When We Walk By is a powerful and deeply moving exploration of homelessness and the human connection that often goes unnoticed in our everyday lives. Authors Kevin F. Adler and Donald W. Burnes bring their unique perspectives and compassionate storytelling to illuminate the complexities of the homeless experience, challenging readers to confront their assumptions and biases.

The narrative is both poignant and eye-opening, combining personal stories with research to paint a vivid picture of the struggles faced by individuals living on the streets. The authors emphasize the importance of empathy, urging readers to recognize the humanity behind the statistics. Their insightful analysis and heartfelt anecdotes encourage a deeper understanding of the systemic issues contributing to homelessness, making it clear that meaningful change begins with compassion.

The book’s engaging writing style keeps the reader captivated from start to finish, blending emotional depth with practical insights. When We Walk By not only educates but also inspires action, reminding us that every small act of kindness can make a significant difference. This is a must-read for anyone looking to gain a greater understanding of homelessness and the urgent need for empathy and advocacy in our communities.

I loved the ideas and the tools presented in this book, I just felt it was a bit insulting to the reader. Nonfiction for the general reader does not need a section summing up everything you wrote in the previous section, we get it, we read it once. I was discouraged when at the end there were huge sections of summary. Also, there seemed to be a narrator change midway, maybe that was because it was a group project but suddenly the author Kevin Adler was being referred to in the third person. I am not sure the target audience for this book, if it was the general reader then it missed the mark. If it was for undergraduates or a distracted adult in a workshop, then perhaps all of the repetition is needed? Another feature that did not appear in the edition I read was linkable source notes. There were works cited, but they appeared at the end of the book and I prefer the newer Kindle style of having a numbered link in the text that you can click on while you are reading for the full citation of the source. With the version I read, the reader would have to scroll all the way to the end, find the citation and then find their way back to where they were reading and so it did not seem worth it most of the time.

“I never realised I was homeless when I lost my housing, only when I lost my family and friends”.

When We Walk By is a fascinating thesis into the challenges people tackling housing insecurity face, ultimately proposing an unofficial manifesto of solutions to ease, if not ultimately erase, homelessness from the American vocabulary.

I love the premise and passion evident throughout the book. The research is evident and I have a strong appreciation for the real world positive impact the authors efforts have had. From a ‘universal minimum wage’ trial successfully providing a safety net for homeless people to independently climb out of their circumstance, to connecting unhoused people with family and friends they were long disconnected from, often reversing their futures.

“They choose to stay disconnected not in spite of their love for their families and friends, but because of it. For them, as heartbreaking as it is, distance is an act of love.”

Further, the author really drives home just how easily one could fall into the unthinkable - “one illness, one hospital stay, depending on the severity, duration, and path of treatment, could make the average American family without insurance and living well below the federal poverty line an entire lifetime to pay off”, with “the 437,596 GoFundMe campaigns to pay for medical costs between 2016 and 2020, less than 12% were successful”.

That said, I have gripes. The incessant focus on the importance of phrasing, switching homeless person to unhoused neighbours, was patronising at best. With relatable case studies to pull in the reader, the manner in which the author repeatedly chastises the reader for arbitrary learned actions - for example keeping distance from an unhoused person in the street at night - derails the cause. As someone who has campaigned for this cause and fundraised significant amounts for housing charities, I’ve never experienced such frustrations over the shift in focus from legitimate challenges - literally anyone is one misfortune from homelessness, regardless of perceived savings and community around you - to performative acts, such as becoming a YIMBY for the sake of appearing to support social change locally, with no real effort to impact the structural challenges that will remain nationally.

“I have housing available to me if I wanted it… [but] it’s in a building and area where drugs are present 24/7. If I go to that housing, I’ll slip back. I need to be mindful of who I am. I have to be careful. I have addiction issues, and I can’t deal with bad areas. I’ll be better off if I live under a bridge than going back to my old neighbourhood. I have too many good things going for me right now”.

I really enjoyed the education from the book - they provided well reasoned arguments that justified why it is in the governments financial interest to provide housing to those unable to support themselves, and further humanised a subject that to many has become taboo. Whilst I don’t fully agree with all of the positioning and focus of all the arguments, a good book is a good book nonetheless.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc.

A fantastic, poignant look at homelessness. Especially in light of the recent Supreme Court rulings around homelessness and the crackdown in California on homeless camps and belongings, this book is essential for folks to understand and learn more about the people we often walk by without seeing first. I really liked how this book was organized, and I am looking forward to providing this book as a gift when it is published.

"When We Walk By" is a compassionate deep dive into the homelessness crisis in America and shines the light on the system that fuels it. I found this book informative and thought it treated the marginalized communities it covers respectfully.

"𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 — 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴."

