by Anthony_Conty: Books about poverty (“Evicted” and “Rough Sleepers” come to mind as the most impactful) pack a punch but remind me why I read. “There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America” by Brian Goldstone picks up where these exposes left off. The stodgy elite will point out that the subjects make horrible decisions, but their environment enables them.
Rental companies survive by convincing the poorest customers that their fee gets them a room over their head and that they should be thankful for the bare minimum. During the pandemic, this got worse as daycare centers closed and the gig economy offered jobs below minimum wage. The creativity shown to survive will amaze you and increase your empathy.
To place yourself in the shoes of these characters, think about what you did for the well-being of your family or your own personal pleasure, and then show some gratitude. The government and big business tend to take a lot of money from people with no money, and many processes keep them poor once they are in a debt hole.
I have to be fair: housing is expensive, and it is tough to help people who cannot pay you. A vast legion of people do not recognize shelter as a human right. The lack of certainty in their day-to-day life leads to volatility among the unhoused and it reminded me of similar problems in students that we suspected needed help.
To keep people as subjects, we have had to continue changing the definition of homelessness. If you double up in an apartment, live in a hotel, or sleep at a shelter, you may not qualify. It is a sad situation, and true nonfiction writers like Goldstone give you the desire, knowledge, and courage to act and seek action for others.
