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Main causes of homelessness
Introduction to homeless and mental health issues
Main causes of homelessness
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There are over 100 million homeless people worldwide who are ordinary human beings. They often are stripped of their natural human rights and are segregated from their community. Many are looked upon as criminals that do not deserve to be treated properly. They often camp in public parks, and are brutally awakened in the middle of the night; “rousted out of bed, and told to move all of their possessions out of whatever space they are in within a given period of time, often an hour” (Anawim Christian Community). Homeless people are frequently denied human necessities, brutally treated, and despised and feared from the people around them. Homeless people are often denied human necessities such as food to eat, restrooms to use, and proper health care. Homeless shelters serve meals to some of the homeless, but the lines are outrageously long. Many only eat one meal per day, if that much, because they do not have transportation across town to get to the shelters. Cities across the United States have a law against serving free meals to the homeless. Organizations and churches often help out the homeless despite the law, and face multiple expensive fines. Public establishments refuse to allow homeless people to access their restrooms because “the homeless are assumed to have a higher level of drug use” (Anawim Christian Community). Some are forced to train themselves so they only have to use the restroom twice a day. Numerous hospitals decline homeless patients the appropriate medical attention they require. Some doctors and nurses will send a homeless patient home without giving them the proper healing time that they need because they do not have the money to cover their expenses. Homeless patients are usually seen after everyone else... ... middle of paper ... ...ifferent ways because of it. People disown former friends and relatives that have lost their jobs and become homeless because they fear that for themselves. A small percentage of the homeless ask or beg for money and food, but when they do most people drive by like they do not see them. Certain people fear the homeless because they do not live or act the same way as they do. Countless homeless feel humiliated because of they way society acts towards them. Works Cited Anawim Christian Community. "How Are the Homeless Dehumanized? - AnawimCC."AnawimCC Atom. N.p., 10 Apr. 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. Wen, Chuck K., Pamela L. Hudak, and Stephen W. Hwang. "Abstract." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 06 Apr. 2007. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. Kylyssa. "Why People Fear And Hate The Homeless." Squidoo. Squidoo, 2014. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Principally, to a homeless person, if there was only one thing they hated, it would be pity. The only way society at this point knows how to deal with the homeless is by pitying them. They take the individuals and they put them in a group basically labeled “displaced”, then it is expected that it is up to the state to help them. Many say they try, but because homelessness deals on such a personal level, many don’t get helped because they are grouped. On the personal level, when one sees a homeless person, many, if not most people, shy away thinking that “someone else will help them”. In most cases, they are ignored. Because everyone is thinking this way, not many local homeless people get assistance. In this country, homelessness is one of the last issues to be thought of, which is why the homeless population is now flooding into small cities and towns. Homelessness should be combatted one person at a time and not as a group. I agree that everyone needs to pitch in and help rehumanize these lifeless souls, and with everyone’s help, it can be done on a personal level.
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.
...on the homeless community. I previously held preconceived notions that the homeless consisted of people who were either unable to connect and form relationships with others or didn’t desire to do so. Yet, I observed most everyone greeting one another and reminiscing with those who have been absent from the community for a while, as well as, expressing concern for those missing. I recognized that the homeless may live in a non-traditional way, but they have established their own communities and are successful in forming and maintaining cohesive relationships.
"Who Is Homeless?" Nationalhomeless. National Coalition for the Homeless, July 2009. Web. 3 May 2014. .
In the early hours of the morning on Thursday, January 3, 2013, James G. Fulmer was found frozen to death on the steps of a Nashville Church. James Fulmer was 50 years old, homeless, and physically handicapped (wsmv.com). His tragic story is just one of almost 1,000 homeless men and women will suffer death caused by hypothermia each year. (nationalhomeless.org). Every night in the United States, over 600,000 people encounter homelessness. Their stories are diverse and their paths to homelessness, varied. Many have found themselves on the streets due to domestic violence, job loss and mental illness (npr.org). Some were teachers, accountants, musicians, painters, and even doctors. So many of the homeless population once lead normal lives. Yet, there is a social stigma that views the homeless as lazy, unwilling to work, uneducated and even untrustworthy. In a Capitalist society that places the highest value on image and the almighty dollar, there seems to be little desire to interact with these “outcasts”.
At any given time, approximately 600,000 homeless survive at the front door of America. They are sleeping in parks, living in cardboard boxes, sitting on street corners, and resting under bridges. Terrible hunger gnaws at their stomachs as they search for food. Society labels the homeless as useless and worthless, but they are not. They are children, grandmothers, grandfathers, mothers, and fathers that need a place to sleep, eat, and live. What does society do to help? Nothing. Society hurries home from work, shopping, and leisure, worrying about who will win the next football game. Society is not worried about where their next meal will come from, where they will sleep, or where they will be tomorrow. Although it is difficult for society not to feel discomfort at seeing homeless people, it is the homeless who pay for the way people feel about them. Alienation of the homeless in America is a direct result of injustice, health issues, and societal attitudes; however, solutions are available to society as they are obligated to all of their citizenry, including the homeless.
There are many other cases of why the homeless are homeless like domestic violence, mental illness, addictions, and unaffordable health care. Homelessness is a problem which has been caused by many different aspects but mainly money because of massive unemployment rates. A hidden aspect to homelessness that we may not think of is ...
“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)
Despite the variety of health care options offed to the public, most homeless people find that their medical needs are not even being acknowledged. There are many programs that are categorized as healthcare programs, which include things as broad as having a regular primary care giver to things as specific as dental needs or being able to get help from a specialist if needed. Whether or not medical needs are being met is qualified by what defines a “need”. In a study of the homeless population in the New England region, participants were asked “Have you needed to see a doctor or a nurse in the past 12 months but were not able?” (Hwang, Stephen, Ueng, Joanna, Chiu, Shirley &ump; Tolomiczenko, George, 2010, p.1455). If the people in th...
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.
Economic problems such as being laid off work, or the rise in the cost of housing had lead people to live on the streets. Many of the homeless are women that have become divorced or have left home because of physical abuse. These women have no education because they have not been given the chance to go and get the education that it takes nowadays to get the job, so they are forced to live on the streets. They have no family to help them and they are left with no other choice. People with mental illnesses also become homeless quite often. These people are incapable of handling the stress of living on their own. These people get kicked out of their homes and are to ashamed to go to their families because of their illness, so we see them on the streets struggling to stay warm. Teenage mothers are also forced to live on the streets because their families will not help them. The fathers are not there and that forces them to live on the streets. So they must resort to prostitution to pay for the food that their young ones need to stay alive. There are many other people that become homeless for many different reasons. Some of these people can not help becoming homeless. Some of these people are the illegal immigrants that come here from other places to get a better life but end up not having enough money to make it in this hard world that we live in.
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...
Hopper, Kim. “Housing the Homeless.” Social Policy 28.3 (1998): 64+. Academic OneFile. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
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.