ABSTRACT
The American Dream ideology posits that every person, even those born into poverty, can be successful with perseverance, hard work, and determination. Most of the people we met who were experiencing homelessness believed in the American Dream and blamed themselves if they could not achieve it. The American Dream ideology is problematic because it ignores the structural conditions that make homelessness a social problem. Working hard is not enough to achieve the Dream if there are no jobs that pay a living wage. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, most of the individuals we spoke to believed that if they work hard enough, they would make it.
