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Factors associated with homelessness
Essays on homelessness in america
Essays on homelessness in america
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The McKinney-Vento as amended by S. 896 the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009 also known as McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, signed into law in 1987, covers many aspects of homelessness. The National Coalition for the Homeless states that the “McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was the first—and remains the only—major federal legislative response to homelessness” (NCH). Originally, this act contained fifteen different programs that were included to aid the homeless population (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD], 2007). The goal of this act is help the homeless receive the services this population needs. This act also defined what is considered homeless by the United States Government. In this policy analysis, I have chosen to focus on Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Title VII-B addresses homeless children and their rights to equal access to an education. The goal of this Title is to meet the needs of the children who meet the definition of homeless.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Homelessness has been a long standing problem in the United States dating back to the American Civil War and significantly increased during the Great Depression. After the Great Depression, even when the economy regained strength, homelessness continued to be a widespread problem (NLCHP, 2007). Due to the deindustrialization movement in 1950’s, many people lost their jobs. Factory jobs offered well-paid wages and needed little to no skill base. Therefore, during the deindustrialization movement, people were left with no source of income and no skills to find another job. As a result for the United States Government not establishing anything to a...
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...ersistent instability as measured by frequent moves over such period, it can also be considered homeless if the individual or family is fleeing or attempting to flee a domestic violence situation (such as dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or other dangerous or life threatening conditions) (The McKinney-Vento Act …).
Through Title VII-B of the act, it is intended to serve the youth who lack stable living conditions and “adequate nighttime residency” (The McKinney-Vento Act …). The U.S. Department of Education also states that, “Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is intended to ensure that homelessness does not cause these children to be left behind in school” (US department of edu). Within each state, a State Coordinator is appointed for the Education of the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. Their job is to create and im a plan
National Center for Homeless Education. (2013, October). Education for Homeless Children and Youths Program. Greensboro: U.S Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/programs/homeless/data-comp-0910-1112.pdf
Homelessness is primarily a poverty issue. The persistence of poverty in the United States reflects more than just an aggregation of individual failings. Structural factors, such as the way we understand and define poverty, the inherent features of our economic system that produce income inequality, social inequities and our policy responses to these problems shape current trends. Economic changes have had the strongest association with trends in overall rates, regardless of how poverty is measured. Poverty rate is high amongst minority groups, children and female-headed households (Iceland, 2003). According to professor Iceland’s research, rates of extreme poverty are higher among children and African-Americans and lower for whites, Asians and the elderly. Among families with children, married couples were less likely to be poor (6.9 %) than single parent male (17.5%) and single parent female (35.3%).
Homelessness is one of the biggest issues society (Unites States) faces today. Homelessness is caused by lack of affordable housing, economic situations and decline in federal funding for low income families and the mentally ill. A homeless person is defined as an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family) including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private (shelters) facility that provides temporary living accommodations and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing. This definition of housing is used by the U.S Department of Healt...
Tunstall, L. (2009). Homelessness: an overview. EBSCO Publishing Service Selection Page. Retrieved February 5, 2011, from http://web.ebscohost.com/pov/detail?hid=119&sid=d5f751fa-0d0d-4ed1-8deb-483e701af50c%40sessionmgr111&vid=3&bdata=Jmxhbmc9ZW4tY2Emc2l0ZT1wb3YtY2Fu#db=p3h&AN=28674966
Homelessness is a problem that happens in many different countries around the world. Definitions of homelessness are defined in different meanings by different people. However, the Stewart B. McKinney Act defines a homeless person as “ one who lacks a fixed permanent nighttime residence or whose nighttime residence is a temporary shelter, welfare hotel, or any public or private place not designed as sleeping accommodations for human beings” (McNamara 1025). It is impossible to find out exactly the number of homeless; however, the researchers can do a study to estimate that number. Based on different statistics from different researchers, the homeless population in America has been increasing as “an alarming rate” (Markos and Lima). Therefore, even though America is one of the most powerful countries in the world, homelessness, which has many common causes, has always been a big problem in society.
Homelessness in the United States has been an important subject that the government needs to turn its attention to. There has been announced in the news that the number of the homeless people in many major cities in the United States has been increasing enormously. According to United States Interagency Council on Homelessness reported that there was an estimation of 83,170 individuals have experienced chronic homelessness on the streets of the United States’ streets and shelters on only a single night of January 2015, which is a small decrease of only 1% from the previous year (People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, n.d.). The United States must consider this subject that most of the people underestimate it and not pay attention
Although most people know what homelessness is and it occurs in most societies, it is important to define because the forces of displacement vary greatly, along with the arrangement and meaning of the resulting transient state. The Stewart B McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 defined a homeless person as “an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence or a person who resides in a shelter, welfare hotel, transitional program or place not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, such as streets, cars, movie theaters, abandoned buildings, etc.” Resent surveys conducted in the U.S. have confirmed that the homeless population in America is extremely diverse and includes representatives from all segments of society, including: the old and young, men and women, single people and families, city dwellers and rural residents, whites and people of color, employed and unemployed, able workers and people with serious health problems. The diversity among people that are homeless reflects how difficult it is to generalize the causes of homelessness and the needs of homeless people. Robert Rosenheck M.D., the author of Special Populations of Homeless Americans, explains the importance of studying homelessness based on subgroups, “each subgroup [of homeless people] has unique service needs and identifying these needs is critical for program planning and design.” Despite these diversities, homelessness is a devastating situation for all that experience it. Not only have homeless people lost their dwelling, but they have also lost their safety, privacy, control, and domestic comfort.
