Description of the problem
A recurring issue in the United States has been homelessness. Chronic homelessness is defined by the National Alliance to End Homelessness as, “long-term or repeated homelessness, coupled with a disability.” Usually this disability is substance abuse or a mental health issue that may also lead to other health consequences. Chronic homelessness is a small population of the total homeless population. Despite being a smaller population, they are the most at risk because of their behavioral health issues.
The magnitude of the problem can be seen in the statistics. The most recent United States national data is from January of 2015. The Annual Homeless Assessment reported 564,708 homeless people in a single night (2015,
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p.8). From that total 83,170 were chronically homeless (p.60). Most of the chronically homeless population was reported to be unsheltered. The population that is mostly affected by unsheltered chronic homelessness are single adults in their 50s. At his age they may also be experiencing other physical health issues that are not being dealt with. About 80% of the most affected homeless population are men. Causes Lack of affordable housing has led many people to homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. This has been due to economic inclinations that have caused rent across the United States to rise. There isn’t a lot of affordable housing but the people who need it keeps rising. Because there is a high demand for housing the prices keep climbing. Poverty is also a risk factor for homelessness. Even if a person has housing sometimes the salary is not enough to cover all expenses. People are left with the choice of eating or paying for rent. For many in this population it can even be hard to obtain or keep a job. Unemployment is also a major cause of homelessness. Sometimes they don’t have the skills necessary to keep or even get a job. A percentage of this population also has history of mental illness, which is one of the biggest contributing factors to chronic homelessness. Mental Illness in the chronically homeless makes up about 60% of the population. Many are not engaging in services which makes it more difficult to end chronic homelessness. Approximately 80% have a substance abuse problem as well. History of incarceration also contributes to them not being able to obtain a job leading to more time on the streets. According to USICH the combination of old age and past incarceration can extend the time which a person is homeless and make it more difficult for the person to get out of homelessness (2010, p.4). The average age among the chronic homeless population is also associated with physical health conditions. “More than 50% suffer from chronic, disabling, and/or life-threatening health conditions (USICH, 2010, p.4).” Historical background Original understanding of the problem Homelessness has a long history in the United States.
Reports of this issue have been seen since the 1600s. There have been many events in history that have led to people being homeless. From wars to natural disasters, homelessness has been a prevailing issue that was not addressed when it first began. Society in past eras believed, as many do today, that homelessness was due to personal circumstances. The term given to this population of homeless or homelessness began in the early 1980s. Homeless, however, wasn’t the only term used to identify this population. “Vagrants, vagabonds, tramps, beggars, bums… (Ocobock,).” All of these names given to them were not only for society’s use, the terms were actually legal names to describe them. There were harsh vagrancy laws created to handle the …show more content…
problem. History of the policy They history of the HEARTH act begins in the early 1980’s.
Homelessness was increasing and there was nothing set in place to help with this issue. At this time the government did not see it fit for them to intervene with this issue. In other words “Homelessness was viewed as a problem that did not require federal intervention (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2006).” It wasn’t until 1983 that there began to be advocacy for this population. Advocates were trying to get the federal government to accept this issue as a federal issue and obtain federal intervention. In 1986 the Homeless Persons’ Survival Act was presented in congress. Other programs at this time included emergency programs. Many parts of the policy were not implemented and some were not put into law. The policy had to be amended and it changed to the Homeless Eligibility Clarification Act. Later it helped decrease obstacles to getting other federal resources like food stamps and Medicaid. This policy opened the doors for many other support for the homeless, for example, the Homeless Housing Act and the Emergency Shelter
Grant. Past support and opposition Stewart B. McKinney was “chief Republican sponsor” for this policy and got the policy named after him when he died. The policy became the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. It was finally signed into law in July of 1987 by President Ronald Reagan. Reagan was hesitant about signing the law but there was a lot of demand from supporter movements. Bruce Bento was also a “leading supporter of the act since its original passage in 1987 (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2006).” In 2000 the act was renamed to McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. President Reagan wasn’t the only one who was hesitant about this policy. GOP lawmakers thought that it would make the problem worse by encouraging people to continue living on the streets be
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
Many of the homeless population are not homeless by choice, many have lost the only job in the household, many are military veterans that have not assimilated back to civilian life, and some are homeless due to natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. It can happen to anyone of us. A hurricane, earthquake or wildfire that is out of control can destroy your home within minutes. We must never say never when it comes to the possibility of being homeless, especially when we consider the impact that natural disasters have. Worldwide natural disasters render middle class people near poverty and the poor, homeless.
