Henry G. Cisneros

A large proportion of the homeless population suffers from a debilitating mental illness, maintains Henry G. Cisneros in the viewpoint that follows. Because the severely mentally ill cannot sustain a stable lifestyle without consistent treatment, he contends, many become homeless. The problem of the homeless mentally ill has worsened since the 1960s, when vast numbers of patients were released from mental hospitals without a safety net of treatment, community services, or housing. Cisneros is the former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What is the greatest threat posed by mentally ill homeless people, in Cisneros’s view?
2. What factors make individuals with serious mental illnesses vulnerable to homelessness, as stated by the author?
3. According to the author, what “worst possible combination...