Unending Poverty and Despair in "America's Finest City"

Introduction

There are many myths about homeless women in America. Those myths sometimes include stereotypes of slightly confused but kindly bag ladies, who wander the streets in detached contentment, or of puffy-faced women of indeterminate age, whose numbing use of alcohol helps them enjoy living with few real responsibilities or worries. While those stereotypes are depicted regularly in the mass media, they describe few—if any—of the homeless women presently observed in downtown San Diego.

There are also many myths about how the homeless should be treated when they participate in various social service programs. Some of those myths perpetuate services that are generally unable to meet the needs of the most dysfunctional homeless—the population that is the most difficult to serve—and the population that has the greatest needs. This is particularly true regarding services for homeless women.

This report was prompted by both recent and long-term changes occurring in downtown San Diego's structural and social profile, and by scores of recent anecdotal reports made by homeless women in San Diego. The report is designed as an update to an earlier report on homeless women in San Diego (Wynne, Reynolds, Forde, 1984) and as an introduction to iniminent changes in the availability of resources for homeless women who live on downtown streets. Key questions that the report addresses include:

• What is homelessness?
• Who are the homeless?
• How do they become homeless?
• What is the most salient issue they face?
• What are their needs?
• How can those needs be met?

The report is divided into three parts.

• Part I addresses the context and profile of homelessness.
• Part II discusses resources for homeless women offered through the programs of Rachel's.
• Part III describes opportunities for people to become involved in helping homeless women.