This book. My gosh. I read it in January, at the beginning of 2024, but I can see it being my favourite of the year (yes, it's THAT good)! Read it — it should be mandatory reading, honestly. Adler and Burnes (et al.) explore and explain homelessness and destigmatize how people become homeless and stay homeless. They explore the social isolation that comes with it, the dehumanization of using "homeless" as an adjective to describe a person rather than keeping the person at the forefront, and they discuss the systems in place that pre-dispose populations to homelessness. The book disbands a lot of preconceived notions, and then also offers how we can help — or even better, what we can learn from our neighbours experiencing homelessness. It is data-based BUT it's also experience-focused, which I loved. I loved reading people's own experiences, I loved that they interviewed real people — I feel like that's what made it really hit home. In case that doesn't convince you to read it, it also mentions other great books including Just Mercy, The Tyranny of Merit (TBR) and Evicted (TBR). When We Walk By is just such an amazing book! So well done, and clearly, I'd highly highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley for putting it on my radar (although I didn't read and review it in time, and ended up listening to it on Audible).

There are so many quotes I could share but let me end with this one:

"𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘮𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 — 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳."

The topic of homelessness in America, especially on the west coast where I live, is frequently talked about and debated. Everyone can agree that it is a concern, but that is about all that can be agreed on. In conversations I have been a part of and witnessed, there comes a point where at least one person shrugs their shoulders and just says defeatedly that they don't have the solution but someone needs to have a solution.
In contrast, this book provides facts, as well as actionable steps to change the current issues around homelessness. I think it is one that should be read and discussed in groups to help keep people accountable with taking action instead of merely talking about it.

This is sad and depressing but a must read. I'm not in America so I'm a bit unfamiliar with a lot of it to be honest. I'd love to see something similiar written about Ireland, its easier to connect when its more familiar. That said homelessness is so sad, chronic homelessness is depressing. You can't help but feel sad for those who just don't experience the small pleasures in life that they should do.

An excellent book on the continuing issue of homelessness. The book delves into many of the causes of homelessness and the underlying issues.. Many ideas and possible solutions are also presented all while stressing the humanity of the unhoused themselves. This book should be read by all

I read a lot of books on social policy and poverty, but this one was very focused on the unhoused and what the real housing crisis looks like. I live in a city where there are large encampments regularly being destroyed or evicted and nowhere for those people to go but to build another one and risk losing everything they own all over again. So while there wasn't a lot of very new information for me in this book, I appreciated how it was organized and packaged. I will for sure use it as a book to tell people ot read or to quote when talking about housing, and I think it does a good job humanizing who we are talking about while also naming the societal issues that are causing their very real suffering.

this book should be required reading for most people in America. It dispels so many common thoughts about the unhoused population and provides actions for housed population that could help make us a better society.

The author uses examples from some unhoused neighbors to show just how easy it can be to fall on hard times in this country and how we should all be more empathetic. I enjoyed this books approach on using statistics and stories in an approachable way for anyone coming with an open heart to learn.

When we Walk By is a critically important read for all of us. This book is compassionately written by the authors and puts a face and a name on many of the unhoused people in our communities. Most importantly, they give them back their humanity. Through personal stories as well as through facts and data, they paint a compelling picture of the systemic issues that create the homelessness crisis. The authors effectively dismantle the myths one-by-one and end each chapter with key-takeaways that I felt were great summaries of all the facts. They also identify personal actions we can take. This book has changed me and how I look at unhoused people and as I said - this is a critically important read for all of us.

Thank you to Netgalley and North Atlantic Books for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

📝 - When We Walk By gives a detailed look into the problem of homelessness in America, discussing what needs to be done on a national level, and what individuals can do, to bring about lasting change. The book touches on key topics such as racism, trauma, healthcare, education, and law enforcement, discussing how quick a person can transition from stable housing to being unhoused. Alongside detailed statistics and research, we are also introduced to a number of people who have experienced homelessness for a wide range of reasons, giving examples beyond the data of how easy it can be to lose housing, but how difficult it can be to get back.

💭 - This is an undoubtedly well-researched, with intricate details of all the systems in America that may lead to people experiencing homelessness, and moving stories from those who have been in such situations. It certainly left me with a lot to think about, especially concerning how ‘relational poverty’ (the lack of social support networks) is something anyone can try to help tackle.
However, while the book was informative, the issues for me were in its structure, which I felt caused it to become very repetitive throughout, which caused me to lose enthusiasm towards the end.
Still one I would recommend, perhaps as an audiobook of you struggle to get through non fiction. Also a perfect title to add to your non-fiction November TBR!

