The Crisis of Homelessness

Dear Colleagues,

Homelessness is an increasingly regular feature of life in US cities. It draws the nation’s attention during times of crisis, such as economic recession or natural disaster. The current COVID-19 pandemic is the most recent example of a crisis that highlights various forms of social inequality and stimulates emergency solutions. Using federal funding, states can now implement temporary and permanent housing to ensure social distancing for people experiencing homelessness and determined to be at high risk. This is an unprecedented and much needed resource, as the number of unsheltered homeless people has continued to grow, even before COVID-19. In the 1980s, the crisis of new homelessness also forced emergency solutions, resulting in federal legislation to provide shelter for adults and equal access to public education for homeless children through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (PL100-77). Solutions to homelessness developed during crisis points are often emergency based and limited to specific populations, issues, or time periods. Crisis-driven solutions are important, as they are often the only chance to gain new or greater federal funding and support. Developing long-term solutions is a key concern during crisis points and in urban areas, where homeless people concentrate to gain access to basic needs and shelter services. This concentration is survival-based and poses risks that include criminalization and exacerbating cyclical, generational poverty that ultimately increases homelessness. This Special Issue invites papers that examine innovative approaches to ending homelessness that focus on urban areas, specific populations, or crisis points. Papers that compare the USA with global cities are also welcome

Dr. Michele Wakin
Guest Editor

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