It's a bitterly cold night with a clear sky and stars twinkling as far as the eye can see. A biting wind blows through the streets of a dark, damp downtown street lined with the day's newspapers tossed carelessly aside. The dry leaves blow through the gutter producing a rustling sound that merges with the running of mice plundering the food. On the doorstep of the local pharmacist he grabs every newspaper page that passes by to pull on his shirt, trousers and socks in a feeble attempt to keep the wind and cold at bay. He sits on his backpack that holds every precious possession he owns like a cushion from the cold, hard concrete. A bottle. That's all he needs to warm up and settle in for the night. A malnourished old man, with tattered clothes, a backpack and a bottle of cheap alcohol wrapped in a brown paper bag, is what most people imagine when they hear the word homeless. Most people don't know that categories of homelessness actually exist; there are sheltered homeless, unsheltered homeless, chronic homeless, and doubled is a term excluded from the definition of homeless, but could certainly be considered a category of homeless. There are thousands of shelters across the country, and they all share a common goal: sheltering the homeless. Sheltered homelessness refers to the category of homeless people using emergency or transitional accommodation. “Transitional housing programs provide temporary residence – up to 24 months – for homeless people. Housing is combined with comprehensive services to help the individual develop stability in his or her life” (Topics). Temporary housing is generally used by abused families and women with children. In these facilities the homeless have access to......middle of paper......vior. All but one of the definitions of these categories include some sort of habitable shelter, as such the label "homeless" is not necessary. The face of homelessness is changing, it is no longer the dirty man in the slums, but has expanded to include parents with children in tow. Works Cited “The History of the Homeless in America from 1640 to the Present.” Downtown congregations to end homelessness. Np, nd Web. 09 December 2013. People experiencing chronic homelessness. Np, nd Web. December 10, 2013. “Transitional Housing.” Homeless Resource Center. Np, nd Web. December 10, 2013. .What is homelessness? Np, nd Web. 11 December. 2013. .