This book is very important for anyone who works in a public facing position. I definitely will recommend this book to my coworkers at the library. And definitely recommend this to my patrons as well.

When We Walk By written by Kevin Adler and Donald Burnes presents our "unhoused" population in a very humanizing way. Fixing our broken system that deals with homelessness is a must and a simple act of making eye contact with a smile and asking how one is doing instead of walking by can make a difference. A must-read for everyone.
Thank you, NetGalley and North Atlantic Books for the opportunity to read this important book.

Wow!
What an eye opening and really well detailed book about a huge problem in the US. I honestly never even realized it was as bad until I read the numbers. The compassion that is shown in this book truly speaks volumes on how passionate they are about this.
It challenges you, and makes you uncomfortable, I at least I know it did for me.

This was such a thoughtful, considered, and compassionate approach to a deep-rooted problem across North America. Adler and Burnes examine homelessness through a multitude of perspectives. Because homelessness is a "multifaceted issue" it "requires multifaceted solutions" (p.208). Throughout this book, they examine the many root problems of homelessness, the pervasive and harmful stereotypes of homelessness that are perpetuated by the media, politics, and housed people, as well as possible solutions to overcome the problem of homelessness.
While this book is well-researched, it is written in a very accessible way. Each chapter includes a "Key Takeaways" section that sums up important points, making it very easy to refer back to. While it focuses on homelessness within the United States, as a Canadian I still found this incredibly relevant as a need for compassion, and radical kindness is emphasized as a vital component to erasing the issue of homelessness. Regardless of political structure, or geographic location, this book highlights that homelessness will not only continue to exist, but will increase until people recognize, and react to our shared humanity with our unhoused neighbours.

An incredibly moving and heartbreaking book that dives into the complexities of homelessness. Everyone should read this book, but especially Christians who want to do something about people experiencing homelessness, law makers, and community leaders who interact with these people regularly.

This book reads like a textbook. It gets its point across concisely with recaps at the end of every chapter which is helpful. I was very curious about the unhoused people in America and debated volunteering for the local shelters. This book solidified that desire. It is a well rounded read with a good amount of personal story mixed in with thoughts and suggestions to help reframe the experience with our unhoused neighbors. I will be utilizing these new frameworks to the best of my ability. It is well worth the read!

Oh gosh, so many things came up for me reading this book. Like many people, I live in a city where homelessness is visible every time I leave my home. Even though I felt uncomfortable knowing that a homeless person was nearby (at the traffic light, on the corner that I was biking or walking past) and bad that my instinct was to avert my gaze and pretend not to see them, I hadn't put much effort into understanding much about who those people might be and what help they might need. I also assumed they were people with mental health or substance abuse issues. Reading this book really opened my eyes to the societal problem of homelessness.

In Part I, the book gives faces, voices, and personal histories to many of "the homeless" that are usually completely ignored by the housed, like me. The book includes quotes and stories of many people currently or recently experiencing homelessness, and makes the point that "the homeless" are our neighbors, families, friends, co-workers. And discusses the many ways in which society (outside of laws and policies), aka our attitudes and opinions, contribute to the problem of homelessness.

In Part II, the book delves into the many ways that people lose their housing, after which policies and our society's systems (healthcare, wages, foster care, the courts, welfare, etc) make it extremely difficult to regain stability and secure housing.

Finally, Part III suggests ways that the reader can contribute to the solution. There are many suggestions here that range from activism to volunteering time or money, or even just changing our attitudes towards homelessness and stopping to talk to someone that is experiencing homelessness.

The US has seen an explosion in the number of people experiencing homelessness since the pandemic, but it doesn't seem to be an issue that is discussed enough in the news and media. And even when it is discussed, those stories rarely gave me a sense that homeless people are, in fact, people that are not that different from many that are housed. This book helps address the lack of understanding that most people (including myself here) have about this issue. I strongly recommend this for anyone who cares about social issues or has ever had any strong feelings (in any direction) about the issue of homelessness.

