Becoming Homeless

To begin, lets define the term homeless. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, homelessness is defined as “People who are living in a place not meant for human habitation, in emergency shelter, in transitional housing, or are exiting an institution where they

Homelessness is defined as a form of alienation from society as a result of a loss of an affiliate bond such as employment or housing, which links the individual to society (Ravenhill 2008, p. 6). Homelessness can also be divided into three categories; primary, secondary and tertiary homelessness (Limbrick 2006, p. 17). Primary homelessness is experienced by individuals who do not have appropriate housing (Limbrick 2006, p. 17). Secondary homelessness is experienced by individuals (most frequently youth) who regularly move from temporary housing to another (Limbrick 2006, p. 17). Tertiary homelessness is described as individuals residing in housing, which is considered below public standards (Limbrick 2006, p. 17). Homeless youth are considered to be between the ages of fourteen to twenty five (Martijn & Sharpe 2006, p. 1).

Homelessness is a temporary condition that people fall into when they cannot afford to pay for a place to live, or when their current home is unsafe or unstable.Homeless can be considered as living in a place where they have no right to stay, living in a home that they can no longer pay, and living separated from their families. Over 564,708 people are homeless,that is about half a million and this is only in the US! Can you imagine how many are in the world? A quarter of them are children. Tens of thousands of veterans are homeless. Our people that

Lately one question has been popping in my mind constantly. Before I present it to you, i need to contextualize my daily routine. I live in the downtown of one of the biggest cities of my country, and in the recent turbulent times we, as brazillian population, have seen an incredible raise in economic inequality. Everyday I walk 20 minutes or so to reach my University, and everytime I walk this path seems like there are more homeless, poor people. The look in the eyes of the people that make this same walk appear to be more cautious and reserved. The speed of their steps seems faster. Everything appears to be more turbulent, and everywhere i look, people seem more reserved and expecting the worst of tomorrow.

Ever noticed the people outside, asking you for money on the train or in the streets? Most have a funny smell, or are barely dressed when it is freezing outside? Those people are more than likely homeless. Being homeless is the state of a person living on the streets, if they have no home. Homelessness occurs because many people cannot afford housing, do not have a job, receive low income, are mentally ill or have a drug addiction (Coalition for the Homeless). Homelessness affects society in a variety of ways making it a social issue. It causes economic downturn, increases poverty, and also causes family dysfunction.

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

Homelessness can simply be defined as the lack of house or shelter. Hulchanski (n.d.) believes that homelessness is “a great unresolved political and social problem of our time.” He defines homelessness as:

Cities increasingly grapple with homelessness, while facing budget cuts to various services, but the failure to tackle homelessness creates more problems. While there are homeless people who are on drugs, some are there because housing is expensive and they have no reliable sources of income. Homelessness may result in the city spending more on welfare in a never ending cycle without finding a solution to homelessness. There are various factors associated with the risk of homelessness, including individual factors like those fleeing domestic abuse, and even those who can longer earn a living because of health conditions and disabilities. The problem of homelessness is further compounded when the homeless suffer mental health issues and alcohol or drug dependence (Benston, 2015). Homelessness is a problem that affects even the youth, and stakeholders ought to work together to tackle the problem, as city officials, and residents are the audience who should be concerned with the problem at the local level.

Homelessness is something that can be temporary or chronic. It is when an individual or family does not have and cannot afford a suitable place to live long term. Things like staying in a shelter, one room facilities (motel) or staying with a family member or friend does not mean you are not homeless. If you cannot afford suitable long term accommodations yourself, then you are considered homeless. When you are referring to youth homelessness they are considered homeless if they do not have parents to care for them or are not in the foster or legal system receiving care.

The thought of being homeless is a terrifying to anyone, but sadly for many it is a reality. I could never imagine not knowing where I was going to sleep for the night, especially not as a teenager. Teenage years are a struggle for everyone then adding homelessness into it gives an entirely different set of issues for someone to be presented with.

When I see someone experiencing homelessness, I questioned what led them to be homelessness. I questioned how come the most of country in the world have people experiencing homelessness. I remembered walking around downtown last summer, I was admiring how beautiful the city of Chicago is with its giant buildings, but when I noticed homeless people sleeping outside those buildings just made me question why people are sleeping outside those buildings. I thought it was just unfair in that purpose.

Homelessness is a choice that people choose to take, because they feel and think they are less fortunate in life cost to much. That living on the streets may be easy, then having so many responsibility to keep up with. Being homeless, a homeless would carrying everything they need for survival, traveling lightly with personal things and eat at places that feed them for free. This leaves the responsibilities of taking care of bills, car insurance or other things out of picture. There are many reasons why people choose to being homeless, cannot afford rent, addictions, or a severe mental illness.

A Quantitative approach using longitudinal data processing was used to expedite service management and results of accountability for Philadelphia County’s ten-year plan to end homelessness. This process collects sample observations from large populations over a period of time. This electronic process organizes case planning and measures indicator initiative. This allows each community to calculate and evaluate the effectiveness of each program and system-level performance that is rendered to the homeless. Another method used was the HMIS (Homeless Management Information Center), this method which is utilized by HUD gives a full understanding and nature of homelessness in the community. This method helps in creating a resource plan as well as operational program models. This method is often used by social service agencies in Philadelphia and also gives the estimates for homeless in the United States.

Homelessness is a continuing growing problem, with more and more not just adults but children forced to live on the streets. Homeless people are humans just like us. Being homeless, you

People who frequently shuttle in and out of homelessness are considered episodically homeless.They are those who are depends on their monthly income check, disability checks or other cash assistance may have housing only for some day of each month.They are most likely to be single mothers with young children but unlike those in transitional homelessness, episodically homeless individuals often are chronically mental health, unemployed and experience medical issues and substance abuse