“Homelessness is a symptom of systemic poverty” (www.kansascity.com). Since 2012, the homeless rate has risen more than 7% in Kansas City, MO alone. According to a 2012 count survey by the homeless coalition services, roughly 2,434 unduplicated individuals were homeless in Kansas City. Of those 70% were sheltered and 30% were on the streets. Since reported on any given night here in the metro more than 3,000 adults and 7,500 kids are homeless in our area. We are not sure why the rate has risen so much over the years. “Maybe because the declining economy is almost certain for the external event most commonly said to make people homeless” (Shumoky, Neil Larry). Many people who are homeless are, victims of domestic violence, after deciding to leave an abusive relationship, they often have nowhere to go for those who have few resource. Also, Lack of money needed for housing and having to wait on a list for assisted housing means they have to chose between staying with an abuser or living on the street with their kids. People with HIV/AIDS, those people often get depressed and suicidal. The cost for medications and treatments for people living with HIV/AIDS get too high for people to keep up with. They also are at risk of losing their jobs because of discrimination or absences health-related. A few more are people with a mental illness and substance abusers. Also, Veterans, who once served in this country. They were also effected by the economic crisis that hit a few years ago. Many also dealing with PTSD, are unwilling to get the help needed because of the shame surrounding mental illness. So many turn to alcohol/drugs as an escape from the terrible and haunting memories of the war. Some of their families give up on them. Not being ... ... middle of paper ... ... to lose their jobs and/or quit so that they would be making less income than they were previously, so they can file for welfare, section 8 voucher, food stamps, etc,. Which could make our homeless rate increase again? We are not for sure just yet, we the people of Kansas City will just have to wait and see what the future holds for us and homelessness in the metro area. Works Cited Hambrick, Ralph S., and Gary T. Johnson. "The future of homelessness."Society 35.6 (1998): 28-37. Web Rollinson, Paul A. "The everyday geography of the homeless in Kansas City."Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography 80.2 (1998): 101-115. Web Shumoky, Neil L. Homelessness. N.p.: ABC-CLIO, 2012. ABC-CLIO. Web. Cobb, Jodi, and Philip Brookman. The Way Home: Ending Homelessness in America. Washington, D.C: Abrams in Association with the Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1999. Print.
Gundersen, C., Weinreb, L., Wehler, C., & Hosmer, D. (2003). Homelessness And Food Insecurity. Journal of Housing Economics, 12(3), 250-272.
The subject of the final paper will be concentrating on the homeless people in America, and how we, as American citizens can become a voice and reduce the number of people living in the streets, cars, or wherever they can find shelter for the night. This journal will look at the subject and the path I will need follow to accomplish the task.
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%).
...erging Adult Homeless in Two U.S. Cities. National Association of Social Workers, 58(2), 173-175. doi: 10.1093/sw/swt006
...ge stay longer than non-homeless people, so hospitals would get crowded and care would get more expensive, making affordable healthcare prices rise. In order to fix this issue of homelessness, the federal government and state government should allocate resources differently. Since a large number of homeless people have addiction and metal health issues, there should be more money being distributed into rehabilitation programs. The most efficient way to end homelessness is so make housing more affordable. One way to do that is to either, increase the hourly wage to match the current housing prices, or, allocate more resources toward housing subsidies for people. Then when people have homes, society should work with people to get them out of poverty by giving resources to people to get their GED’s, networking opportunities for jobs and creating inclusive communities.
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)
"Overview of Homelessness In America." Homelessness In America. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. .
Quindlen, Anna. “Homeless,” The Brief Bedford Reader eleventh ed. Ed. Kennedy, X.J., et al. Boston: Bedford, 2012. Print.
"Overview of Homelessness In America." Homelessness In America. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. .
Cronley, C. (2010). Unraveling the social construction of homelessness. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 20(2), 319-333.
There are many people who are homeless in the United States. They have had it very rough in life because they don’t have the same advantages as the middle class. The homeless have to make some difficult decisions in order to keep their family safe and living. Homelessness affects their health by diseases and mentally by trauma. Homelessness affects families and their way of life.
Homelessness is everywhere, it is not a new trend and is a growing problem. Many people ask themselves should I help the homeless or not; it is easier to just ignore the problem than to give a helping hand. Every person needs help at one point or another in their life and homeless people should be no different. Assisting the homeless with healthcare, housing, and childcare are ways people are able to and should help the homeless.
... Considering the great number of homeless people in this country and more specifically in this county, there aren’t enough people who care to balance it out. The annual estimates show reports that the amount of homeless people is decreasing but at an extremely slow rate. The more society is forced to witness people sleeping on the streets and to make the decision to pass them by or spare 50 cents the greater the hostility toward them will grow. It begs the question of where all of the funding goes and why the reduction in the number of people on the streets isn’t higher. There needs to be more done than simply walking the street, counting the number of people seen, especially if a reduction is noted but can’t be explained. Unless more people get involved with this issue the status quo will remain the same, leaving millions to continue sleeping on the street.
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.