Caring for the Urban Poor (2)

One of the earliest organizations to seek a formal solution to the problems of poverty was the New York Society for the Prevention of Pauperism, established in 1817. Following the precedent established by Thomas Chalmers in England, the society divided the city into districts and assigned “friendly visitors” to work in each district to assess and respond to the needs of the poor (Axinn & Stern, 2004). In 1843, the Association for Improving the Conditions of the Poor was established in New York City to coordinate relief efforts for the unemployed. One significant technique the association introduced—and which the social work profession widely practices today—was the requirement that relief could not be dispensed until the individual’s needs were assessed so agencies providing relief could do so more effectively.