ABSTRACT
The homeless are the most visible of America's social problems. Homeless people are found everywhere: in cities, small towns, suburbs, and rural areas. They are on the evening news, especially when it is very cold and during the winter holidays. Homelessness is not just a matter of social class. Race is a crucial determinant, since people of color are disproportionately among the very poor. For example, in 1991, 11.3 percent of whites were below the poverty line compared to 28.7 percent of Latinos and 32.7 percent of African Americans. Homelessness is especially urban because the cities are the endpoint of industrial and urban decline. The government's data for 1991 show that 43 percent of the nation's poor were found inside central cities. Personal irresponsibility certainly occurs everywhere. If that is the reason for homelessness then there should be about the same proportion of homeless in Tampa as in Toronto or in Chicago as compared to Copenhagen.
