This analysis aims to examine homelessness in the mainstream media era by era from the Great Depression to the present day. The research and analysis compiled will take a look into the representation of the homeless in each era, and the impact of that depiction in common public opinion as shown by one of the greatest indicators of public attitude: mainstream visual media. For the purposes of this research, mainstream visual media will encompass mainly television/movies, and a select number published articles with pictures or photo-essays. This study will attempt to understand in depth the extent of how homelessness was portrayed in each decade through media, in hopes to better understand the vast societal problem that seems to haunt major cities in the United States currently. The work will be divided into chapters for each era, five research-based, with an introduction and conclusion, making seven chapters (sections) total.