When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America

Adler (Natural Disasters as a Catalyst for Social Capital), whose nonprofit Miracle Messages helps unhoused people “rebuild their social support systems,” and philanthropist Burnes (Journeys Out of Homelessness) examine in this impassioned treatise the “ongoing national tragedy” of homelessness in America. Describing how people who experience homelessness are “marked by extreme stigma and shame” and a “profound lack of nurturing relationships... that makes fostering social ties incredibly difficult,” the authors explain that the resultant “loneliness and social isolation” make regaining one’s footing nearly impossible. Even when new social connections are made, “emotional barriers” persist—such as “fear of rejection [and] not wanting to be a burden.” Adler and Burnes contend that homelessness in the U.S. is a systemic problem, stemming from issues that can ensnare anyone—including inadequate wages, high rents, and expensive healthcare—which are compounded by laws that penalize the unhoused, such as bans on panhandling. But they point to a more foundational problem as well; critiquing America’s “pernicious hyper-individualism,” which enables people to “walk by” the homeless in tacit acceptance of the status quo, the authors exhort readers to enact change in their own lives. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in solving the problem of homelessness. (Nov.)