Statement of Need The urgent necessity to address homelessness in Phoenix underscores the fundamental human need for secure housing. Without stable shelter, individuals face profound challenges to their safety and well-being. Homelessness not only strains community resources, but also perpetuates cycles of poverty and marginalization. Prompt intervention is essential to provide dignified housing options, comprehensive support services, and pathways to stability, ensuring the inherent dignity and welfare of all individuals, and fostering a more compassionate and inclusive community in Phoenix. Program Proposal Description The evidence-based intervention program proposal is the implementation of Housing First. Housing First is a natural fit for …show more content…
By diminishing reliance on emergency services, it brings about cost savings and better resource allocation. Additionally, it enhances health outcomes through improved access to healthcare services. Emphasizing community integration works to reduce stigma and foster social inclusion. Support services, such as mental health assistance and job training, aid in maintaining housing stability. Despite initial expenses, Housing First demonstrates long-term cost-effectiveness. Successful implementation hinges on collaboration among government agencies, non-profits, and community stakeholders, all aiming to reduce homelessness and improve lives in Phoenix, AZ. Goals and Objectives The first goal is to decrease the prevalence rate of homelessness in Phoenix by implementing the evidence-based housing-first intervention. In doing so, we will increase the availability and distribution of housing-first programs in Phoenix by partnering with local housing authorities, non-profit organizations, and private sector stakeholders to secure funding for the establishment and maintenance of housing-first …show more content…
An important consideration in implementing housing-first is related to National Organization for Human Services Standard 1: Ethical and Legal Considerations (National Organization for Human Services, 2024). It emphasizes the need for professionals to follow ethical rules and laws when implementing housing-first programs. This means respecting the rights of homeless individuals, offering housing without conditions, and following housing and homelessness laws. Following this guideline ensures that housing-first programs are ethical and legal. In January 2024, the prevalence rate was at least 9,435 actively experiencing homelessness in Phoenix (Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care, 2024). The cultural impact of homelessness varies among racial groups, with Black Americans, tribal populations, and Hispanic communities being disproportionately affected due to factors such as increased unemployment, lower incomes, limited healthcare access, and higher rates of involvement in the justice system or incarceration (Arizona Department of Economic Security,
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...
Gulcur, Leyla, Padgett, Deborah K., and Tsemberis, Sam. (2006). “Housing First Services for People Who Are Homeless with Co-Occurring Serious Mental Illness and Substance Abuse.” Research on Social Work Practice, Vol 16 No. 1.
Therefore, the supply of housing that is affordable and accessible to low income people should be increased. Plus assistance that allows people to reach adequate stability should be regarded as a good investment in a productive society, in order to attain our objective. First we could start by introducing more productive assistance programs that actually focus on helping those in need of housing assistance. These programs will analyze how long people are homeless, what are their needs, the causes of homelessness, and in all how many are currently without a home. Subsequently, the City of Austin would begin building affordable housing according to the amount necessary.
Tulsa has a growing population of homeless people living in shelters and on the streets. Many of Tulsa’s homeless population suffer from untreated mental health issues that prevent them from becoming self-sufficient members of society. Making mental health treatment available to the homeless is not only imperative to their rehabilitation but a needed foundation to be productive in society. As a result of untreated mental health issues, it has created additional barriers for homeless individuals to overcome, which further complicates their ability to be successful and productive citizens within the community. While there are available resources for homeless individuals, they are not being effectively utilized. Creating additional resources,
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.
Homelessness is a real serious health issue all over the world that must be addressed. A lot of people in a public frequently misunderstand the cause of homelessness. Remarks regarding homeless people such as “they need to just get a job” or “go to school” are normally used liberally by members of society because they neglect to look at the complete issue. Homelessness does not discriminate. Individuals that have previously experience or may experience being homeless can be from different regions, have different cultural backgrounds, ages, and could be of any gender. Minorities seem to be mostly affected by homelessness. A study done in 2012 found that the homeless population is consisted of 39% non-Hispanic Whites, 42% African-Americans, 13% Hispanic, 4% Native-American, and 2% Asian (Now on PBS, 2012). The End Homelessness website provides the following statistics:
With the rising number of homeless rising every night it is becoming harder for the shelters to house them since they do not have enough space or resources available to help. Since 2013 there has not been a new report done to count how many homeless people are living in Phoenix, but one thing that is known is that an “anticipated 250 families in Maricopa County are homeless every night”(Taylor ). There are currently 13 shelters that house the homeless each night in Phoenix, AZ, many of them not only provide housing but also “services such as alcohol and drug rehab treatment along with clinics’ (Phoenix Homeless Shelters & Services for the Needy.) Though the shelters do provide some help there is not enough of them to provide the assistance and housing needed to help the homeless. The number of shelters is not enough and more need to be built with proper staffing and resources to help keep the homeless people out of the unforgiving Phoenix heat and possible death. If
In the United States, it is practically impossible to walk down most streets without coming across a homeless person. The issue of homelessness has worsened because of the number of veterans back from our most recent wars. They have resorted to homelessness as their only refuge after being unable to maintain a stable home and/or not receiving the treatments they need. But as veteran homelessness demands more attention, especially in California, various solutions are being brought to action. The “housing-first strategy” being offered to homeless veterans and those endangered of becoming homeless, has played a major part in moving California closer to having an end to veteran homelessness in 2015.
...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.
...At its root, homelessness is the result of the inability to afford and maintain housing. Government funding should be put into place that can incorporate an investment in creating affordable housing. This includes supportive housing, which is permanent housing coupled with supportive services. In order to maintain housing, people exiting homelessness must have income. Cash assistance programs are available through federal and state government, and career-based employment services can help formerly homeless people build the skills necessary to increase their income. Mainstream services, including the Workforce Investment Act, should be used for this purpose (Ten Essentials). Lastly, programs must ensure that the homeless have access to these services but are able to attain independence as soon as possible as well. To do this there must be instant access to housing.
This is because the costs to fix the issue is significantly high and they are uncertain that the issue can be solved without further expenses. Getting people housed quickly can be a challenge in tight rental markets and in rural areas (Woolley, 2016). Housing First is a beneficial model, however especially not those who are marginalized. This includes people diagnosed with mental illness, people who are active drug users, and people who have a long history of living in poverty (Woolley, 2016). Because of their histories with marginalization, many people need ongoing support to help them retain permanent housing sometimes more than what Housing First programs
Fitzpatrick, Joanne. “ONI Opening Doors Project—Improving Health for Homeless People and Families.” Community Practitioner 85.2 (2012): 19+. Academic OneFile. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.
Presently, one of the main causes of homelessness in American is the lack of affordable housing. New York researchers claim that affordable housing is the answer to homelessness. Researcher, Mary Beth Shinn, states, ?homelessness is first and foremost a housing problem not a psychological one? (qtd. in Franklin 15.) Nearly all the families in their study became stably housed regardless of substance abuse, mental illness, physical illness or incarceration. This study indicates that homelessness is not a permanent condition. People do get themselves out of the problem when an intervention occurs to provide them with access to the housing market (NYU 2.) Without permanent housing, people are unable to keep jobs and are more likely to become ill. Permanent housing provides stability that enables them to find and retain employment with health benefits.
Homelessness is a pervasive problem, and needs a solution to be put into place once and for all for it to finally come to an