Homelessness is a Housing Problem: Book Talk & Panel

Join the BU Initiative on Cities and the School of Social Work for a discussion on homelessness in America. Why do some cities have higher rates of homelessness than others? What explains that regional variation, and what can local leaders do to reduce and prevent homelessness? The event will feature author Gregg Colburn (University of Washington), who will share insights from his recent book, Homelessness is a Housing Problem. Written in accessible style, Colburn and his co-author use hard data to test a range of conventional beliefs about what drives the prevalence of homelessness in a given city—including mental illness, drug use, poverty, weather, generosity of public assistance, and low-income mobility—and find that none explain why rates are so much higher in certain cities than others. Instead, housing market conditions, such as the cost and availability of rental housing, offer a more convincing explanation. Following the book talk, a panel of experts – including Lyndia Downie (President, Pine Street Inn), Nikki Barfield (Deputy Director of Supportive Services for Veteran Families, VA), and a lived experience expert – will join the author for a discussion on housing policy solutions. BU Associate Professor of Social Work, Thomas Byrne, will moderate the discussion.