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 Doors is 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 Doors is 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 neighbors. In his book, Neighbors with No Doors, he shares very personal narratives from his 12 years serving at City Relief — from his early days as a volunteer to his newly appointed position as CEO. He provides the reader an intimate look at our most vulnerable population, and in doing so dispels some of the biggest myths surrounding homelessness. At the very core of his book, he reminds us that our neighbors are human, just like us and we have a moral and civil responsibility to ensure basic human rights for all. My hope is that this book is the spark that ignites the fire for those who want to take action to help solve the homelessness crisis and are just not sure where to begin.”
— Laura Ravo, Chief Operating Officer of Strand Books

“Drawing on his years of experience, Josiah Haken shares one engaging story after another illustrating how thoroughly misguided many of our stereotypes about unhoused people are. In the process, he offers wise and practical advice on how each and every one of us can make a difference in the lives of homeless people. Everyone who cares about the plight of folks living on the street needs to read this book!”
— Greg Boyd, author, theologian, and Pastor of Woodland Hills Church

“Josiah Haken knows whereof he speaks. His passion and dedication to helping persons experiencing homelessness is evident in this book as he debunks the destructive myths we use to explain people who have lost it all (why else would one sleep on a sliver of cardboard in a snowstorm?). The leader of a fleet of mobile soup kitchens/help centers that stop around New York City and New Jersey, Haken educates the reader while telling fascinating stories of individuals whose humanity shines through the awful, gritty reality they endure.”
— Dr. Deborah Padgett, Professor at the New York University Silver School of Social Work

Josiah Haken is the Chief Executive Officer of City Relief, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting the unhoused community in New York City and New Jersey to resources that can change their lives. He manages countless outreach efforts, volunteers, and follow-up care efforts. Josiah Grew up as the son of missionaries in Yaoundé, Cameroon and has worked in the streets of New York City since 2010. These experiences give Josiah a unique perspective on the complexities of urban poverty, and he believes that our homeless neighbors deserve our best, not just our leftovers.Josiah is widely recognized as a "go-to person" in New York City when it comes to teaching others how to engage with the homeless. He leads workshops for many major New York City non-profit organizations, and for faith communities across the US. He is also one of the leading strategists for Don't Walk By, a series of homeless outreach events that mobilize thousands of volunteers and dozens of organizations throughout the month of February every year.Josiah graduated from Fresno Pacific University with his M.A. in Ministry, Leadership, and Culture. His proudest accomplishments are deepening City Relief's ability to connect the people served with the resources needed to give them a fresh start, as well as consistently maintaining a perfect foam-to-milk ratio on an extra dry cappuccino. Find him on Twitter at @josiahhaken and on Instagram at @josiah_haken.