A program in which college students pretend to be homeless for a day in order to gain empathy for society's less fortunate. Founded during the Reagan years by the National Coalition for the Homeless, Urban Plunge is the most popular of serveral well-meaning liberal outfit, which have put thousands of people on the streets over the years. Not to be confused with unreleated programs of the same name that place students in volunteer positions, Urban Plunge aims to help young people understand homelessness, but "Plungers" don't actually help the homeless themselves, except passing on the profits from one simulated day of panhandling.