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Essay about homelessness aging out of the system
Essay about homelessness aging out of the system
Essay about homelessness aging out of the system
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Recommended: Essay about homelessness aging out of the system
After waiting in line for seven hours with a bag that weighs almost as much as her, 62 year old Abigail is the second to last person to receive a room at the homeless shelter. Her legs quiver in pain as she walks up two flights of stairs to a room she will be sharing with eight other people for the night. Tonight, Abigail will be able to wash her clothing, sleep in a heated room, and shower for the first time in a while. She sleeps for as long as she can, despite questionable odor and loud noises, but Abigail must leave the shelter by five AM. All she possesses, besides her clothes, is the styrofoam cup of coffee she is handed as she leaves. She has walked the streets of her city for many years and has given up hope of finding a job. No one
Unfortunately, the chances of getting into a shelter for the elderly are more difficult. Many shelters are located on the second floor of buildings or require you to wait in long lines for hours which is difficult for many elders (Homelessness Among Elderly Persons). A man named Linwood Hearne, 64 and his wife have been living under 1-83 in Baltimore for years. An interviewer observed Hearne as he hobbled across a four lane highway to where he and twelve other homeless elders lived. They don’t want to sleep on the street, but they feel they have no choice. Hearne even admitted that as bad as it may sound, he often will look through mailboxes for eviction notices, in the hopes of squatting in a foreclosed home
Research shows that homeless elders are extremely prone to victimization and they are often ignored by law enforcement. A 2006 study showed that homeless individuals between the ages 50-59 accounted for 27% of the homeless victims of violent crimes (Homelessness Among Elderly Persons). They are on the street and as a result they are vulnerable. If a crime is committed against them they often times don’t even report it because no one believes them, because they seem delirious. Unless there is concrete evidence or a credible witness, cops don’t usually want to go out of their way to seek justice for an old
Managing a Homeless Shelter Program, with a new interest in researching not-for-profit statistics on senior citizens requires being able to predict the services needed. Often we think of the homeless as individuals or the family, but the elderly are also a homeless population that we should be working towards resolving. “As this vulnerable population continues to age, addressing complex care and housing
Statistically, over 670,000 Americans are homeless with a growing number. 48 million people go to bed hungry every night. Although we do provide shelters and opportunities in America, millions of people are homeless worldwide. Even on a more minor level there are still hundreds homeless within hometowns. Everyday we encounter the homeless whether by seeing them holding their personal signs at stoplights, confronts with beggars, or viewing them from afar under bridges. In her essay titled “On Compassion”, writer Barbara Ascher uses rhetorical techniques detailing some of her personal homeless experiences within the city life, Asher does effectively use logos, pathos,
Homeless or not, we were all raised and taught not to do the things that would hurt people. The way homeless people are being treated in today’s world is out of hand and it needs to come to an end. The homeless are humiliated, assaulted, talked badly about, and overly stressed due to traumatic experiences.
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
I have heard stories from my friends that are horrible, especially considering they were all under 18 during these events within their lives. Therefore, I believe the homeless youth in our community need more attention due to their age and lack of confidence. For example, my boyfriend Alex was homeless when we started dating. All of his siblings were taken away separately from child services due to abuse, addiction and neglect within his family. He lived in a shelter where teens were using drugs, stealing and some were even into prostitution. I do understand that not all shelters are this way, but in his experience, he has lived in three different ones and all of them had some of these factors within them. I used to believe there were many options for the homeless, especially teenagers, but from my own second-hand experiences there are really not that many alternatives. “Sometimes it is safer to sleep on the street than some homeless shelters we came across”, suggests Alex Black, a former homeless youth. These shelters can be horrifying to the point that many teens, including Alex, run away. Society looks down on the homeless, creating a barrier surrounding our social structure, placing them at the bottom. Many people in our community believe it is not their place to help, some just are selfish or look the other way and keep on walking.“Whoever closes
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)
