Homelessness In A Community

Homelessness has been a prevalent and contentious topic since its public emergence in the 1980’s. In fact, according to the most recent estimates, on any given night in the United States, there are roughly 645,000 people residing in homeless shelters or unsheltered street locations (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2011). And based on a local study done by the Mental Health Unit at the Houston Police Department in 2011, Houston has the largest homeless population in Texas and the eighth largest in the United States. While many great efforts have been put forth to aid the homeless population in Houston, “the public health epidemiology task of quantifying and tracking child and family homelessness over time has been complicated…by increasing rates of…shortages [in] affordable housing” (Grant et al., 2013), and restrictions on temporary encampments (Loftus-Ferren, 2013). In order to successfully reduce, prevent and combat homelessness, more policies must be put in place to create sustainable, affordable housing for homeless families and to modify current laws that harm homeless individuals.

One major community health issue that is prominent in society is homelessness. According to Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (2012), homelessness describes the situation of an individual or family who are unstable and cannot afford appropriate and permanent housing. They are unable to acquire suitable shelter due to possible reasons, such as financial issues, mental or physical challenges and discrimination. Most people do not choose to be homeless; however, when individuals are set to live unsheltered, the experience is often negative and stressful. The community aspect found within homelessness refers to society’s failure to ensure that everyone has access to housing. This may be due to inadequate systems, and lack of funding and support offered to people, especially those in troubled situations. Many people who are homeless often experience serious mental and physical health implications as well as a change in their overall well-being. Particular individuals who are at risk of homelessness may be affected by personal risk factors, such as substance misuse and mental illness. However, not only does this issue affect homeless or at risk individuals, but it also affects members of the community. As the population of people living on the streets or in shelters increase, communities are impacted through the increased demand of services and supports.

Homelessness in the United States can be ended, not just maintained. Allot of cities now have plans to eradicate homelessness. Homelessness and housing instability are large issues that afflict a diverse demographic such as: Families, youth, veterans, and chronically homeless single male adults. Ending homelessness may require specialized solutions that are specific to individual needs. Factors like these make defeating homelessness a difficult task. Although solutions exist for some of the demographics, such as housing for chronically homeless adults, scaling up best practices remains a challenge. For other subpopulations, such as transitional aged youth, evidence-based interventions need to be developed. In this paper we argue that ending homelessness is a Grand Challenge that is big, important, and compelling—one that the profession of social work should be adopt. Meeting this challenge will require a focused, organized response from social work researchers, clinicians, and policymakers. Ending homelessness will require innovation and interdisciplinary or cross-sector collaboration. Key words: Housing First, Permanent Supportive Housing, rapid re-housing, prevention, poverty. The notion that homelessness in the United States can be ended, rather than managed (Mangano, 2002; National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2012), represents a fundamental shift in expectations from the 1980s and ’90s. Since the early 2000s, researchers, policymakers, advocates,

Homelessness has been a problem in Hawaii, and especially Oahu, for more than two decades. The homeless have overrun the islands but it is no surprise as the circum- stances allow for it. Multiple factors contribute to the ongoing dilemma including the high cost of living, Hawaii being an island state, and the expensive housing. The prob- lems that cause homelessness are not going to go away by themselves. Although the problem is not increasing, the numbers show that it isn’t decreasing and shouldn’t be unless the state and community acts.

First, government provides housing assistance to low-income families. Low-income families just need pay 30% of their total income for rent. Second, mainstream programs provide a safety net for homelessness. This net makes mainstream programs like housing assistance, welfare, and substance support could provide what homelessness need quickly. Third, Communities created a data system to record information about homelessness. These information could be analyzed to help people know the cause of people become homeless, how long people become homeless, what exactly homeless people need, and the effect of mainstream’s support. Government already saw some positive influence of these programs. The number of family homelessness decreased 43 percent in Hennepin Country. New York creased 11 percent of homeless families was placed by a permanent housing. (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2010)

Homelessness is an aspect of society, which most people chose not to acknowledge. With the increasing amount of issues the United States faces, homelessness tends to be forgotten when the time comes for the government to establish what issues they should assist. Due to the substantial amount of issues the government concerns itself with, homelessness does not receive the necessary attention required and is improperly handled. In today’s society poverty-stricken individuals or families is too much of a common occurrence to be treated as lightly as it is. Additional government intervention is necessary in order to supply the needed resources, which can prevent the further spread of homelessness. The United States government is obligated to protect its citizens and should care about the constant growth of homelessness. Through economic policies and community advertisements, the government can control the issue of individuals who are facing poverty.

