Neighbors with No Doors: The Truth about Homelessness, and How You Can Make a Difference

The next time someone asks you for money on the street, Josiah Haken wants you to know what you’re doing. He wants you to break through the stereotypes and excuses — the politics and propaganda — the anxiety and questions. He wants you to engage the human being in front of you with confidence, compassion, and a plan.Neighbors with No Doorsis your guide to getting there. With over a decade of experience in homeless outreach, Haken contradicts popular falsehoods about the unhoused community and offers helpful, pragmatic steps to becoming a friend and an advocate. Along the way, he tells disarming and profound stories from his time working on the street. At one point, his friend’s young daughter learns for the first time that many folks refuse to speak with unhoused people. She asks a challenging question: “Don’t people know they’re people too?” This book is grounded in that simple, straight-forward sense of humanity, and it illuminates a clear path for all of us to become better neighbors.“Neighbors with No Doorsis a must read for anyone who wants to better understand the complexities of homelessness, and learn how each of us can positively impact the lives of those all around us who are often forgotten or ignored. Josiah Haken has helped so many people at Bombas thoughtfully engage with the unhoused community in New York City, and I am thrilled that everyone can now receive the benefit of his expertise, his many stories, and his wisdom.”— Dave Heath, Founder and CEO of Bombas“If you, like me, have ever walked by a homeless guy on the street and felt despair at how you could help, this book is for you. Josiah Haken has 10 years of hands-on, close-up experience on dealing with our neighbors without doors, and he busts stereotypes and offers real tools for individual action. Spoiler alert: there is something you can do. Every book claims to be practical and wise, but this one delivers.”— Belinda Luscombe, author and Editor at Large for TIME“Josiah Haken is a gifted storyteller and passionate advocate for our unhoused