Thousands of people in this country remain homeless and the unhoused
population continues to grow in spite of the increases in the public
dollars being spent. Many are losing their chance to leave homelessness
behind and become respected, contributing members in their community.
The future prospects of those who find themselves without a home, and
their capacity for upward mobility are being limited by policy changes
at the federal level. This book focuses on how the chance to become
self-sustaining citizens, which at one time seemed within reach, is
quickly disappearing and preventing those caught in the homeless trap
from achieving independence. As these opportunities disappear, so too
does the opportunity to interrupt generational poverty. With few avenues
available to reduce the size of the existing homeless population and
little or no emphasis on slowing the influx of new people becoming
homeless, the problems facing many of the largest urban areas in our
country have already reached unprecedented size.
Drawing from the author's experience as a Pastor, social worker, and
director at Volunteers of America operating local homeless programs,
this book explores ideas on how we can begin to approach these issues
with resources that will once again create opportunities for our
unsheltered citizens to leave this cycle of poverty. Creating an exit
plan for many of our homeless can ultimately create a humane approach to
turning the corner on what is becoming the most pressing social issue in
our nation.
