The Nation - News from Aug. 22, 1988

The plan behind many of the nation’s emergency shelters was “a major mistake” that has served to increase the number of people without homes, the executive director of the Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless told the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. The homeless population is estimated at between 2 million and 3 million, of which about 60% are women or children. Such people should have affordable housing and assistance to ease dependency on crowded, understaffed shelters, Anita L. Beaty told a seminar at the Atlanta meeting. “The three-tiered plan was a major mistake,” she said. “It was much too conservative and allowed for a service institution that blames the victim.” The plan--to offer services at shelters, help people rebuild their lives and supply low-income housing--cannot work because many people have turned the temporary shelters into a permanent living situation, she said.