HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA - INVOLUNTARY FAMILY MIGRATION

Homelessness is one of the most intense social crises facing the Unite d States since the onset of the Great Depression more than 60 years ag o. Estimates of the total population of homeless are argued to range f rom 250,000 to upwards of three million, with a projected rate of incr ease of approximately 24% per year. The spectrum of diversity within t he population mirrors that of society in general, except that the prob lems are more severe, as illustrated by the difficulties facing the ho meless mentally ill. Thirty-eight percent of the homeless are single-p arent, primarily female-headed families, thus representing the fastest growing segment of the population. This paper will consider the pheno menon of homeless as a contemporary social issue, and include recommen dations for public policy and social response.