Homelessness From the Colonial Period

Paper Summary:

Early Americans had little sympathy for the homeless. When not ignored, homeless people were regarded with fear and contempt. Animosity was especially strong toward the homeless mentally ill. The homeless were generally shunted from one community to another due to the prevailing attitude that a community's social responsibility extended only to their resident poor.

From the Paper:

"Early Americans had little sympathy for the homeless. When not ignored, homeless people were regarded with fear and contempt. Animosity was especially strong toward the homeless mentally ill. The homeless were generally shunted from one community to another due to the prevailing attitude that a community's social responsibility extended only to their resident poor. Homelessness was considered a temporary condition brought on either by unforeseen tragedy or lack of personal diligence. Therefore, homelessness did not become an official concern of public policymakers until after 1930.

Sociologists agree that homelessness involves more than merely not having a roof over one's head. Albeit the lack of a stable residence is an important component of this definition. For people in extreme poverty, the lack of a domicile is a ..."

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