As the economy worsened, more people were forced into the poorhouse.

poorhouse 是由 poor（贫穷的）和 house（房屋）组成的复合词，字面意思是"贫穷者的房屋"，指历史上为贫困人群提供住所和基本生活保障的机构，即"济贫院"。这种机构在19世纪至20世纪初较为常见。