ABSTRACT
The phenomenon of spatial dispersion of the homeless is historically specific and results from a series of relatively recent changes in the politics of homelessness and urban space. Such 'skid rows' derived their name from the paths used by workers to drag timber. Spanning 16 blocks, from Chatham Square at its southern tip to Cooper Square at its northern end, the Bowery became synonymous with homelessness. The theory undergirding the work of the Charity Organization Society (COS) in the nineteenth century had been that homelessness originated in fundamental laziness. The rising tide of urban homelessness attracted widespread media attention. Cities and states sought to pass the problem of homelessness to their neighbours. Developments at the federal level propelled many individuals into homelessness nationwide, as successive administrations slashed benefits programmes. Urban homelessness has changed in recent decades due to several shifts in both geography and demographics. The spatial decentralization of homelessness created a new landscape of poverty.