This is a book that I think everyone in America should read. Many of the statistics about our unhoused neighbors are contrary to popular belief. Many of these people do work, but don't make enough to pay for stable housing. Many lose their homes following a medical diagnosis (cancer, or another severe illness) that leaves them unable to work. And a huge percentage of our foster children age out of the system and become unhoused.
One of the strongest points of Adler and Burnes's book is that it offers concrete suggestions for all of us. Have a conversation with a person experiencing homelessness, so that they feel seen. Volunteer with Miracle Messages, an organization that offers to send messages to help unhoused people connect with family members with whom they’ve lost touch. Avoid a paternalistic attitude: people without housing know what they need better than you do. And advocate for them. Protest policies that prohibit people from sleeping in their cars or otherwise criminalize homelessness.
Good advice for us all.

People need to be seen. There was not much new for me to learn factually in Adler’s well written book on those experiencing homelessness. But, wow, what I learned about myself not “seeing” was a lot. Overwhelmingly a lot. From the start Adler does not refer to those folks as “the homeless” but rather as “our unhoused neighbors.” They are seen. I was particularly moved by the realization that the unhoused almost always experience “relational poverty,” meaning their loved ones are distant, separated, or deceased. Well written, well researched.

It’s hard to say you enjoyed a book when it’s as gut wrenching as this one. A book about the problem of unhoused people shouldn’t be enjoyed, but my goddess this hits hard and you stay hit. Facts and figures for sure, but also real stories about real people and the very simple ways it’s easy to slip into this situation. Especially in the US with the medical costs. But there are as many different reasons as there are people because as the authors, and storytellers, make perfectly clear - each of these personal tales involves an individual, a real person, just trying to live a life.

Some of the statistics are genuinely shocking and I had to put the book down and just think about what they meant. 48 out of 50 US states have laws that criminalise behaviours associated with homelessness. Many states ban living in vehicles which is at least an option if you have a car and no home. Somewhere potentially dry and safe… but becoming more illegal.

A 2020 study in Canada found that on average it costs $87,000 per year to support a person without a home (hospitals, courts, emergency services etc) but $30,500 if they are housed.

Half the people in the US experiencing homelessness have jobs. This shows how wrong we are to think they are ‘lazy’ or ‘not trying’. Individuals with a serious mental health issue are 10 times more likely to be in jail than in a hospital bed. LGBTQ+ youth make up an estimated 9.6% of the nationwide population but they make up 40% of the homeless youth population.

But this book isn’t depressing or just a litany of facts. It’s full of hope and help and ideas. The charity set up by the authors puts homeless people back in touch with family. They give a $500 dollar monthly stipend for a limited time to break the cycle. They gave lump sums and monitored how they were spent. And guess what, the homeless people spent the money like you and I would… 52% spent it on food and rent, 15% on medications and bills, 16% on clothing and transportation. Spending on alcohol and drugs went DOWN by 39%.

The ways to help are clearly stated but the main thing we can all do, is just to notice people. We all just want to be ‘seen’. The authors dressed people as stereotypical ‘homeless’ and had their relatives walk by them ~ and they all walked by. Not one realised it was their mother or brother in the dirty clothes sitting on the pavement. The biggest lesson is that ‘these people’ are actually just you and me.

I was given this book by NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
It was hard for me to read this book at this exact point. Not because the book isn't good--it is, it is very good.
But it came in the middle of a lot going on with unhoused persons in my own town. I work at a library, and we want to help our unhoused citizens, but the externalities that come with it are very hard for a small library to deal with. We WANT to be compassionate and supportive, but it seems sometimes we spend all our time picking up garbage and cleaning bathrooms. The reminders in this book are so critically important for me as I try to do better. What a good reminder this book is, that our unhoused people are in fact PEOPLE, that they have people who care about them, somewhere, that they are just caught up in a terrible time in our country where so many things seem to conspire to keep people down. I need this reminder, and will continue to need it as we go on. But also we need to advocate for better resources and better policies. It is unacceptable that we have decided that some people just need/want to live this way. This book points out that this is a complex issue and there are no magic fixes, but there are things we can do. Excellent book.

Books like this are CRUCIAL to our society, crucial to humanity and so so powerful to read. Adler and Burnes were able to take a very BIG and ABSTRACT “thing” and make it very clear and concise and human.

Over the years I’ve read a lot on homelessness and this is the most human piece I’ve read yet. This one…it’s so easy to read and feel for people in our community and come out the other end thinking “how can I help?”

Nice work.

As someone who lives in a city that struggles with its houseless population I loved this book. It had specific action items for people and governments to follow which I found helpful. What a great way to think about this topic!

Five stars from me is a rarity so it tells you something!
The most comprehensive book on the topic I ever read! Well researched! Well written! It´s almost perfect because nothing is perfect :)

This book should be given to every policy maker, politician, NGOs, and library everywhere, not only in US! Should be discussed in schools and universities!

I wanted to throw in here some quotes and data, but then I realized that if I start I will keep typing for the next hour at least, so let me just say, that the data that we have here is beyond shocking.

MANDATORY!!!!