THE HOMELESS: Profiling the Problem

Who are the homeless? What brought them to their plight? What's being done for them now, and what might be done? Hyde answers these questions by dividing the homeless into groups: victims of domestic violence, family disruption, or unemployment; those who have lost housing to razing or fire; young people who have run away or been thrown out; homeless families; boarder babies in hospitals; and the mentally ill. She discusses the complexities: medical problems induced by the situation, legal controversies (e.g., the case of Joyce Brown), and management of tasks like going to school, staying clean, or getting food. Sections on how ordinary people--e.g., 11-year-old Trevor Ferrell--have helped are inspirational: Trevor began by taking food and blankets to individuals, then eventually spearheaded a campaign to build a shelter. The work of private organizations such as Habitat and the Red Cross are also described, but--disappointingly--there is little mention of government's responsibility for homelessness or its failure to alleviate it.