“Homeless is more than being without a home. It is tied into education needs, food, security; health issues both mental and physical, employment issues, etc. Don’t forget the whole picture.” (“Boxed In” 2005 pg. 108)
The book “Breaking Night” by Liz Murray is a memoir that describes Liz Murray’s life growing up with a substance addicted mother and father. The memoir recounts Liz Murray’s struggles including taking care of her mother, who battled substance addiction and severe mental illness, truancy, and homelessness. Throughout Liz Murray’s story there were countless systems that failed her and her family. Several systems, including social services and school, could have implemented several federal, state, and local policies that could have provided assistance to Liz Murray’s family and alleviated the stress on Liz Murray that enabled her from successfully attending school on a regular basis. While reading the memoir, I was able to identify two different housing policies that could have been implemented to reduce or eliminate Liz’s risk of homelessness. The two housing policies/programs that were identified were McKinney-Vento Act and the Frank Melville Supportive Housing
We know the population that we are dealing with and how to serve with them. In most cases, the issue that we notice is the underfunding of the programs that better support this population. Our efforts to deal with the issue are not, in accord with the research findings. I say that because the number of homeless individuals that we have in the state are not consistent with the amount of homeless people that are being served. Typically, people affected by homelessness are the extremely poor and in some cases people who recently experienced major life changes such as divorce, job transitions, and the elderly who can no longer work. However, children are also, in most cases, impacted by homelessness. Usually, this is due to their care being the responsibility of an adult who happens to be
The outcome shows that there has been an increase by 3% in homelessness along with negative results in the area of substance abuse and criminal involvement. However, there has been a positive increase for youth in the areas of education, employment, physical health and mental health. At age 17, the majority of these youth were attending school, had positive connections to at least one adult, and were receiving Medicaid. Half of them did not report any history of high-risk outcomes and the majority reported never having been homeless. At age 19, many of these positive indicators were maintained with the majority having earned a high school diploma or GED, reporting a positive connection to an adult, receiving Medicaid or some other type of health insurance, and demonstrating early signs of financial
...is to understand the factors that lead people into homelessness, that keep them homeless, and how they can recover from homelessness. Advocates for the homeless have proposed policies range from taking preventative measures, such as making housing and health care affordable, to policies that deal with individuals that are already homeless, such as rapid rehousing and redefining what it means to be homeless. Although many of the experts disagree on how the homeless epidemic should be handled, many acknowledge that the federal government plays an inexpendable role in helping the homeless. Homelessness is, obviously, a complex issue, but like all difficult issues it must be undertaken. It has become clear that homelessness is not something that will eradicate itself given time, homelessness will continue to grow and evolve unless an outside force stops it in its tracks.
The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) defines Homelessness “is a lack of permanent housing resulting from extreme poverty and/or unsafe or unstable living environments” (NAEHCY, 2011, p. 2). In the year 2004, it was required that all states were to report to CSPR (Consolidated State Performance Report) of data collected of children and youth enrolled in any educational services (Bowman, Dukes, Moore, 2012, p. 6). The table presented below shows reports the school years of 2004-2010.
Works Cited Affordable Housing Shortage Threatens Children's Health. Family Housing Fund. June 1999.Apr. 2009 . American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Pub. L. 111-5. 6 Jan. 2009. The White House. 13 Feb. 2009. 29 Apr. 2009 . America's Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness. The National Center on Family Homelessness. 10 Mar. 2009. 5 Apr. 2009. . p.52. Education For Homeless Children And Youth Program. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. July 2004. United States Department of Education. 29 Apr. 2009. . Education of Homeless Children and Youth. National Coalition for the Homeless. June 2008. 5 Apr. 2009 . "Education Pays..." Bureau of Labor Statistics. 6 Mar. 2009. United States Department of Labor. 29 Apr. 2009 . Hart-Shegos,
This great nation of awesome power and abundant resources is losing the battle against homelessness. The casualties can be seen on the street corners of every city in American holding an ?I will work for food? sign. Homeless shelters and rescue missions are at full capacity. There is no room at the inn for the nation?s indigent. Anyone who has studied this issue understands that homelessness is a complex problem. Communities continue to struggle with this socio-economic problem while attempting to understand its causes and implement solutions. The public and private sectors of this country are making a difference in the lives of the homeless by addressing the issues of housing, poverty and education.