Down and out in Los Angeles and Berlin
Subtitle: the sociospatial exclusion of homeless people
By: Jürgen von Mahs
Publisher: Temple University Press
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Philadelphia
Language: eng
Number of pages: 191
ISBN-13: 9781439908266; 9781439908280
Subjects: Homeless persons; Government policy; Homelessness
Description: "Los Angeles, California, and Berlin, Germany, have been dubbed "homeless capitals" for having the largest homeless populations of their respective countries. In Down and Out in Los Angeles and Berlin, Jürgen von Mahs provides an illuminating comparative analysis of the impact of social welfare policy on homelessness in these cities. He addresses the opportunity of people to overcome--or "exit"--homelessness and shows how Berlin, with its considerable social and economic investment for assisting its homeless has been as unsuccessful as Los Angeles. Drawing on fascinating ethnographic insights, von Mahs shows how homeless people in both cities face sociospatial exclusion-legal displacement for criminal activities, poor shelters in impoverished neighborhoods, as well as market barriers that restrict reintegration. Providing a necessary wake-up call, Down and Out in Los Angeles and Berlin addresses the critical public policy issues that can produce effective services to improve homeless people's chances for a lasting exit." -- Publisher's website.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.