?Over the past year, over two million men, women, and children were homeless? in America. (NLCHP) Homeless people face an intense struggle just to stay alive despite the fact that society turns its head from the problem. The government makes laws that discriminate against homeless people, which make it, illegal for them to survive. The mistreatment of homeless people is an issue that is often ignored in our community. When you see a homeless person on the streets how do you react? Do you turn your head and ignore them? Do you become angry that they are living on the streets? Do you feel frightened and avoid the situation all together? Or do you see these people as human beings and treat them in that way? Homeless people are ?subjected to alienation and discrimination by mainstream society?. (NLCHP) Most alienation and discrimination comes from the lack of education about homeless people. There are numerous untrue myths about homeless people. Many people believe that homeless people ?commit more violent crimes than housed people.? (NLCHP) The reality is that homeless people actually commit less violent crimes than people with homes do. Dr. Pamela Fischer, of John Hopkins University, studied arrest records in Baltimore and discovered that even though homeless people were more likely to commit non-violent and non-destructive crimes, they were less likely to commit violent crimes against people. (NLCHP) The crimes that these people are committing are necessary to keep them alive. These crimes include sleeping, eating, and panhandling. Making it illegal to perform necessary daily activities in public when homeless people have no where else to go makes it impossible for homeless people to avoid violating the law. (NLCHP) Another myth about homeless people is that they do not work and that they get their money from public assistance programs. A study done in Chicago discovered that ?39% of homeless people interviewed had worked for some time during the previous month?. (NLCHP) Many of the people who do not work are actively trying to find jobs, but are discriminated against by the work force. In an interview done at the River Street Homeless Shelter I found many people who have experienced this discrimination. ?People can?t get a job without an address. When they use the shelter?s address they get turned down.? (Mike) Speaking...
In an interactive tool map titled “Ending Veteran Homelessness Map,” found on the National Alliance to End Homelessness website, California and Los Angeles’ numbers in regard to veteran homelessness can be found. And even though the numbers of homeless people are huge, the numbers of homeless veterans in our nation are just astounding. It’s a surprising realization that the soldiers that fought and served us with their lives are now homeless. Half of America’s homeless veterans served in Vietnam, two-thirds served for three years, and one-third were stationed in a war zone according to the “FAQ About Homeless Veterans” by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. These statistics only serve to emphasize once again how many veterans resort to homelessness. And since few truly effective plans have been created or brought to the fore, at least not until these past few years, it’s no wonder this situation hasn’t gotten any better for
Many people debate on weather homeless people should receive guidance or just be abandoned. Do homeless people deserve our service and to be supported, or are they just lazy individuals trying to take advantage of people? Homelessness is a growing dispute in cities. It has became an extensive problem for the community. Homelessness can not and should not be ignored. The number of homeless people in the United States is quickly growing. It seems like no one cares to help them. Even our heroes like police officers show no sympathy towards the homeless. “Homeless people appeared on the streets of Bucharest in 1990. Since then, their number and the problems created by this phenomenon have steadily increased in all major
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...
Effective means to prevent homelessness are enacted through early intervention strategies at a micro-level. Systems established in the 1980s to help care for homeless individuals were not designed to address problems of aging (Sorrell, 2016). Social workers who can meet clients where they are and help to connect them to needed services can play an important role in combating the issue of older adult homelessness. Because vulnerable older adults lack social power and are at risk of discrimination and bias, advocates are often necessary for them in the healthcare system and beyond (Burbank, 2006). Collaboration between social workers and area food pantries and/or shelters could work to enhance the early identification, and early intervention
Without owning a home or having accessibility to items such as medicine or food, life expectancies for homeless people are very low. According to O’Toole and other authors, “Several studies have reported life expectancies in the fifth decade” for people with no home which is significantly lower than the “eighth decade for the general public” (O’Toole). Most people do not realize the large amount of homeless people there are in the world. An anonymous author writing An SOS From Homeless People explains, “The scale is massive. Overall estimates for Europe as a whole and the USA are each in excess of 3 million people” (An SOS). With these numbers, one can tell that homelessness is obviously an issue if that many people are experiencing poor health and short lives. Not only are homeless people unhealthy because they cannot afford medicine and other things that help their health, but they also face personal dangers while living on the streets. One article discusses some of these dangers homeless people face: “They are more than ten times likely to be robbed than those who have a home” (O’Toole). Homeless people own very minimal belongings, if any, and these statistics show how the small amount of things they might have are often stolen. Homelessness also affects the general population because the homeless men and women occupy space throughout cities and are usually forced to beg the public for food, water, and