The homeless

Homelessness is sometimes the condtion of the deinstitutionalized mentally ill, the aged, the voluntarily idle and the temporarily unemployed; and of runaway youth, destitute families, drug addicts, street beggars and alcoholics - in urban and rural areas. There appears to be no single set of characteristics shared by the homeless except being poor without housing, and often lacking food and medical care as well. This Editorial Commentary looks at the "problems" of the homeless and those who search for remedies using selected editorials. It also covers actions taken by local and State governments to address the problems. nnThe Editorial Commentary includes an introductory section of newspaper articles on the homeless. It is divided into sections - one focusing on the problem; the other on actions that have been taken to deal with the problem. Both sections are arranged in reverse chronological order. The editorials were selected from the editorial collection maintained by the Library Services Division.,Compiled by Library Services Division.,CRS 86-525 L,"January 1986.",SuDoc# 14. 18/3