The author provides policymakers with critical information on the new homeless. Unlike the homeless of the past, who were almost all unattached men, they include a large contingent of women, many with children. While the old homeless played a role in the labor market – furnishing labor for seasonal activities or for short-term, low-skilled jobs – the new homeless find little demand for their services. They are unskilled and often disabled, a substantial majority having at least one and sometimes many disabilities: chronic physical health, mental health, or substance-abuse problems. Rossi's recommendations range from distinguishing between the episodic and chronically homeless to suggesting that AFDC payments be extended to families who subsidize their destitute, unattached adult members.
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