Over the Edge: The Growth of Homelessness in the 1980s

Martha R. Burt

ISBN 10: 0871541777 / ISBN 13: 9780871541772

Published by Russell Sage Foundation, 1992

Like New condition. Like New dust jacket. A near perfect copy that may have very minor cosmetic defects. Seller Inventory # P07P-00250

Synopsis:

Often described as an emergency, homelessness in America is becoming a chronic condition that reflects an overall decline in the nation's standard of living and the general state of the economy. This is the disturbing conclusion drawn by Martha Burt inOver the Edge, a timely book that takes a clear-eyed look at the astonishing surge in the homeless population during the 1980s.

Assembling and analyzing data from 147 U.S. cities, Burt documents the increase in homelessness and proposes a comprehensive explanation of its causes, incorporating economic, personal, and policy determinants. Her unique research answers many provocative questions: Why did homelessness continue to spiral even after economic conditions improved in 1983? Why is it significantly greater in cities with both high poverty ratesand high per capita income? What can be done about the problem?

Burt points to the significant catalysts of homelessness—the decline of manufacturing jobs in the inner city, the increased cost of living, the tight rental housing market, diminished household income, and reductions in public benefit programs—all of which exert pressures on the more vulnerable of the extremely poor. She looks at the special problems facing the homeless, including the growing number of mentally ill and chemically dependent individuals, and explains why certain groups—minorities and low-skilled men, single men and women, and families headed by women—are at greatest risk of becoming homeless. Burt's analysis reveals that homelessness arises from no single factor, but is instead perpetuated by pivotal interactions between external social and economic conditions and personal vulnerabilities.

From an understanding of these interactions, Over the Edge builds lucid, realistic recommendations for policymakers struggling to alleviate a situation of grave consequence for our entire society.

About the Author:

MARTHA R. BURT is director of the Social Services Research Program at the Urban Institute.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Over the Edge: The Growth of Homelessness in...
Publisher: Russell Sage Foundation
Publication Date: 1992
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: As New
Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included