There Is No Place for Us

“Goldstone stitches together a textured and extraordinarily detailed narrative of [five families’] multiyear struggle to keep a roof over their heads. The effect is reminiscent of Random Family… . By compassionately telling these families’ stories and excavating the systemic forces behind their housing insecurity, There Is No Place for Us shifts the paradigm on homelessness.”—The Washington Post“Poignant … Through in-depth and often heart-rending accounts, Mr. Goldstone shows why [families] lack stable housing and face difficulties in acquiring it.”—The Wall Street Journal“[An] extraordinary work of journalism … There Is No Place for Us tells the stories of [five] families with precision and depth, making clear that housing is an essential public good.”— Jezebel“Devastating … [Goldstone] writes with unusual depth and humanity about people whose stories political and media elites largely prefer to ignore.”—Baffler“Read this extraordinary book. If you’re lucky, you’ll be changed.”—Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, author of Random Family“In this brilliant book, Brian Goldstone lays bare the hidden disaster of housing precarity among America’s low-wage workers… . May it move you to act so that we, as a society, might finally shelter all who need it.”—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author of Race for Profit“If you read one book this year—or this decade—it should be There Is No Place for Us.”—Adelle Waldman, author of Help Wanted“A spellbinding and unflinching portrait of five American families working full-time yet still unable to secure stable housing. The writing is as immersive as documentary. And be warned: this book will devastate you and then set your spirit ablaze.”—Antonia Hylton, author of Madness“Deeply reported and written with an empathy that brims from every page … [Goldstone] has pulled off a rare and stunning narrative feat.”—Jonathan Blitzer, author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here“A crucial, masterful book that will change the national conversation about homelessness.”—Rachel Aviv, author of Strangers to Ourselves“A blistering investigation into the true scope of America’s ballooning homelessness crisis.”—Roxanna Asgarian, author of We Were Once a Family“A tremendous achievement in reporting, in narration, in emotional and intellectual understanding.”—James Fallows, author of Our Towns“A model of ethical journalism … Make a place for this book alongside Jane Jacobs’ classic Death and Life of Great American Cities.”—Kirkus Reviews“A gripping, high-stakes account of America’s housing emergency.”—Publishers Weekly“There Is No Place for Us belongs on the shelf next to Matthew Desmond’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Evicted… . A must-read for anyone with interest in social sciences, equity, and one of the defining American crises of our time.”—BookPage, starred review“A revelatory and gut-wrenching exploration of an often-ignored homeless population that is key to understanding poverty in America.”—Associated Press

Brian Goldstone is a journalist whose longform reporting and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, The New Republic, The California Sunday Magazine, and Jacobin, among other publications. He has a PhD in anthropology from Duke University and was a Mellon Research Fellow at Columbia University. In 2021, he was a National Fellow at New America. He lives in Atlanta with his family.