The problem of homelessness is a particularly incongruous situation that faces America in the 1990s. As one of the wealthiest countries on the globe, it is not only apparent that a serious problem exists in dealing with homelessness, but that homelessness may well represent the next to the last stop for American citizens on the downward trajectory from economic stability through poverty to absolute destitution (Lang, 1989). Moreover, statistics have shown that there is a high (as much as 91 percent) rate of mental illness among homeless people, and that the percentage of substance abuse, especially among men, is one of the major problems facing America's inner cities. Since there are so many intrinsic problems with the homeless, there is also a preponderance of behavior that places them in serious health risks. To compound this problem, many homeless people have neither the funds nor the ability to seek medical attention (Hilfiker, 1989). Their story is often one of suffering and trepidation. Many feel forced into the streets, and are unable to muster the resources to get out of poverty. Most are concerned with the basic tenets of survival, and spend the large percentage of their time hunting for food, shelter, and clothing. The problems are compounded in areas with severe winters, and the search for warmth and comfort is ongoing and ever present in the lives of many homeless people all over America (Hombs and Snyder, 1983).
This paper will present an overview of the problem of homelessness amidst the affluence of contemporary American culture. It will begin with the question of cultural relativity in dealing with the problem of the homeless, and will discuss the paradigms of understanding the homeless, urban policy context, low cost housing policy, policy initiatives to assist the homeless, and the possibility for real and effective policy reforms. Finally, the paper will conclude with the legacy of the homeless, and will...