The most severe form of poverty is homelessness, living without permanent residence. “Homeless” refers to people using emergency/transient housing and people living in unsheltered homes, living on the streets or in parks, abandoned buildings, cars, subway tunnels, or other places not intended for human habitation. The homeless population has always been present in the United States. It is a social phenomenon that can be traced back from the colonial era to the present day. In the 1800s, homeless people went to workhouses or “alms,” meaning charity given to the poor. The only help for the poor then came from concerned individuals, churches, private organizations, charities or local communities. In the mid-1800s, social reformer Jane Addams co-founded the Hull House in Chicago with Ellen Gates Starr. It was the first settlement house where the poor could receive food, medical care and a place to stay. After Hull House, many other settlement houses were opened in many cities. In the 1930s, the United States faced the Great Depression and many lost their jobs, life savings, and homes. During those difficult times, state and federal governments established social service programs to help the poor. To date, the government is primarily responsible for caring for the poor and homeless (Ayer, Eleanor H., 1997). Definition of HomelessnessAccording to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a "homeless" person is described as:• Someone who lacks permanent, regular, and adequate nighttime housing;• An individual or family with a primary overnight residence which is a public or private place not designed for regular sleeping accommodation for hum...... middle of paper ......2011) Current statistics on the prevalence and characteristics of homeless people in the United States United. SAMHSA. Retrieved April 2, 2012, from http://homeless.samhsa.gov/ResourceFiles/hrc_factsheet.pdfNew York City Mayor's Office, April 2014. "The CEO Poverty Measure, 2005 - 2012: An Annual Report from the Mayor's Office ." New York Mayor's Office. Network. 20 June 2014. The Human Rights Project. (2007). Racial realities in New York City. Urban Justice Center. Retrieved May 20, 2012, from www.urbanjustice.org/pdf/US Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2010). 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress (6th Report). Retrieved from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development website: https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/2010homelessassessmentreport.pdf