Poorhouse

A poorhouse, alms house or poor farm was a facility that offered meals and living accommodation for people too poor to live on their own. Residents were often required to do manual labor to earn their keep and generally had few rights at all. These facilities were in existence and operation primarily from the medieval period to the early 20th century, after which point societal welfare programs and homeless shelters largely replaced them.

See also Workhouse
Category:Housing