Homelessness, condition of people who lack regular legal access to housing. Homelessness has been recognized as a significant social problem in the United States since the early 1980s, when an increase in the number of homeless people was caused by a weak economy and cuts in federal aid for housing and income Other periods of increased homelessness also have occurred many timesin history, including during the colonial era. Most other industrialized societies alsohave experienced increases in homeless populations in recent decades.The number of homeless people in the United States has been an arguableissue for a while. Advocates for the homeless claim that there are several millionhomeless people; however, recent studies suggest that the homeless number from600,000 to 700,000. Exact numbers are impossible to collect because researchersdefine homelessness in different ways and because the homeless are transitory. Thenumber of people predicted to become homeless in any given year is estimated to bethree to five times the number of people who are homeless at any given moment.The US Census Bureau attempted to count homeless people in the 1990 census.However, most people consider this attempt as a failure.The homeless population is largely made up of adult men, but the number ofwomen, children, and youth has steadily increased. This group now comprises morethan 40 percent of the total homeless population. Most homeless people are alsoextremely poor and separated from their families and other social networks. Aboutone-third of the adult homeless are chronically mentally ill, and about half arealcoholic or abuse drugs. During the 1950s, most homeless people were older, white,alcoholic men associated with the rundown sections of cities known as skid rows.Today's homeless, however, are mostly non-white; relatively young, with an averageage in the middle 30s; and include a large number of women and children. Aboutone-third of homeless men are ve...
