Housing Patterns of Homeless People: The Ecology of the Street in the Era of Urban Renewal

Abstract

In this article, the authors examine the political and economic community dynamics of the street homeless as well as other groups involved in conflicts regarding the process of urban renewal. Since postwar suburban flight, homeless people have lived largely in the shadows of vacated city centers. But “not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY) battles over the homeless have become increasingly common, especially as the influx of comfortably housed residents bring suburban expectations to urban centers, generating conflicts that affect homeless urban camp communities. Drawing on four years of ethnographic data, the authors describe social conflicts revolving around homelessness and urban renewal. Moreover, through examining the patterns of economy and polity among sectors with different economic positions in the city, the authors illustrate how “problematic” groups of people, such as the homeless, are not antithetical to community. Instead, they are key stakeholders in urban communities with goals, concerns, and desired boundaries similar to those who “legitimately” live downtown.