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
Olivet, J. (2010, July 7). The History of Homelessness in America, 1640-Present - Street News Service. Home - Street News Service. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from http://www.streetnewsservice.org/news/2010/july/feed-240/the-history-of-homelessness-in-america,-1640-present-.aspx
Homelessness has different meanings to different people; someone who has never been homeless might think homelessness is a person who lives on the street, in a tent or in a box. Many people don’t realize that there are a number of homeless people, who couch surf with friends, family or the ones who live in motels which are unaccountable in the numbers of homeless people. People including families with children, seniors, single parents, youths and those that are single are living in accommodations that are below standards and consider themselves as homeless.
In fiscal year 2006, the HUD, Department of Housing and Urban Development, was presented a budget by the Bush Administration consisting of $528.5 billion for homeless programs (Romeo 1). The problem of homelessness and extreme poverty is not a new occurrence; but in past years more extreme measures have been taken to combat the issue as more people become homeless. Expensive social programs and housing developments for the homeless have been created to help battle the increasing issue. Homelessness is an expensive problem that will never end; furthermore, the condition of homeless people in America is affected by the type of education they receive, the state of the economy, and the amount of funds that are available to house and feed them.
Homelessness is a vast predicament in America and around the world. It is severely overlooked as people don’t really think of homelessness as real world problem. However, there have been ways that people have tried to fix the problem. They have come up with homeless shelters, emergency shelters, food banks and soup kitchens. These solutions have limitations though, which will hopefully come to an end.
People classified as homeless are described as citizens whom are unsheltered or without a home. When someone is sick or has fallen ill, health care and clinics are available but if that person does not have an address or said health care benefits their medical issues go untreated. Homeless people who do not have proper health support tend to have a continual declining health. Physical sickness is not the only hardship that the homeless go through alone. One article (“Homelessn...
There are too many connecting issues that have caused homelessness to escalate from a lifestyle that was really only lived by middle aged individuals with a substance abuse problem, to a condition that is endured everyday by a diverse number of people. The 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress reveals that 36 percent of the homeless population consisted of individuals in families--over half of which were children--17.8 percent was made up by the chronically homeless, and an estimated 10 percent was comprised of veterans.
The idea of homelessness is not an effortlessly characterized term. While the normal individual comprehends the essential thought of vagrancy, analysts in the sociological field have connected conflicting definitions to the idea of homelessness, justifiably so as the thought includes a measurement more exhaustive than a peculiar meaning of a single person without living arrangement. Homelessness embodies a continuum running from the nonappearance of a changeless safe house to poor living courses of action and lodging conditions. As per Wolch et al. (1988), homelessness is not an unexpected experience rather it is the zenith of a long procedure of investment hardship, disconnection, and social disengagement that has influenced a singular or family. Furthermore, states of vagrancy may come in fluctuating structures, for example, road habitation, makeshift home in safe houses, or help from administration associations, for example, soup kitchens and the Salvation Army. Homeless is characterized as those regularly poor and, once in a while, rationally sick individuals who are unable to uphold a spot to live and, subsequently, regularly may rest in boulevards, parks, and so forth (Kenyon 1991).
Homelessness is increasing more every year. In fact, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, over 640,000 people experience homelessness every night. (Hunger and Homelessness in North America) By definition, the homeless are groups of people that do not have a home. They can be people who are mentally ill, unemployed, veterans, or even children born into unfortunate families. Since they have nowhere to go, the homeless usually live inside abandoned buildings, in the streets, or in makeshift homes, such as a cardboard box or homemade tent. Although some work to find a decent home, many still suffer from depression or are psychically disabled and cannot work. (Overview of Homelessness in America) These people do not choose to be homeless, instead they become homeless due to a series of unfortunate events; namely losing their source of income or becoming homeless by birth. One instance of this occurred in the life of Hazel Washington. Hazel was fleeing an abusive relationship when she moved in with her relative and his girlfriend, but she was not told about their impending eviction. Because of this, her roommates took everything she owned an...
Homelessness is descriptive condition of someone without a permanent or regular dwelling. Homeless people most often are not in a position to acquire as well as maintain a safe, regular, and adequate housing. Being that one of the most fundamental human needs is shelter, it is important and health for every human to at least acquire one. Unfortunately, it is becoming rather a difficulty to own a home in the current century given the economic recessions frequently occurring in almost globally. Although the legal definitions for homelessness may vary from country to country, the central idea includes people whose primary nighttime residence could be a homeless shelter, a domestic violence shelter, cardboard boxes or ad hoc housing circumstances. They could also be people who take shelter at night in a private or public place that is not primarily designed or suitable for use as a regular sleeping housing for humans.
Homelessness is a problem virtually every society suffers from. There are many things that cause people to become homeless, such as unemployment, relationship problems, and being evicted from ones domicile either by a landlord, friend or even a family member. However, with every cause there must be an effect. Some of the effects of one becoming homeless, besides the obvious change of lifestyle, are various health problems which often times may lead to death.