Abstract
Imagine a hypothetical disaster befalling America's cities. A bomb, perhaps; or a ferocious hurricane; or an earthquake. Two to 3 million Americans lose their homes. We know that, daily, the evening news and the major newspapers would feature stories on the number of people victimized by the disaster. Many Americans would volunteer to help their neighbors in need, and many community agencies and local governments would come to the rescue, but the public would rightly expect the federal government to play a leading role in repairing the human and physical damage. The president and Congress would act swiftly to declare a national emergency and to funnel relief into the cities.
In fact, a national disaster is occurring in America now, and what is especially horrifying is that few of our nationally elected leaders are even addressing the crisis, let alone proposing serious solutions. By some accounts, 2 to 3 million Americans are homeless. Although some dispute this figure, the fact remains that the number of homeless Americans is growing.
Recommended Citation
Flynn, Raymond L.
(1992)
"Foreword,"
New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 8:
Iss.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol8/iss1/3