Family Homelessness Analysis

According to many people, homelessness is caused by low minimum wage, high unemployment rates, and overpriced housing. The minimum wage in California is $9.00 a hour, and a one bedroom apartment in Los Angeles is about $1,983. About 7.1 percent of the people are unemployed in the Los Angeles county, and about half the people rely on minimum wage. These overpriced apartments make it difficult for many families and individuals to have a stable home. When it comes to minimum wage or unemployment, you have one of two options, you either go hungry or become homeless. In order to fight against the real issue, we have to raise minimum wage, create more jobs, lower rent prices, or provide more financial support to

It is estimated that 3.5 million people will experience homelessness during a given year. The fastest growing population experiencing homelessness is families, mostly made up of single mothers and her children. Families headed by women comprise more than half of the homeless population and 42% of this population is under the age of 5. Across the country about 2.5 million children are homeless, which is equivalent to 1 in every 30 children. The legal definition of homeless “refers to those who spend 7 consecutive nights in a car, abandoned building, public park, emergency shelter, nonresidential building, or other unconventional residence.

The cost of housing is on the rise and many become homeless because they that are not making enough money to afford the cost of housing. The cost of health care and insurance has risen dramatically over the past years. For families living low or middle incomes that can be devastating. Families or individuals that lack health insurance, a sudden illness, chronic disease or accident can be financially devastating. Many people don’t understand the problems homeless families are facing and most families are homeless because of finical situations or because

Declining wages have put housing out of reach for many workers. In every state, more than minimum wage is needed to afford a one- or two-bedroom apartment. A minimum-wage worker would have to work 87 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom apartment (U.S Conference of Mayors 1998). Thus insufficient income leaves many people homeless.

Homelessness can occur even in the most stable income families. Families that have a one income household can find themselves without employment suddenly from companies that are experiencing economic difficulties which lead to reduction in forces. The United States homeless populations decreased by one percent in 2011. The nation went from 643,067 homeless people to 636,017. The largest decrease was among homeless veterans. The number of homeless veterans declined from 75,609 in 2009 to 67,495 in 2011 (US Bureau of Statistics, 2012). Homeless families have many medical needs that

While homelessness may be an issue that is so far from the minds of the average American family, the truth remains that the current homelessness statistics in America suggest that the issue of homelessness is far more average than one could ever imagine. As of January 2012, The National Alliance to End Homelessness published a series of reports that listed the number of homeless Americans at 636,017 with a rate of homelessness at 21 homeless people per 10,000 individuals in the general population (NAEH, 2012, pp.1). While 636,017 may seem small in comparison to the country's 311,291,917 citizens, homelessness remains an issue that stems through the ages, through families, through neighborhoods, through ethnicity and the like. Homelessness detrimentally effects families in their health, mortality rate, and ability to seek out employment and basic education. In further viewing the statistics at hand regarding the homeless, their health and behavior, as well as understanding how these people and this issue can be remedied within our country, an overarching assessment of family life and the causes and relief measures of homelessness must be taken into account.

For many individuals the difference between their current income and the cost of increasing housing in their neighborhood puts them at a risk, houses need to be affordable for people with even lower incomes before they consider being homeless. As stated in the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders it has been said that, “ Homelessness is an acute version of residential instability, which can be compared or contrasted with definitions of poverty” (Homelessness). Homelessness and poverty have similar factors, difficult choices have to be made when individuals have a limited amount resources to provide for themselves and their families. The problem of insufficient incomes has been attributed to the growth of homelessness in the country. Those individuals that are employed are continually at risk of being homeless because by the time they pay their rent and utilities, there is not enough money to buy food or necessities. It is a disparaging thought that many homeless people are living on the streets due to them not receiving an equal opportunity to afford housing. It is equally discouraging when you have a job and still unable to sustain a valuable life, that will not lead you to being homeless. In a recent study, authors Doug Smith and Shelby Grad wrote that, “More than 2 million households in L.A. and Orange County have housing costs that exceed 30% of income, according to data from

Roy Grant, M.A., et al. conducted a review of family and childhood homelessness over a

Several decades ago, housing was affordable; now it’s impossible for even the middle class to buy a decent home. Housing in California is very expensive, and this is one reason why California suffers the highest rate of homelessness in the country.In an online article written by the Mercury News they express that the median income in California is much higher than the nation’s average, however, it does not measure up the steadily increasing rate of rent.(2017) Lack of affordable housing has lead to high rent, overcrowding, and substandard housing. This can force many people to become homeless. Besides the lack of affordable housing that California is experiencing, there are also not enough homes for the state’s population. An online article written by the SacBee, explains that the population in California is increasing while housing construction is decreasing, due to funds and inexperienced construction workers(Aug 2017.) If California is unable to provide housing for it’s residents, this could lead people on the streets, having no where else to

