Down and Out in America: The Origins of Homelessness

by Peter H. Rossi

The most accurate and comprehensive picture of homelessness to date, this study offers a powerful explanation of its causes, proposes short- and long-term solutions, and documents the striking contrasts between the homeless of the 1950s and 1960s and the contemporary homeless population, which is younger and contains more women, children, and blacks.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Academic

255 pages, Hardcover

First published December 15, 1989

Reviews

[Sam P · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2025, unfortunately, Rossi's exploration of the modern homelessness epidemic remains largely unchanged from 1989. The only material change in his depiction of the homeless is that their numbers have grown exponentially, and, somehow, they seem to have lost even more purchasing power than they had in the 80s. Housing first, which was advocated for throughout the 2000s and 2010s, has failed to make any marked impact on our homeless populations, and many landlords refuse to participate or drop out of the program because (frankly) many of our modern homeless individuals do not make good tenants... especially those with chronic substance use, active psychosis, and recurrent criminal behavior. Rossi seems to have read the tea leaves when he recommends that we stop pursuing half-measured "voluntary" civil commitments in the courts. Rather, for better or worse, it seems that we will need to expand some of our residential institutions and lower thresholds for involuntary civil commitment so that people who are unable to ensure their own physical security and meet basic needs (often found in homeless individuals with active psychosis) can still be committed to facilities and treated. Truly, the current standard (which essentially measures whether the individual is a danger to themself or others) is not serving these individuals. Rossi recognized this 40 years ago, and we are just now starting to come around.... This is a foundational read for anyone engaged in social work for homeless individuals. I would recommend reading Chapters 1, 2, 6, and 7. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 are certainly valuable, but they deal heavily in data and statistics that focus mostly on Rossi's Chicago Homeless Study, and they are not necessary to glean the main points and his thesis.

[Jada DaMae · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I had to read this book to assist one of my student advisees through a "sociology of homelessness" class.* I deeply care about this subject and went through my own studies in both undergrad and grad concerned with these issues from a sociological perspective, so have been able to develop a pretty good foundation to grapple with these subjects. I really appreciated all this book had to offer but must admit it was very dense, heavy with (important) statistics that could made it a bit harder to access and digest. I learned a lot from the sheer amount of information presented, but I could tell it was an overwhelming endeavor for both me and my student to get through the charts and stats at times. Very important subject and gives more of a historical overview of homelessness and why it continues to exist today

[Cyndie Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dense book but important that talks about a lot of statistics from some of the best studies available at the time on who is homeless and why they appear to be homeless. The last chapter which acts as a discussion and analysis of the data is especially important particularly the section on "The Limits of Kinship Obligations" which point out that despite all we do to help out those in need, often those in need are surrounded by those who are also in need who may be least equipped to help them. Talks not just about homelessness but about extreme poverty and the major institutional changes that have influenced who is a part of this group and how governments have chosen to help over time.

[Meen]

Just got this one today. It's beginning of the lit collection for my research project. I've read some of Rossi's other works, and I'm not sure I'm gonna like this one. Also, it's a bit dated, but it'll give me some good background stuff.