tance have generated a ôsubculture of homelessnessö that is resident in all major metropolitan centers.
This subculture of homeless is identified by their behavior, dress, economic and social condition, and their unifying element û- their lack of permanent residence.
At the national level, estimates indicate that the numbers of street people range from 250,000 individuals on a given night to 3 million homeless over the course of a year (Whitman, 1988, p. 25). These estimates are thought to under-represent the actual numbers of homeless in America.
In a report released in December, 1987 by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, twenty-four of twenty-six major cities indicated that they expected more homeless in 1988, despite the previous three years of economic recovery.
With respect to families, estimates indicate that the number of low-income families unable to find affordable housing increased from 8.9 million in 1974 to 11.9 million in 1983. Moreover, more than 800,000 families have signed-up to move into low-rent public housing, despite the reputation of the housing.
Since 1981, Federal resources for subsidized housing have dropped more than 80%. Also, more than 70,000 units of public housing are abandoned each year due to neglect and reduced budgets (Conference of Mayors, 1987).
That the numbers of homeless families are increasing is specially a blight on a nation that prides itself on a foundation based upon the nuclear family.
The numbers of families seeking emergency she
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