Living On The Streets Or Begging For Food

It is a melancholy hearing about the issue of homelessness worldwide. There are countless homeless people on the streets of these large cities. So we ask ourselves; why are people still without homes when new jobs are being created everyday or when unemployment still has not reached zero? This seems to be an ever haunting problem even though it would be so easy to erase it. I think we have reached our limits of dealing with thousands of homeless people blocking doorsteps and sidewalks disturbing us with their begging hands. While most claim to use the money we provide them to buy food or shelter, most will use it feed their addictions. Do you want your money being spent on cigarettes and alcohol? Why should we have to give

Homeless people are not always the victims that the media have portrayed them to be. The alarming fact is that many of the homeless are there by choice. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to portray all homeless people as lazy people who dont want to take care of themselves. This couldn't be further from the truth. In my experience with the homeless they are usually either in bad health, addicted to drugs, mentally ill or a combination of any of these. To compound matters worse, they are usually without any type of legitimate income to support themselves.

Homelessness is defined as having no fixed place to sleep at night. This includes people staying in motels until their money runs out, those staying with friends, those staying in shelters, and those sleeping inside or out whatever space they can find to protect themselves. The number of homeless people has been growing and it has become a serious problem in our society. Every night in Canada there are thousands of people living on the streets. This type of behaviour is considered deviant because it does not reflect the norms and values of our society. In many cases the homeless people in our country are treated as total outcasts. Many of these people have severe mental disorders. Some are victims of an economy that has

Enactment and enforcement of laws that restrict groups sharing food with homeless persons in public space

Homelessness is basically another form of poverty except more extreme, yet society treats it as if it was on another spectrum of problems. Some in society stigmatize this population by saying things like: they’re homeless because they are drug addicts, alcoholics, they don’t want to work and just live off the government for free. What many forget to think about are the factors that have these people on the street, or the fact that they are not only experiencing personal hardship by being without a permanent residence but emotional ones as well. Add the fact they are sometimes discriminated against and excluded by society, and you will realize you are looking at one of the most vulnerable populations.

Each country in the world is faced with various social issues that attract the interests of society and the government. Homelessness is an enormous issue that America has been dealing with for years. There are millions of people, including children, families, veterans, and the elderly who go day to day without food, water or any form of shelter. Mentally ill people also have a rough time out on the streets due to their state of confusion, which makes it dangerous for them, as well as others to be on the streets. Many of these people have had no choice but to become homeless. Economic problems such as being laid off work, or the rise in the cost of housing have lead people to live on the streets.

First, what is homelessness? This question has been up for debate for some time now. There is one general accepted definition of homelessness, due to the different types of homelessness the definition can vary. According to the government of this country homelessness, “is the condition of people without a permanent dwelling, such as a house or apartment” (The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). When people who are not homeless see the less fortunate living outside in public areas they automatically know that the person does not have a “permanent dwelling”.

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.

The fact that there’s laws out there for being homeless is just pitiful and low. Every human has rights and just because he or she is homeless does not mean you can take away their rights. Homeless people should not be criminalized because they have nowhere to go. Yes there are homeless shelters but not all homeless shelters are open for them to stay in. Read into things about homeless shelters and go there. There not as amazing as there cut out to be. Some homeless people say they would rather go back to the streets than to stay at homeless shelters. If one were to look in some of these homeless shelters today they would think the same. Some of them are just disgusting and downright horrible. Why do people expect someone to actually sleep in a place where it is not sanitary.

Homelessness is a serious societal problem affecting our communities. Katel of Housing the Homeless says “about 1.5 million Americans use a shelter in a given year- and advocates for the homeless say that figure badly understates the problem.” Yet, society looks down at these people, not doing anything to help them. They are judged, criticized, and bombarded by false assumptions everywhere they go. I have heard people say “they are like that because they chose to” or “they are lazy and don't want to work.” This is not true in most cases. The reality is life can go wrong at any moment for anyone. For some people there is no one there to help them and their only option is living on the streets or a shelter.

Homelessness is a serious problem in our society. Every night in our nation thousands of people are on the streets. This type of behavior is considered deviant because it does not reflect the norms and values of our society. In many cases the homeless people in our country are treated as total outcasts. Many of these people have severe mental disorders. Some are victims of an economy that has failed them. One may ask how such harsh situations exist in such an advanced society. With all the money and programs created to help people it seems ridiculous that this behavior exists. In a society where people have so much how is it possible that there are still people that have so little. The homeless are humans, no different than anyone else.

The history of homelessness dates as far back to the American Civil War, but the most noticeable is the 1930s Great Depression. During this time a lot of families were not able to afford their homes so they traveled a migrant working trail to find work. “the effects of the Great Depression threw many families out of their homes and into parks and temporary encampments in the countryside, homelessness became a national problem” (Jimenez, A., J., Pasztor, Mayers, E., Chambers, (McDonald), R. M. (03/2014). Over 2 million people were considered homeless at this time who suffered from hunger and poverty. Today The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that 564,708 people were experiencing homelessness in 2015. Which is down “from 18.3 in 2014 to 17.7 homeless people per 10,000 people in the general population” (NAEH, 2016).

It’s Dangerous to be on your own on the street (Jacob). My brother was homeless for a couple months; my brother only had a backpack with his ID, a blanket, pillow, and tools so when he got a job he had his own tools. One night when he was sleeping on a park bench his backpack was stolen. Thank God it was just his backpack because a couple weeks back a man got his throat cut over something. My brother did not know what it was about but now he is living with friends of my parents and he is looking for a job. “A recent survey of 234 cities by the National Law Center on homelessness and poverty found out that on nearly every front, municipalities are cracking down on the homeless: 24% prohibit begging, 22% prohibit loitering and 16% say it’s illegal

Homelessness can lead to violence. Often times is it a way for the homeless to obtain the necessities of survival. These individuals might steal food when they are hungry, or they might steal money in order to get food or clothing. They resort to these deviant behaviors not because they want to, but because they are people struggling to get by. It is a part of their survival. It is also possible that a homeless individual might be a victim of a crime, instead of being the perpetrator. It is likely that a homeless person might get hurt or killed to gang violence, or even civilian who thinks that is it ok to discriminate against them by physically or verbally abusing them due to their vulnerability. (Zahriyeh, 2014, Para.3) states that, “the

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.