patients in U.S. mental institutions numbered more
than 550,000. In 1980, the figure was slightly less
than 120,000. Since much of this reduction took
place prior to 1980, however, this factor alone could
not account for the dramatic increase in homeless-
ness during that decade.
The large increase in crack cocaine use in the
mid-1980’s was seen as another possible cause of the
increase in homelessness. A study conducted by the
Cuomo Commission in New York found, through
urinalysis of homeless people in New York City shel-
ters for single individuals, that 65 percent tested pos-
itive for some form of substance abuse. Some 83 per-
cent of those testing positive were cocaine users.
Substance abuse, it was argued, makes it difficult to
hold on to a steady job, breaks down social ties that
could prevent homelessness, and consumes a large
portion of available income that could be used for
housing. Although cocaine use among homeless in-
dividuals did increase during the 1980’s, however,
the percentage of substance abusers among the
homeless did not, which called into question the as-
sumption that a change in the drug of choice had
led to an increase in the number of homeless people.
Social Structures and Homelessness It was argued
that studies that identified the characteristics and
composition of the homeless were useful in finding
out who was at the bottom of the poverty ladder and
ended up homeless but were not as useful in under-
standing why homelessness increased during the
1980’s. A more fruitful approach was to identify
structural changes that took place just prior to and
during the increase in homelessness. Since home-
lessness is, at its core, a lack of housing, this research
looked at changes that affected the availability and
affordability of housing.
One early and persistent structural explanation
for the increase in homelessness was found in poli-
cies implemented by the Ronald Reagan administra-
tion. In early 1984, President Reagan was inter-
viewed on Good Morning America saying of the
homeless that they were “homeless, you might say, by
choice.” Critics of the administration argued that
the cutbacks in public housing and other programs
designed to help those with low incomes were the
problem, rather than individuals choosing to be
homeless.
Other structural changes often cited for the in-
crease in homelessness include the reduction in
single-room-occupancy hotels (SROs), gentrification,
and abandonment of low-income housing. These
changes reduced the amount of low-income hous-
ing available. It was also posited that the increase in
the quantity and quality of homeless shelters during
the 1980’s acted as a magnet to attract those in less
desirable housing situations, thereby increasing the
count of homeless individuals.
In addition to a reduction in the availability and
affordability of low-income housing was a reduction
in the number of low-skill and casual jobs. Structural
changes in the economy reduced the number of jobs
available to day laborers. Moreover, the reduction in
real income, coupled with the increase in the cost of
available housing, forced increasingly more individ-
uals and families out of the housing market and onto
the streets. Parents in low-income jobs were forced
to choose between feeding and clothing their chil-
dren or providing a roof over their heads, and they
chose food over shelter, contributing to the increase
in homeless families. Research revealed that home-
lessness was a complex problem that lacked a simple
solution.Response to Homelessness The primary response
to homelessness occurred at the local level and var-
ied considerably from city to city. In some places,
such as Miami and Houston, the response was left al-
most entirely to charities and other private organiza-
tions. In other areas, such as Chicago and San Fran-
cisco, city governments worked with and helped
fund nonprofit organizations to provide services to
the homeless. Still other cities, such as New York and
Philadelphia, ran their own shelters in addition to
those run by nonprofit agencies. As homeless popu-
lations grew during the decade, this patchwork re-
sponse faced a number of challenges.
In New York City and elsewhere, homeless advo-
cates utilized the courts to guarantee a minimum
level of response. By contrast, as the size and number
of homeless shelters expanded, residents living near
existing or planned shelters often sought to block
them. As the decade progressed, cities came under
increasing pressure not only to provide a place for
the homeless to sleep but also to reduce the number
of homeless people in public places during the day.
For much of the 1980’s, the U.S. government left
the response to homelessness up to state and local
governments. This changed in 1987 with the passage
of the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, which480 Homelessness The Eighties in America