Thanks to NetGalley, North Atlantic Books, and the authors for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

When We Walk By gives the reader a much-needed hit of empathy as well as pragmatic advice on how to support the unhoused in our societies. Reading this while working on a busy street in Dublin, where I walk by many rough sleepers daily, added to the urgency of the text for me. I would recommend this for anyone.

Elite Sociology Types Explain Homelessness. In a spirit of full disclosure up front, I'm a guy that literally has "Real Is Real" - the subheading of Part III of Ayn Rand's magnum opus Atlas Shrugged - tattooed on his wrist, along with a few other tattoos of various Christian thinking, both common (Triune God) and more obscure (Christ's death redefines religious laws). And yet I've also presented at a sociological association's conference, over 20 years ago while still in college. With that noted, let's get into my thoughts on this book, shall we? :)

Coming into this review moments after reading this book, I wasn't going to rate it 5*. There is quite a bit of rampant elitism and racism here, from forgetting just how horrid public housing has proven to be to openly advocating for several explicitly racist programs such as Affirmative Action and reparations. And yet, while admittedly deep into the text... the authors own up to their racism and elitism, unlike so many other books in this space. So there went that potential star deduction. And I was thinking that the book was only about 16% documentation, and it actually ended with about 18%. While still *slightly* lower than the more normal 20-30% I'm accustomed to seeing in these types of books, even I have noted in at least one or two reviews over the last few weeks that given how many more recent books are coming in somewhere in the teens, I may need to revise my expected average downward a few points - which would put this 18% within that newly revised range, almost assuredly. Thus, there went that potential star deduction.

So what I'm left with is an idealistic book that bounces between firmly grounded in reality in showing the full breadth and scope of how so many people come to a state of homlessness and how and why so many programs built to "combat" or "end" homelessness fail and even actively harm the people they claim to he trying to help to being truly pie in the sky, never going to happen "solutions" such as Universal Basic Income. And yet, here again, some of the solutions proposed - such as tiny house villages and container box conversion homes - are ideas that I myself have even proposed.

Admittedly, I chose to read this book this week because of the ongoing struggles in Gastonia, NC, where the City Council is currently threatening to entirely shut down a local church because of its efforts to serve the local homeless population, efforts brought to media attention by the efforts of Libertarian activist (and rumored potential 2024 Presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party) Spike Cohen. Unfortunately, I've seen myself over years of even casually watching the issue that the current events in Gastonia are simply far too common - which is one of the things this text gets quite right in covering while never really going in depth with any specifics. Even down to also addressing, again at a high level, the all too common practice of hostile design.

At the end of the day, there are very clear differences in how the authors here and I approach this (and likely many) issue, and I suspect that will be true of many who read this book as well. But if you're interested in the issue of homelessness at all, if you're truly interested in trying to help end this problem, if you're searching for something you can personally do to help, if you're looking for ideas to work at any level to assist... you should read this book. It really is quite a solid primer, despite the authors' clear bents, and at minimum it will help you avoid pitfalls that are far too common even among those with quite a bit of experience working within these communities. Very much recommended.

This was an incredibly well-researched and detailed book. I really think everyone needs to take the time to read this and learn about the ways our society/culture stacks the odds against people. I appreciated that this book also offered ways to help people experiencing homelessness on the individual level, as well as what organizations, non-profits, shelters, companies, etc need to be doing too. The authors also provide readers with a vast supply of vocabulary I didn't even realize I didn't know: mixed-income housing, relational poverty, etc.

I believe this would be a great required read for college freshman, whether in an English class or political science.

A decent primer that is much needed, given how relentless our society is in its demonization of homeless people.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this.

This is about homeless in America. I live in the South East of England, in Kent, just outside Dover, we have homelessness and I cannot walk on by, I will grab some hot food and a hot drink and always chat and ask are they ok. My parents once explained to me that this can happen to anyone. Not every homeless person is an addict and we have people in the UK living in cars locally.

This book is extremely good, well written and thoroughly researched showing what can be done to help with this issue.