The issue of homelessness is one that I can relate to all too well. About twenty five years ago I found myself among the homeless. My story is simple, I had no formal education and was working a job making minimum wage. I couldn’t keep up with my rent and other living expenses and was finally evicted from my overpriced apartment. At the time I was on a waiting list for public housing for which there was at least a two year waiting period. The fact that I was single, with no children did not help me either. For a while I lived on the streets and in shelters, too ashamed to approach what family members I had with my problems knowing that they were

Homeless people in Allegheny County, PA are a vulnerable population that needs addressed. Homeless populations consist of individuals, families and veterans who struggle with obtaining the basic needs of life, that many take for granted. A shortage of affordable housing, not enough income to meet basic needs and inefficient support services all contribute to homelessness in the communities (In Nies & In McEwen, 2015, p. 433). Services, help, and resources are available in this county, but getting this vulnerable subset of the population to seek this help, are difficult.

For five of the seven states to be in the leading eleven of homeless population holds a 0.36% chance of happening, approximately 1 in 300. With the common knowledge of marijuana being a “gateway drug,” and Seattle now illegally approving sites for addicts to safely inject drugs, the attraction of addicts should not be a surprise. In combination with these addicts inevitably comes the homeless. This is represented by the unavoidable fact that two years prior to the legalization of marijuana, the Seattle-area saw an average increase of about 250 unsheltered homeless per year until the legalization of marijuana not so coincidentally brought that number to nearly 700 per year (Potts). In addition, according to a survey of 1,050 homeless in the Seattle-area, 55% admit to using drugs or alcohol, with a staggering 17.2% using methamphetamine, 12.2% using heroin, and 5.5% using crack (Klein). For people incapable of affording a home or maintaining a job, it is astounding that so many continue to afford and use drugs. Not only is the number of homeless in the Seattle-area a problem, but their habits are

The homeless population, in addition to having no stable home, faces a range of challenges in both their health and social situations. These issues include substance abuse, mental health disorders, criminal records, and extended periods of unemployment. Despite the state providing funding for housing, particularly with House Bill 436 of 2016, these issues will certainly impede the ability of these people to maintain stable housing.

Everybody knows what it means for someone to be homeless, but most people do not really know what it means to actually be homeless. This is the basis of my project, conducting research over five weeks to learn as much as possible about the homeless and evaluating the change in my levels of empathy. In order to evaluate any change, I first had to outline my feelings about the homeless. In general, although I didn’t have "extreme feelings towards the homeless", I felt this assignment could "change my perspective". Most of my opinions were generalizations about the homeless "having done something wrong rather than" assuming misfortune, "accept[ing] their position and not attempt[ing] to

The idea of homelessness is not an effortlessly characterized term. While the normal individual comprehends the essential thought of vagrancy, analysts in the sociological field have connected conflicting definitions to the idea of homelessness, justifiably so as the thought includes a measurement more exhaustive than a peculiar meaning of a single person without living arrangement. Homelessness embodies a continuum running from the nonappearance of a changeless safe house to poor living courses of action and lodging conditions. As per Wolch et al. (1988), homelessness is not an unexpected experience rather it is the zenith of a long procedure of investment hardship, disconnection, and social disengagement that has influenced a singular or

Approximately 1.7 million young people call the streets home every year, children under the age of 18 account for 39% of the homeless population and every year, approximately 5,000 homeless young people will die due to assault, illness, or suicide while trying to survive (Safe Horizon, 2015). Some of these children have families with them, but many do not. Children are vulnerable, but adding homelessness increases risk factors and violence, decreases safety and nearly eliminates advocacy for their health and well-being. Nurses can be excellent community change advocates for homeless youth by seeking them out, making sure they have appropriate clothing, food and water and by assessing their needs and helping them to receive health care.

Homeless is about the things we take for granted. It isn't about a shelter that protects us from the elements, although important, but it is about the small stuff that makes home feel like home. For example: hot water, plastic drying racks, and many things that makes up the home. For most of us we are born into a family that has a home and we know nothing differnt. There is something about owning a place that is yours, which you can decorate how you like. Simple things like the color of the walls.

Being homeless means having no home and living on the streets. Roughly 206,286 people in families were counted as homeless on a single night in January 2015 according to PIT data. (“Families with Children.”) That large number is one fourth the population of Belleville, Illinois. This is significant because it shows that there is a major problem in society today and it’s homelessness. Schools have reported that 1.3 million students experienced homelessness at some point during the 2013-2014 school year. With these statistics one might ask themselves: Why are so many people homeless and who do we blame? An expert Stannisslaus Kennedy says the government should provide funding for local community services to the people. (“Four