When the Wilder Foundation set out on a cool night in October of 2023 to count how many people in Minnesota were without shelter, the number came in at more than 10,000. Even more sobering, if national statistics apply: Many of those unhoused people have jobs. Some even work 40 or more hours a week. But they still can’t afford to rent an apartment, buy a house or even pay the fees for a long-term motel room. In his new book, journalist Brian Goldstone writes that there is “something scandalous” about the very concept of the working homeless in a country where hard work and determination are supposed to lead to success. He joins Kerri Miller on Big Books and Bold Ideas this week to talk about what he learned as he followed five working homeless families in Georgia over many years. His book, “There is No Place for Us” is a sobering, heart-breaking and urgent call for action to solve this national crisis. Guest: Brian Goldstone has written for a number of national publications, including The New York Times, Harper’s and The New Republic. His new book is “There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America.” Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations.Subscribe to Big Books and Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related