The minimum wage plays a huge factor in homelessness. The average minimum wage in America of $7.25 does not provide enough for a person to afford a standard two bedroom apartment. Statistics claim that one would have to earn at least three times the average minimum wage to afford a standard two bedroom apartment. This affects the economy because workers that earn minimum wage can not afford the basic necessities to live so they either live in the streets or live off government funded homes, such as shelters. People without housing are high consumers of public resources and generate expense, rather than income, for the community. Based on a study conducted a few years ago, it can cost a community as much as $23,000 for one person to be chronically homeless for one year because of (shelter stays, jail time, emergency room visits, etc.). Homelessness is bad for business because it can be a deterrent to visitors of a city. Without their own housing and the social status to use restrooms in public places, people who are homeless often have to relieve themselves outside, which can cause infections and diseases. They don’t have access to health care and often have chronic illnesses, made worse by there tough living conditions, such as sleeping outside in all weather and eating out of trash cans. Since most homeless people have such poor hygiene, settled people don't want to go near them, so they won’t go to the stores there sleeping near, which will hurt the stores

Homelessness emerged as a national issue in the 1870s. Many homeless people lived in emerging urban cities, such as New York City. Into the 20th Century, the Great Depression of the 1930s caused a devastating epidemic of poverty, hunger, and homelessness. There were two million homeless people migrating across the United States. In the 1970s, the de-institutionalization of patients from state psychiatric hospitals was a precipitating factor which seeded the homeless population. The rising in homelessness is hurting the economy in many ways, and sadly the number of homeless people and families are increasing. Many people that end up on the streets and become homeless are dealing with problems that many of us don't, they become homeless because

Being homeless can be the least or one of the least desirable circumstances one could imagine, causing great difficulties to one more than one could imagine. People usually become homeless as results from a combined of different effects from of extreme poverty, the lack, and limited affordable housing and the decline of government supports, lack of employment opportunities, poor healthcare, and limited health services for mental illness, domestic violence, foreclosures, and evictions (Wikipedia, 2009, p. 6). These are just some of the major reasons that cause people to become homeless. But not all homeless are without jobs. There is a small percent of them do work, but the minimum wage is simply not enough to cover their rent since they are already struggling living paycheck to paycheck or the work is not steady. Forcing more and more not only single people but also entire families.

As many as 3.5 million Americans are considered homeless each year. Often, people believe that homelessness is a complication only caused by the poor choices of a single person when they are typically the result of multiple uncontrollable factors. For some, the line between being homeless and not can be very thin, with several obstacles preventing stability. These individuals and families commonly come from more deprived areas. Those who are homeless can be very different to each other in how and why they came to be in their situation, but they all have in common their desire to find a way back to a normal and healthy lifestyle. Homelessness is an issue created by poor physical and mental health, a lack of money, and relationship complications.

Poverty is considered the most common and pervasive cause of homelessness because everything else is linked to it. Had someone not been poor, loss of his job wouldn't land him on the streets; similarly lack of public assistance is only a problem if you need it. In other words, when a person loses his job, or seeks public assonance or looks for affordable housing, he is doing it because his income is unable to help him meet his expenses. For this reason, he can be categorized as poor. Thus many poor people are forced to end up on the streets. Unfortunately a very significant portion of this population is composed of innocent children who are forced to live on streets because their parents cannot afford a house. "In 2007, 12.5% of the U.S. population, or 37, 300, 00 million people, lived in poverty. The official poverty rate in 2007 was not statistically different than 2006 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2007). Children are overrepresented, composing 35.7% of people in poverty while only being 24.8% of the total

Usually when a person thinks of the poor and the homeless, they think about those that are living and sleeping on park benches or under bridges. They think of those who are dirty, with ragged clothing, worn out shoes, and those begging or panhandling for food. The truth of the matter is that poverty and homelessness can affect people of any age, race or gender. More Americans are at the risk of poverty and homelessness today. There are many circumstances that can cause a person to live in poverty and become homeless. The lack of affordable housing, low paying jobs or lack of employment, and insufficient federal aid all contribute to poverty and homelessness.