina University. Her current research focuses on using applied, community-based research to fnd structural solutions to social problems. She believes strongly in the value of educating the public about the reasons for social inequalities to reduce stereotypes. Southworth has published over a dozen peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and regularly presents the fndings of her studies to community groups and conferences. She is on the Board of Directors of several organizations serving low-income community members. She, along with co-author Sara Brallier, have started several community programs based on the results of their research. Sara Brallier is a professor of sociology at Coastal Carolina University. She teaches social inequality, sociology of religion, the sociology of aging, the sociology of death and dying, and research methods for the social sciences. Her current research focuses on housing and food insecurity. She has published numerous articles and book chapters and frequently shares her research with community groups and at academic conferences. She uses her research to inform her activism; she serves on the boards of several agencies serving marginalized populations and frequently consults with community groups interested in instigating social change. Her areas of expertise include social inequality, family demography, gerontology, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Homelessness in the 21st Century Living the Impossible American Dream Stephanie Southworth and Sara Brallier Designed cover image: Getty Images First published 2023 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 Stephanie Southworth and Sara Brallier The right of Stephanie Southworth and Sara Brallier to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Southworth, Stephanie, author. | Brallier, Sara, author. Title: Homelessness in the 21st century: living the impossible American dream/Stephanie Southworth and Sara Brallier. Other titles: Homelessness in the twenty-first century Description: Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2023. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Identifiers: LCCN 2022051124 (print) | LCCN 2022051125 (ebook) | ISBN 9781032351605 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032351599 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003325581 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Homelessness—United States—History—21st century. | Housing policy—United States Classification: LCC HV4505. S728 2023 (print) | LCC HV4505 (ebook) | DDC 362.50973—dc23/eng/20221101 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022051124 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022051125 ISBN: 978-1-032-35160-5 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-35159-9 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-32558-1 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003325581 Typeset in Bembo by Apex CoVantage, LLC Contents List of Figures xii List of Tables xiii Introduction xiv Chapter Outlines xvi SECTION 1 Homelessness in America 1 1 How Did We Get Here? A Brief History of Homelessness 3 Introduction 3 Early American Vagabonds 4 “Homelessness” as a Social Problem in the Nineteenth Century 5 Homelessness 1900–1945 8 The Great Depression and the New Deal 9 World War II 11 The Aftermath of World War II 11 Federal Policy’s Efect on Homelessness 12 The War on Poverty 13 Conclusion 14 2 Neoliberal Ideology and Homelessness 16 Introduction 16 Setting the Stage for a Neoliberal Shift 17 Ronald Reagan’s Administration 18 The Non-Proft Industrial Complex 20 Consequences 21 Fixing the New Problem: The McKinney-Vento Act 21 Bill Clinton’s Administration 22 The Emergence of the Continuum of Care 23 Welfare Reform 24 viii Contents Culture of Compliance 24 The George W. Bush Administration 25 The Barack Obama Administration 26 The Donald Trump Administration 26 Joe Biden’s Administration 27 Neoliberalism and Space 27 Conclusion 29 3 The Evolution of Risk Factors for the New Homeless 33 Introduction 33 Deinstitutionalization and the Closure of Psychiatric Hospitals 34 Nineteenth-Century Psychiatric Care 35 Twentieth-Century Psychiatric Care 35 Deinstitutionalization and Homelessness 37 Mental Illness and Housing 38 The Criminal Justice System 39 Incarceration as a Cause or Consequence of Homelessness 39 The Commodifcation of Public Space 40 Anti-Homeless Laws 40 The Criminal Justice System Contributes to Homelessness 42 Broken Windows Policing 43 Policing Encampments 45 Conclusion: Mental Health Care and Policing in a Neoliberal Economy 47 4 Theoretical Explanations of Homelessness 50 Introduction 50 Using Grounded Theory to Understand Issues of Homelessness 51 Structural Theories 53 Marxist Theory 53 Guy Standing 55 Michel Foucault 56 The Interaction Between Structure and Agency 58 Pierre Bourdieu 58 Nicholas Pleace 59 Structuration 60 Conclusion 62 Contents ix SECTION 2 Research on Homelessness in Myrtle Beach, SC 65 5 Counting and Providing Services for People Experiencing Homelessness 67 Introduction 67 Counting People Who Are Experiencing Homelessness 67 Comparing HMIS Data to the PIT Count 68 Non-Proft Organizations Serving People Experiencing Homelessness in Myrtle Beach 71 Shelters 71 Housing Support 73 Food 74 Medical Care 74 Clothing 75 Conclusion 75 6 Work, Efort, and the American Dream 78 Introduction 78 Work as the “Key to Success” in Springhouse 79 Believing the Dream 81 Still Believing—I Can Still Do It 81 All I Need Is a Little Help 82 I Just Need Job Training 83 Just a Temporary Setback 83 Selling Himself (Literally) for the Dream 84 If I Did It Once, I Can Do It Again 84 A New Start and a Parrot to Boot 85 Mental and Physical Health and the American Dream 86 I Want to Work: It’s Just Hard 86 It’s Not Worth It 86 I’ll Be Better Of or Dead 87 Jail or Dead 88 Happy Families 88 Chasing the Dream 89 Conclusion 89 7 Health and Perceptions of Health 92 Introduction 92 The Relationship Between Health and Homelessness 93 Health as a Cause of Homelessness 94 Mental Illness Causing Homelessness 94 From Riches to Rags 95 Physical Health Causing Homelessness 96