Highly recommended

I am guilty of just "walking by" or barely glancing at my unhoused neighbours. I wanted to read this book to find out more about homelessness overall AND to get some practical tips on how to do more. A major city near me recently removed a large encampment from downtown and the police and city workers threw all of their possessions away. What good does that do making them start all over? And where should they go? Our Province, and specifically Vancouver, have a major rental shortage happening and the available places are too expensive for most to afford.

This book definitely debunks a LOT of stereotypes about those who are unhoused. They are not all drug addicts, mentally ill or violent. Yes, those people are out there and they are the ones we notice, but there are many others who are unhoused for other reasons. I noticed someone who is living in their car in my parking lot at work - this book has motivated me to approach them to see if they need anything.

Although it is US based and mentioned their Miracle Buddy program (not in Canada as far as I know) it was an eye opener for me how social connections can go a long way towards housing security. The stats on how much cheaper it is to house people rather than deal with hospitals, prisons etc. are astounding. I am sure that applies across the border as well.

This should be mandatory reading for all levels of government!

Thank you to Net Galley & North Atlantic Books for this ARC.

Overall this is a good book about the problem of not enough housing in America.
Its a great book on what can be done to help the unhoused and those neighbors of ours who are experiencing homeless.

It breaks myths about what causes homelessness and promotes their miracle buddy program.

I wish that at the end of every chapter, instead of the key takeaways, the reader would have found out more information about what was working in different areas.

The last 2 chapters of the book were about ways to help our unhoused neighbors and organizations that are helping lead the fight to end the problem of homelessness in America.

'Everyone is someone's somebody.'

This book made me teary, angry, frustrated and hopeful. The authors gave me small ideas that I as an individual can do to try make our world just a little more just and kind. The authors do a good job of reinforcing that those who are unhoused are humans like you and me, deserving of respect and dignity, our neighbours, people to be loved and not problems to be solved.

If you are like me you feel for those you see unhoused - but walk by not knowing what to do.

'We have to shut down a piece of our own humanity to be able to walk past another human being that is in such a difficult situation.'

The book is organized into three sections looking at: Humanity, Systems, and Solutions. The authors take personal stories and a great deal of data and research to outline how dire the situation is and how the status-quo is not working. This book challenges us to work towards solutions knowing that those who are unhoused are what we can see yet there are so many more in danger of becoming unhoused. The authors outline the differences between compassion and punitive paternalism. They highlight how there is nowhere within the US that a person making minimum wage can afford a one bedroom apartment, and how the cost of providing supportive housing vs. dealing with an unhoused individual is 3x cheaper! How society in general seems homelessness and poverty as a character flaw rather than a set of circumstances outside the control of those affected. The book showcases several programs around the US that are having a great deal of success.

'While suffering in sight, and making many housed people feel uncomfortable, the vast majority of homeless people, including people with mental illness, aren't hurting anyone.'

'....anti homelessness laws criminalize individuals experiencing homelessness for trying to fulfil their basic needs for living: sleeping, eating, urinating, defecating, sitting and more. People who are forced to live on the streets violate laws simply trying to stay alive. '

We say that we care, but our actions and systems say otherwise.'

Ending homelessness can feel impossible but cannot be solved from a distance.' 'These are our neighbors.' 'Keep in mind: "They - are us.'

This book should be read by all politicians, all civic leaders, all those people who are afraid and all those who want to help.

Thank you to North Atlantic Books and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and North Atlantic Books for an e-ARC of When We Walk By. These opinions are mine alone.

This is an important and humanizing book, as it reminds each of us to think more closely on how we view people experiencing homelessness, and the possible solutions going forward. I appreciated all of the resources provided that are offering unique and person-centered ideas and programs.

At times, especially towards the end of the book, I felt that some of the information was repetitive. Perhaps this was intentional to remind the reader of specific points before finishing the book. For some reason, this often annoys me--I appreciate the statistic once, but twice or more makes me feel like the author doesn't trust me to remember on my own.

