The Impact of the Deinstitutionalization Policies on Homelessness

Homelessness is a growing issue in America. In 2019 there were 567,715 homeless individuals in the United States, distributed in emergency shelters (63%) or residing unsheltered on streets (27%). In 2021, even though specialists argue that the Covid-19 restrictions greatly harmed an accurate counting, the total number of unsheltered homeless in America increased in 20%. Such increase became a central discussion not only to regular citizens and neighborhood associations, but it also became a great concern within the federal government which has been appropriating billions of dollars each year to “end homeless”. Specialists point out that the growth of the homeless population in America is a direct result of the deinstitutionalization movement, initiated in the late 1960s and concluded in the late 1980s under President Ronald Reagan. This present paper is dedicated to presenting an in-depth understanding of the origins, reasons, and phases of the deinstitutionalization movement in America and its legacy on the current challenge of homelessness in America