When we walk by forgotten humanity, broken systems, and the role we can each play in ending homelessness in America
"Think about the last time that you saw or interacted with an unhoused person. What did you do? What did you say? Did you offer money or a smile, or did you avert your gaze? When We Walk By takes an urgent look at homelessness in America, showing us what we lose--in ourselves and as a society--...
Main Authors: | Adler, Kevin F. (Author), Burnes, Donald W. (Author) |
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Format: | Books Print Book |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Berkeley, California :
North Atlantic Books,
[2023]
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Subjects: |
Summary: |
"Think about the last time that you saw or interacted with an unhoused person. What did you do? What did you say? Did you offer money or a smile, or did you avert your gaze? When We Walk By takes an urgent look at homelessness in America, showing us what we lose--in ourselves and as a society--when we choose to walk past and ignore our neighbors in shelters, insecure housing, or on the streets. And it brilliantly shows what we stand to gain when we embrace our humanity and move toward evidence-based people-first, community-driven solutions, offering social analysis, economic and political histories, and the real stories of unhoused people. Authors Kevin F. Adler and Donald W. Burnes, with Amanda Banh and Andrijana Bilbija, recast chronic homelessness in the U.S. as a byproduct of twin crises: our social services systems are failing, and so is our humanity. Readers will learn: Why our brains have been trained to overlook our unhoused neighbors. The social, economic, and political forces that shape myths like "all homeless people are addicts" and "they'd have a house if they got a job." What conservative economics gets wrong about housing insecurity. What relational poverty is, and how to shift away from "us versus them" thinking. That for many Americans, housing insecurity is just one missed paycheck away. Who "the homeless" really are--and why that might surprise you. What you can do to help, starting today. A necessary, deeply humanizing read that goes beyond theory and policy analysis to offer engaged solutions with compassion and heart, When We Walk By is a must-read for anyone who cares about homelessness, housing solutions, and their own humanity" -- |
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Physical Description: |
xxiii, 299 pages ; 32 cm |
Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
ISBN: |
9781623178840 1623178843 |
Author Notes: |
DONALD W. BURNES funds The Burnes Institute for Poverty Research at the Colorado Center on Law and Policy and teaches at Denver's Academy for Lifelong Learning. He was an adjunct professor and scholar-in-residence at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. He co-authored Journeys Out of Homelessness- The Voices of Lived Experience and A Nation in Denial- The Truth About Homelessness and co-edited Ending Homelessness- Why We Haven't, How We Can . AMANDA BANH and ANDRIJANA BILBIJA contributed research throughout. |