Volunteers, Charity, Race, Class, and Homelessness in St. Louis:

Volunteers, Charity, Race, Class, and Homelessness in St. Louis:

How is it that despite years of well-meaning and thoughtful efforts by volunteers working on homelessness, housing insecurity and homelessness seems to not be improving much in many communities. Matthew Schneider joins the podcast to discuss this and much more in a conversation centered around his 2026 book "Serving the Street: Volunteering as Charity, Racial Justice, and Poverty Tourism". Set in St. Louis, Missouri and based upon ethnographic research with teams of volunteers, the book helps us to both appreciate and critically appraise these efforts. The point is made in the discussion that to understand social conditions such as housing insecurity, poverty, and homelessness in St. Louis (as with many other communities) it is essential to consider the impacts of race and racism as well as the impacts of decades of neoliberal restructurings and the loss of economically stable employment in the metro region.

Pets, Housing, and Homelessness

The conversation explores the vital role of pets for unhoused individuals and the challenges they face in accessing shelter due to pet ownership. Nicholas Weinmeisterter from the University of Southern California Homelessness Policy Research Institute and Christine Kim from the My Dog is My Home federal nonprofit join the podast for a discussion on the impact of pets on the lives of homeless individuals and the barriers they encounter when seeking shelter with their pets. The conversation explores the vital role of the human-animal bond and the importance of pet-inclusive services and housing options for people who are housing insecure. We should not have to choose between our family members and having safety and security and housing. The conversation discusses the successes of the California Pet Assistance and Support Program as well as challenges and solutions for pet-inclusive shelters, the support and resources available for pet owners, and the efforts to expand pet assistance programs to other communities.

Right to Shelter or Right to Housing: Discussion with Rob Robinson

Our discussion analyzes New York City's "right to shelter" and argues for a need to move to a "right to housing" instead. Impacts from the right to shelter such as a massive sheltering industry with large numbers of people living in shelters and doubled up in the city with years long waits to move into housing are explored. Housing vouchers, affordability crises, the impact of wages and housing costs, the history of public housing, and more are explored. Thinking and acting creatively with wages, incomes, and crafting affordable housing is emphasized along with the understand that private industry is not going to solve the affordability concerns or the inability of incomes to keep up with cost of housing in New York City and throughout the United States. We need to think and act differently and consider our relationship with land and private property (a topic discussed in a previous episode of the podcast with Stephen Przbylinksi from Michigan State University and a topic that Rob and Vin will be discussing in more depth in an upcoming discussion).

Racism, Class Inequities, and Housing Insecurities: Discussion with David Peery

The conversation with David Peery from the Florida Coalition to Advance Racial Equity explores systemic inequities and homelessness. The fight for racial equality, the impact of the Pottinger v. City of Miami case, the intersection of racism, poverty, and homelessness, historical context of racial inequities, the impact of structural racism on homelessness, the role of racism in driving homelessness, and intentional policy choices as well as the connections between housing insecurities and neoliberal capitalism are covered. The conversation further explores the systemic issues of public housing, trauma, economic inequality, low wages, empathy for homeless children, the rise in homelessness among older adults, the housing affordability crisis, challenges in accessing social security benefits, the criminalization of homelessness, political targeting, rehumanizing the poor, and the distinction between shelter and housing. Takeaways * Racism is a major driver of homelessness and systemic inequities. * Intentional policy choices and capitalism contribute to the perpetuation of homelessness and housing insecurities

Collaboration and the Possibilities for Engaging Precarity: Discussion with Nicholas Pleace

Nicholas Pleace from York University in the UK, the European Observatory on Homelessness and the European Federation of National Organizations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) joints the podcast. The challenges, possibilities, and complexities of addressing homelessness, exploring the impact of political will, capitalism, and social housing and the importance of international collaborations and reimagining housing solutions to create social conditions for thriving and community connection are explored. The conversation explores the nature of homelessness, the challenges in addressing it, and the specific issue of immigrant homelessness in the EU. It also explores the impact of housing and class inequality and the need for change in societal attitudes and policies. The impact of political will and policy on homelessness is significant to consider as are common sense understandings. The shortcomings of simply hoping that more evidence from research will overcome common sense is explored. And the discussion considers the need to better negotiate the role of capitalism and neoliberalism in housing insecurity and homelessness towards producing more equality, less precarity, and more housing stability.