This is a very well-researched book. With a topic such as homelessness and housing insecurity, it is crucial for data findings to be extremely current in order to tell the story as it playing out in real/recent times. While there were many findings from the last 5 years, there were also a bunch that went back 15-30 years, and other than illustrating the homelessness issue in other decades, this information didn't feel as relevant to current issues in the U.S.--sure, some things are the same, but our country is also in a much different place in 2023 than in 2013 or 2006.

I especially enjoyed reading the personal yet varied stories of actual people who have dealt with homelessness. I am probably guilty of having some biases in my head of what homelessness looks like. I hadn't really considered the many different ways it can present itself. I also hadn't really thought about all of the possible solutions (tiny homes, non-hostile urban architecture, etc.).

The authors' non-profit Miracle Money (Miracle Messages) is extremely impressive, both in intention and outcomes. I applaud the authors for writing this book and opening up more dialogue about improving the lives of people experiencing homelessness. Lots to think about!

3.75 stars
I will share my review on Goodreads closer to publication date.

This is a non fiction book about the homeless crisis in America. It doesn't hold back from the realities of how close people are to experiencing homelessness and it tries to remove the stigma of homelessness. It uses a lot of statistics but also blends them with first hand accounts making it relatable and accessible. It's an important read but can be a bit slow to get into.

Summary:

When We Walk By takes an urgent look at homelessness in America, showing us what we lose—in ourselves and as a society—when we choose to walk past and ignore our neighbors in shelters, insecure housing, or on the streets. And it brilliantly shows what we stand to gain when we embrace our humanity and move toward evidence-based people-first, community-driven solutions, offering social analysis, economic and political histories, and the real stories of unhoused people.

Review:

4⭐️

This book was brilliant. It really brought to life the people and individuals behind the statistics and stereotypes.

It challenges the perception society has and made me think about my own biases towards people experiencing homelessness.

The authors unflinchingly highlight how the narrative of homelessness being an individual issue is both fundamentally wrong but also serves to prevent us holding those systems responsible to account.

A spotlight is shone on the true impact of homelessness - how multifaceted it can be: affecting mental and physical health, family relationships, the criminal justice system and discrimination.

Highlights issue of racism and discrimination and just how endemic it is in modern society.

Brings into the light the significant problem of youth homelessness that most of us are blind to. Showcases the particular struggles of children who grow up in care and the need for longer term support post 18.

Although based in the US so much of this book is relevant to the UK too.

A really powerful and thought provoking book.

'When We Walk By' by Kevin F. Adler and Donald W. Burnes is a thought-provoking and timely book that sheds light on the social, economic, and political factors that contribute to homelessness in America. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the issue of homelessness and find solutions to end it.

The authors start by asking readers to reflect on their own interactions with unhoused individuals, and then delve into the systemic issues that perpetuate homelessness in America. They explore the ways in which our brains have been conditioned to overlook homeless individuals, and how this conditioning contributes to the dehumanization of unhoused people. The authors provide a deep analysis of the social, economic, and political forces that shape myths like “all homeless people are addicts” and “they’d have a house if they got a job.” The authors argue that conservative economics gets housing insecurity wrong, and that the problem of homelessness is not the result of individual failings, but rather systemic failures.

The authors also discuss relational poverty and how it contributes to the “us versus them” mentality that often divides communities. The book is full of real stories of unhoused people that help to humanize the issue of homelessness and provide readers with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by those experiencing housing insecurity.

One of the book’s strengths is its emphasis on community-driven solutions. The authors argue that effective solutions to homelessness require people-first, evidence-based approaches that prioritize the needs and voices of unhoused individuals. They provide examples of successful programs and policies that have been implemented in various cities across the country, and offer practical advice on how individuals can get involved in efforts to end homelessness in their communities.

Overall, 'When We Walk By' is a deeply humanizing and engaging book that challenges readers to think critically about homelessness in America. The authors offer a nuanced analysis of the issue that goes beyond the usual stereotypes and assumptions, and provide readers with practical solutions that they can implement in their own communities. This book is a must-read for anyone who cares about homelessness, housing solutions, and their own humanity.