There are anywhere from 500,000 to 2.8 million homeless youth in the United States alone. (“Homelessness and Runaway”). There are different reasons as to why they’re without a home range drastically from a desire for freedom to a severe family conflict that has forced them out of their homes. There have been countless stories about ragged boys and girls in the United States struggling to survive during the changing seasons, using tunnels and bridges as their homes, cardboard as their beds, and forming new families on the streets to remain sane. Homeless youth can be defined as 12 to twenty-year olds who are without family support and who are living in unstable circumstances without a secure home. (“Homelessness”) The origin of homelessness is traced back all the way to colonial America. In the early times of America, the homeless were referred to as “vagrants” or “sturdy beggars”. Just like today, many were forced to become homeless due to negative factors in their homes or general lives. Specifically, wars had a huge influence on the amount of homeless in early America. Also, The economic uncertainties of life in early America left many people in the lower class without a place to live. (“Homelessness”). Today there are similar reasons as to why people are homeless, but new reasons have also arose. Homelessness is a complicated issue in today’s society that has many contributing factors that not everyone is aware of. Currently, the youth of today’s world are more at
“The National Center on Family Homelessness currently estimates that as many as fifty U. S. children (1.5 million) are homeless or “precariously housed” in temporary quarters such as motels and shelters” (Cohen, 2009). Today’s economic crisis is not helping this growing number of families that are being relocated as home foreclosures and loss of jobs add to the overwhelming number of homeless
Homelessness is defined as the situation of an individual or family without stable, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means, and ability of acquiring it. It is the result of systemic or societal barriers, a lack of affordable and appropriate housing, the individual/household’s financial, mental, cognitive, behavioral or physical challenges, and/or racism and discrimination. Most people do not choose to be homeless, and the experience is generally negative, unpleasant, stressful and distressing6. Homelessness is a problem that affects every Canadian town or city, and is one that is dealt with using a variety of different methods.
Homelessness is a major problem in the United States. An incredibly vulnerable group is the homeless youth due to their young age and lack of education. According to Edidin, Ganim, Hunter, & Karnik (2012) on any particular night in the United States there are ~2 million homeless youth living on the streets, in shelters, or in other temporary accommodation. Youth become homeless for multiple reasons whether it be because they have aged out of foster care, ran from home, were kicked out of their home, or because they have become homeless along with their family members. Within the umbrella categorization of homeless youth there are high at risk subgroups, common misconceptions, and a serious concern of lack of support and medical services.
Homelessness is a pressing issue that affects everyone all over the world, of all ages, all race and all sexes. There is an inexcusable amount of young people who are homeless. 17% of all homeless people are under the age of twelve. That could be the age of a younger sibling. Imagine if they were homeless, living on the streets. This is the reality that some have to face
Homeless teenagers are a vulnerable population that faces many challenges just in terms of daily existence in addition to their overall development in the transitioning to adulthood. Current studies are reported to indicate that the primary cause of homeless among youth is "family dysfunction in the form of parental neglect, physical or sexual abuse, family substance abuse, and family violence." (Runway & Homeless Youth and Relationship Toolkit, 2009, p.1) Homeless youth are generally defined as "an unaccompanied youth ages 12 and older who are without family support and who are living in shelters, on the streets, in cares or vacant buildings and who are 'couch surfing' or living in other unstable circumstances." (Runway & Homeless Youth and Relationship Toolkit, 2009, p.1) Son (2002) writes that it is "...unknown how many homeless youth are out there. Most of them are not in the child welfare, juvenile justice, or mental health systems, making it difficult to accurately gather statistical data." (p.2)
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.
One in every 50 American children experiences homelessness, according to a new report that says most states have inadequate plans to address the worsening and often-overlooked problem (“1 and 50 children experience homelessness” 1). The problem of homelessness
…..all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
If one saw a homeless person living on the side of the street, one may think he has an substance abuse disorder or mental illness that lead them down this path. Although substance abuse and mental health can lead to homelessness, there are many other factors that contribute to this terrible trend. A homeless person could experience personal trauma, such as an accident or loss of a loved one, and they may be unable to provide for themselves. Experts claim that lack of affordable housing, low income/poverty, and domestic violence are also a few contributors that lead to homelessness in America. Homelessness in a major concern in our country. This issue is important because the rate is heavily increasing as the months go on. Especially in states such as New York and California, that house hundreds of thousands of people. These two states also
Usually the government wants the best for the people of its nation, and provides for their needs. Shockingly, this is not the case in Yemen, where families with young children are left to defend themselves. Specifically homosexual men are being targeted by their own nation, and terrorist groups. The conflict in Yemen is in the most dire of situations as innocent people are dying, becoming homeless, and getting arrested. This is an urgent problem because many innocent people are being victimized in Yemen, and have nobody on their side.
Research indicates that two-third of the adults experiencing homelessness in the U.S.A have not received a high school diploma or completed a GED. In the 2013-2014 school year, public schools reported 1,360,747 unaccompanied homeless students enrollment. Unaccompanied youth are those who experiencing homelessness while not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. Approximately 1.7 million youth experience homelessness on their own reported each year. They live in unsafe, dysfunction and unstable situations, including cars, parks, couch-suffering, shelters, and motels etc.... Most of these young individuals have left home due to unhealthy and unsafe family setting, including abuse and neglect: 20-40% of unaccompanied homeless youth were
Current systemic and social factors serve to create significant challenges for homeless youth as well as contribute to the problem rather than provide solutions. First, policies make it increasingly difficult for homeless youth to survive on the streets, where it is clear that rather than helping
Think about the ordinary day of an average American, their daily routine consists of getting up from the bed, taking a shower, eating breakfast, or preparing to go to school or work. Upon returning from school or any other extra-curricular activity, the average American student resides at home to complete schoolwork, eat dinner, watch television, or prepare for bed. Consider not being able to complete those habitual processes that get an individual through their day. Many Americans today suffer from not having the necessities and comfort of a proper home. This severe and ongoing problem not only affects adults, but also the children of those adults. When an individual becomes homeless so does their child,
Top Causes of Homelessness states “3.5 billion Americans are homeless each year” (2016, 1). There are so many different reasons people can go homeless. What needs to happen to help these people? Volunteering organizations are one of the many deeds we can do to help the homeless in America. Many massive cities are a huge factor America’s number of homeless. More in America needs to be done to help the homeless to get as many of the people and families off the street.
Many people tend to believe that homelessness just simply means not to have a home. However, there is more than just one official meaning for the term. Much of the literature uses the terms homeless and runaway interchangeably (Schmitz, and Kimberly Taylor, 2599). Definitions of youth homelessness According to the Webster New World College Dictionary, the word “homeless” is an adjective that means “having no home or permanent place of residence.” Webster defines the homeless as those typically poor or sometimes mentally ill people who are unable to live and therefore may sleep on the streets, in parks or local bus stations (Neufeldt, Victoria, and David B. Guralnik, 645). Websters Definition of the word “runaway”, an adjective, is to “have