Over the past two and a half years, I have read dozens of books on the issue of homelessness. I’m not sure I learned anything new, not that the books were bad, but they were more suited for those who haven’t delved as deeply as I have into the issues of homelessness. That changed with my latest read.
There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone is the most important book I’ve read about homelessness, for several reasons. First, it shatters the myth that most people are homeless because of drugs, alcohol, or mental illness and are unable or unwilling to work.
The book shatters the assumptions about who becomes homeless and why. It is essential that the general public understands this! All they hear or read about are uniformed idiots who victim-blame these people.
Second, Brian’s writing showcases the plight of five families who, through no fault of their own, find themselves deprived of a basic human right — a roof over their heads.
He sheds light on the “invisible homeless”—those who do not fit the traditional image of homelessness and are often excluded from official statistics and public discourse. This includes families living in temporary accommodations or doubling up with others, whose struggles are frequently overlooked.
I was pissed off from the very first paragraph, about a family who was gentrified out of thier long time home, was able to find another place (little more expensive and not as nice) but two weeks later the house was shuttered and condemned because of unsafe electrical system. The head of the household had a full-time job!
When I started reading this book, I did so right before bed. Big mistake! I would be so upset that I couldn’t sleep, so I switched to a different book before bedtime, as I am always reading several books at the same time. The story about the family who had trouble finding a place because they had an eviction on their record was maddening. I know what you are thinking,
“Well, Bill, someone who got evicted probably deserves to be scrutinized by future landlords.” Sure, but…….and it s a big ass BUT…
The family wasn’t evicted. THE HOUSE BURNED DOWN! Through any fault of their own, no one was even home.
The Private Equity-backed corporate landlord wouldn’t let them off the hook unless they paid a substantial amount of money to break the lease. Let me say it again, THE DAMN HOUSE BURNED DOWN!!
I listened to Brian discuss one of the primary causes of homelessness, namely, private equity investing hundreds of millions of dollars in buying up rental properties, in a recent interview. He shared the story of two Tennessee brothers who were buying up and hoarding hand sanitizer during the pandemic as an analogy of what is happening to the rental housing market. It’s even worse with apartments, where corporate ownership is sending those rents skyrocketing as well.
If you follow me on Bluesky or LinkedIn (or read The Job Nobody Dreams Of), you know what I think about private equity. Megan Greenwell has a book coming out in June that highlights the damage PE is doing to America, called Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream.
I had my own experience of PE-backed housing when I moved to Denver recently. Because I was retired, I had no income, so I couldn’t go through the normal application process of filling out a form. When I was finally able to talk to a live human being (it’s not easy) and told them I was just going to pay the lease in full, upfront, they replied, “Yeah, we can’t do that.” WTF!? Luckily, I was able to find a home owned by an individual who was half a mile from my son and his family.
The book is devastating, but a must-read. By combining thorough research with poignant storytelling, Brian challenges readers to reconsider assumptions about work, poverty, and the right to housing.