Summary: The Root Causes 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

Homeless people are a vulnerable population in many respects that they always face discrimination and exclusion because of their housing condition. It is a social problem that typically low wages and shortage of affordable housing are the main factors contributing to homelessness. In fact, many poor people face significant barriers to maintain stable housing because they don’t have accessibilities to increase their economic stability. Overall, there are significant factors that contribute to homelessness that many homeless people usually struggle with limited access to resources, lack of information about services, and lack of support systems.

According to Homeless Link (2010), homeless people are 4 times more likely to suffer from mental health issues, compared to those with stable accommodation (Homeless Link, 2010). Generally, homelessness can be described as a situation where a person is ejected from his or her home due to economic problems or illness. In addition, homelessness can contribute to the cause of most mental health issues which can sometimes result in homeless people with mental health issues facing extreme forms of social exclusion (The Queen’s Nursing Institute, 2012). Nevertheless, Bhugra (2007) argues that most people who had no mental illness develop mental health issues while homeless because of the trauma and experience associated to homelessness, this can be disempowering and can result in severe isolation. Furthermore, Bhugra (2007) concluded that ‘not all individuals with mental illness are homeless and not all homeless individuals are mentally ill’. Shelter (2007) highlighted the possible link between homelessness and mental health which showed the effects homelessness has on the mental health of homeless people with street sleepers and rough sleepers been severely affected (Shelter, 2007).

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.

Structural factors of homelessness affect people due to circumstances and out of the control of the individual while individual factors are individual apply to the surroundings of a homeless person. Structural factors such as the availability of low-income housing and higher rental of housing exacerbate on the already burdening individual factors. Many researchers contribute homelessness to structural factors but advocates of human rights debunk this and highlights that the main reason for homelessness is due to mostly individual factors, which are health problems, poverty, and family breakdown also the domestic violence of women and child. Addressing the driving causes is the most significant strategy to minimize the homelessness population. Future research must put more attention on individual causes without denying the reality of structural causes (Main, 1998). Based on my research, individual factors are the main cause while the structural factors put more pressure on burdening individual factors that lead to

After doing much research, I have learned that to develop awareness and interventions to be able to help the homeless population, we must understand their mental health and behavioral needs. The information they all share in common are the factors why a specific type of population became homeless. The interrelation of homelessness and mental illness are informed by many factors such as; the lack of support, extreme poverty, substance abuse, lack of affordable health insurance, and lack of affordable housing. The homeless population shares different struggles when dealing with homelessness and mental illnesses because there are not enough resources for them to be able to come back to their normal self. When it comes to their struggles, they

Over half of a million people within the United States are homeless, the largest part of that group belonging to the famed and familiar city: Los Angeles. But why is it that the majority of Americans seem so unaffected by the penniless, impoverished souls harboring the areas they often visit? It was once delivered by the famed businessman and religious leader, Joseph B. Wirthlin, in an address named "Live in Thanksgiving Daily" that "The more often we the see things around us -- even the beautiful and wonderful -- the more they become invisible to us" (Wirthlin 11). The essence of Wirthlin’s wise words is that because we see certain things so often, we become desensitized and accustomed to them, leading us to acknowledge them less and less. This however, serves as a poor excuse when explaining our lack of effort in attacking and solving the social issues present in homelessness. In today’s day and age, individuals often adapt the mindset of: “Your problem, you deal with it.” But how are these human beings, who have aspirations and dreams just like you and me (that are now crushed), are supposed to just “deal” with living without a penny to their names with no possibility of finding any source of income? How are these people supposed to just “deal” with the paralyzing fear and helplessness they experience every night before they lie down on the cold, hard concrete floor of a dingy alley that they’re forced to call home for the night? Of course, they don’t. Well, more

Woman and children will usually become homeless due to being victims of domestic violence. While men make up the majority of homeless, women and children make up 38%-50%. (Thompson. p. 4). Women who face domestic violence are usually young with little education and work experience. When they are forced to leave their homes, they have few skills to fall back on. Without family or friends to help them, they will end up staying on the street. Children also face varying levels of domestic trouble. When turning legal age, they are sometimes forced from their homes. Other Children face neglect and abuse and leave on their own hoping to find a better life. One third of these homeless youths will not finish school or earn a high school diploma by age 18 (Thompson. p. 6). Domestic trouble will put them on the street, with a limited education and job history, they will have few options to fix their

A Pathways Project study found that two out of three homeless people in the country suffer from a form of chronic mental illness for which they need treatment (Wells, 2009). Secondly, socioeconomic adversity includes shortages such as low education, job loss, and eviction (Bradford, 2009). Lastly, traumatic experiences such as domestic violence causing psychological trauma are a predisposition to homelessness (Bradford, 2009).

Homelessness is multifactorial and complex, complicated by social, political and structural factors. These factors provides some of the reasons why many people becomes homeless and whether they remained in their circumstance. However the issues that women faces in their life that lead them to become homeless is often severe, many are survival of daily struggles both in the past and present .Homeless women endure trauma victimisation and oppressions, as well as pain and loss from abusive relationship perpetuated by husband and spouse. Most research surrounding homeless women conducted in the U.K and USA, highlighted the extraordinarily high levels of abuse and victimization as key factors leading to women becoming homelessness (Watson,

Of the homeless, 33% are due to domestic violence and family issues, such assaults, family breakdowns, or just for time away from the family. Whereas, only 3% are homeless due to mental illness or substance abuse. There is a common myth that all of the homless people on our streets are ‘druggos’, but this is not true. Over half of all homeless people are men. Younger homeless men are less likely to seek assistance while they are homeless compared to evquivalent homeless females of whom tend to seek assistance on a higher rate. Homelessness can have massivley serious effecs on mental health, physical health and wellbeeing which can lead to mental and physical illness. There have been studies to prove that men whom have become homless due to abusing drugs or from mental illness are more likley to be homeless foe a longer period of time, compared to those who become homeless from other causes. There is also proof that suggests that males aged 25 and over will more than likely develop substance abuse issues due to being homeless, some have taken this as their way to cope and adapt with their new

Understanding how both individual and structural factors contribute to and sustain homelessness is a critical factor in successfully addressing homelessness. All to often service providers blame homeless individuals for the circumstances they are in, making assumptions that substance abuse or other irresponsible behaviors have caused the problems leading to the individual to become homeless. Hoffman and Coffey (2008) suggest, “the perpetuation of homelessness is not internal to the homeless individual as many claim, but rather may be embedded in the service industry itself, which subjects both clients and providers to bureaucratic forms of authority and experiences of disrespect.” While not all homeless people suffer from mental illness or substance abuse, all of

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.

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.

We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty” (Brainy Quote, 1997). In the past homelessness was known as a result of any war. Nowadays, the percentage of homeless people is around 60% worldwide. Also, the concept of homelessness is an expression that covers a huge number of countries which means it shifts from nation to nation. Individuals who are needy are regularly unfit to earn and keep up a standard, protected secure and sufficient stay. Being caused mainly by the individual’s conditions, homelessness can affect people’s health and personal life.