Structural Factors And The Inadequate Of Homelessness

Family homelessness, accompanied by increased rates of unemployment and absence of affordable housing, developed as a major social and public health problem in the 1980’s. This was largely due to “economic conditions in

The word homelessness can have many meanings in today’s society because the word home can be taken vague. Some individuals might be taking shelter in a cardboard box or even underneath a park bench, while others travel from shelter to shelter to keep a roof over their head. In the United States the Federal Definition of Homelessness is referred to as people who include: anyone who does not have a fixed night-time resident that is adequate for their needs, and those individuals who live temporarily in an institution or anywhere that has not been created as a place for a human to sleep (Homelessness and Substance Abuse, 2014). It is estimated that 3.5 million people in the United States are homeless, which shows that 1 percent of the population is homeless and 1.5 million are children (Homelessness and Substance Abuse, 2014). The list of reasons for individuals becoming homeless is a continuous list, but some of the causes include: poverty, divorce or other relationship breakdowns, no local affordable housing, escaping an abusive house, unemployment, and debt problems (Homelessness and Substance Abuse, 2014). Although there are many causes for homelessness the leading cause is due to alcohol and drug abuse.

Homelessness is a social problem that is prevalent around the world. Homelessness has existed for much of "civilized" human history. In the last two centuries, homelessness and changed and expanded. Sociologists who study and research homelessness have argued over its formal definition for decades, though for some, the definition of homelessness seems self explanatory and obvious. The paper will examine homelessness, particularly as a sociological issue, or a social issue seen from a sociological perspective. The paper will additionally reference sociological theory as a means of explanation for homelessness, such its causes, the demographics/populations, and other prominent known characteristics of homeless people. There are individuals and groups who choose to be, from a normative societal perspective, homeless, but for a great deal of the homeless population, it can be a treacherous and tragic lifestyle that is a result of a distinct set of social, societal, and individual factors.

Homelessness is often accompanied by many other problems such as mental disorders, substance abuse issues, isolation from family and friends, and poor general health. Often time’s people that suffer from homelessness experience a lower quality of life than those who have a place to call home.

I find it is most appropriate to begin with the causes of homelessness in America. The circumstances are unique and it is difficult to pinpoint one main cause. As stated in the most recent annual survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, major cities across the country report that the top four causes of homelessness among families were: lack of affordable housing, unemployment, poverty, and low wages. The same report found that the top causes of homelessness among solitary individuals were lack of affordable housing, unemployment, poverty, mental illness accompanied by the lack of needed services, and substance abuse. For women in particular, though, domestic violence is the primary reason for experiencing homelessness.

Homelessness is a prime concern for numerous countries across the globe, including the most advanced ones. Though the population of homeless people tends to be higher in developing countries, it is still a concern in developed nations. Homelessness is a state where someone lacks regular shelter. The term includes people who do not have a home and sleep on the streets, as well as those whose basic nighttime residence is a homeless shelter or other improvised form of housing. Such people lack the capacity to acquire or maintain sufficient nighttime shelter. Individuals and family units become homeless for many reasons. Assessing these causes can help to mitigate the issue.

Two other perspectives can also help us underline the issue of homelessness. On the one part you have the industrialized world and on the other you have the developing world. Homelessness in the industrial world is explained in terms of a lack of affordable housing, family disintegration, and drug and alcohol abuse, deinstitutionalization

Have you ever wondered how people start to become homeless? Often, people all around the world become homeless by poverty,housing,etc. This is because poverty is a common thread surrounded by everyone who experiences homelessness. People that are homeless don't have any food or water, instead they live on the streets with less clothing and the eager to have food and water. In 2010 14.3% nationwide people are living through poverty. In 2009 43.6 million people are homeless up from 39.8 million in 2008. This research paper is going to explain the history of homeless, some effects that cause homelessness, and some solutions that can prevent homelessness from happening and what we can do to help homeless people.

Homelessness is a problem virtually every society suffers from. There are many things that cause people to become homeless, such as unemployment, relationship problems, and being evicted from ones domicile either by a landlord, friend or even a family member. However, with every cause there must be an effect. Some of the effects of one becoming homeless, besides the obvious change of lifestyle, are various health problems which often times may lead to death.

A lack of affordable housing and the limited scale of housing assistance programs have contributed to the current housing crisis and to homelessness. It has also lead to high rent burdens (rent which absorbs a high proportion of income), overcrowding, and substandard housing. These phenomenons, in turn, have not only forced many people and families on the street, but they have put a large, growing number of people at risk of becoming homeless. Did you know that since 2000, the incomes of low-income households has declined as rents continue to rise (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2005). Even though I understand that there is clearly a

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.

At the most basic level of economic homelessness is caused by poverty and unemployment (Leach, n.d). First factor is housing, which is the lack of inexpensive housing and the limited size of the housing assistance program have contributed to the existing housing crisis and homelessness. Recent foreclosures are increasing the number of people experiencing homelessness. Housing characterizes the fundamental base solution to the problem of homelessness (Homelessness in America - National

Many reasons for worsening situation of homelessness in the country have been reported but none has gathered as much support as poverty. Poverty alone accounts for major increase in homeless households while other possible reasons include loss of job, eroding job opportunities, lack of public assistance and lack of affordable housing facilities. Despite these being powerful reasons, they are all linked to one major reason i.e. poverty.

Down my building street, a homeless lives there. I always wonder what brought him here. What was his previous occupation before living down the street and annoying everyone else. Questions started to rise. Are they really homeless? poor? or faking it up to attract people’s attention? I had an experience that made these questions rise weirdly. One day, I was sitting in Starbucks, located in Cary street beside Chili’s and I saw the homeless that howl beside my home sitting there and charging his brand new Samsung Galaxy phone and began to text. I was shocked because what I saw is not how homeless should be. Another question rose again, which is, why would he buy a phone with an internet in it. He could buy food for that money.

To begin with, individual conditions are major causes of homelessness, and they are quite numerous. For instance, the past of the individuals could be packed with shocking events. Some people have really hard time getting over them, and they always cause them many psychological or physical problems that may hinder their development in life. Shocking events may include loss of job or money. Research (as cited in Gowan, 2010) shows that 22.61% of homeless people are not working seriously to earn enough money. In addition, personal crises, whether social or economic have a huge impact on the individual’s present situation. If someone faces bankruptcy they have a higher chance of facing homelessness in the future. Also, mental illness