The Effects Of Homelessness In America

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

​Homelessness and substance abuse are often two problems that continue to be linked together. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (2011), research conducted in the past five years indicates that about 50% of those who are homeless have co-occurring substance abuse problems. Along with co-occurring substance abuse problems, there continues to be other problems such as treatment access to those who are homeless. In this paper we will explore research on the homeless population in relation to substance abuse, and effective interventions on an individual level.

The widespread of the crack cocaine in the 1980 also increased homelessness. Many individuals suffering from homelessness also suffer from many different type of drug addictions. It is estimated that 40 % of homeless people are dependent on alcohol and 25% on other drugs. Alcoholism is increasingly being recognized as the most pervasive health problem for homeless. In addition homeless alcohol dependent individuals have a higher prevalence of other psychiatric disorders and more impaired in their social and vocational functioning. Alcoholism and the behaviors coupled with it have a huge influence on physical health. Majority of studies conducted on homelessness and drugs

Homelessness has always been a problem for the United States. Since its birth as a nation, there have consistently been individuals who find themselves without a place to live, looking for shelter with family, friends, or simply anywhere they can find it. These individuals have been targeted as candidates for social aid, but this was primarily provided by churches and other care organizations. However, in the past thirty years the homeless population has increased almost exponentially in numbers. While the cause of this is undetermined, it is quite certain that while the

The United States of America is the place known to many as the land of the free, home of the brave, and the place to start a better life. With any place that has good qualities, some have not so good qualities. The homeless population in the United States is at a staggering high, and many individuals are suffering because many lack employment/financial resources, housing resources, support from family and friends, and others negligence; such as natural disasters or fires. Homeless individuals may have no other choice than to live on the streets, trains, and alley ways to name a few places where homeless people seek shelter. The history of homelessness, social problems, demographics, common clinical

Homelessness in the United States is a serious problem that can be helped by giving homeless people opportunities to thrive in better conditions and/or communities. Although getting them off the streets is a huge step in the right direction, other actions need to be taken. Making sure they have somebody in their corner is a huge step in that process. There are 1,750,000 homeless people on the streets at this very moment. 1 in 30 children in the US, 40% of the homeless population are also Veterans. Some people wonder how someone even becomes homeless, there are multiple reasons, such as physical or mental impairments, living in poverty, and tragic life occurrences.

A substantial percentage of homeless population are individuals who are chronically unemployed or have difficulty managing their lives effectively due to prolonged and severe drug and/or alcohol abuse. Substance abuse can cause homelessness from behavioral patterns associated with addiction that alienate an

The homeless assistance programs in the United States are overloaded. There are more than half a million people who are currently homeless, either sleeping outside, in a transitional housing program, or in some sort of emergency shelter. Nearly 180,000 of those people are considered as unsheltered, meaning they sleep outside on the streets, or in makeshift tent cities (The State of Homelessness in America 2015, 2015). While the stigma of those who are homeless is widely perceived as those who are drug addicts, there are many other reasons people can find themselves without a place to call home. Foreclosure, poverty, eroding work opportunities, decline in public assistance, lack of affordable housing, domestic violence, and mental illness are

Homelessness is a significant health challenge to care system in the United States. Maness and Khan state that over 610,000 people did not have a shelter in 2013 on any given night (Maness & Khan, 2014). Also, a study conducted by Health Quality Ontario (2016) reviewed homelessness interventions between 1995 and 2015. The study indicates that the problem has been in existence for quite some years. According to Maness and Khan (2014), an increase in the shortage of affordable housing has been the primary trends responsible for homelessness in over thirty years. Also, statistics indicated that about 14.3 percent of Americans and 10.5 percent of the families lived on

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

Individuals with addictive disorders disrupt relationships and trust with family, friends, job or everyday life. In order to cope with their harsh reality, turning to alcohol or drugs temporarily provides a short but dangerous relief. In reality, however, substance dependence only exacerbates their problems, increase health issues, and decreases their ability to achieve employment stability and get off the streets (National Coalition for the Homelessness, 2009). Common health issues affecting homeless people are substance use disorders, wound infections, and mental disorders.

Homelessness is increasing more every year. In fact, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, over 640,000 people experience homelessness every

Poor physical and mental health is one principal cause that leads to homeless. Often those who spend extended amounts of time without a home have untreated mental and physical issues that prevent them from the ability to survive on their own. One common physiological disorder is depression, which is widespread among a large percentage of the homeless. Physical injuries are a disability that can keep many homeless from finding or keeping a job in addition to the addiction of drugs and alcohol. Substance abuse is frequent among the homeless, and these addicts have problems functioning in public and keeping a stable and healthy lifestyle. After coming back from the military, some veterans develop post-traumatic stress disorder, an issue that can make them mentally unstable, and in some cases result in no place to live. The homeless often lack adequate access to health care while they have a much higher rate of health issues.

The most common cause of homelessness is of course not being financially stable. A low-income job might not be good enough for a person to consistently pay for housing. A known rule for housing is that thirty percent of a person’s income should go towards paying for housing. This might not be a problem for people with high paying jobs or for individuals, but in cases where there is a family or someone with low income, more than thirty percent is used for housing. Having a low-income job is sometimes due to the persons low education of not having graduated or lacking the skills to move up in their workplace. Families have much more necessities that require money as well. If more than thirty percent of the family’s income is used for rent, they

People who become homeless are likely to turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with their situations or to find comfort. Additions cause people who are having a rough time to become homeless. Often result in people losing their jobs, making it more difficult for them to pay their bills, thus resulting in homelessness. It is impossible sometimes for a homeless person to break their addictions, because even if they do break it, it is going to be difficult living on the streets trying to stay sober. While living on the streets, you start to feel lonely and depressed. The addiction will make you feel some kind of confront but still have you feel empty inside. This is why people keep on drinking and taking drugs so after. They are trying to fill that void of emptiness inside of them or trying to handle the depression they might be going through. Homeless people who suffer from mental illness and are using drugs on the streets as medication to their illness, have a harder time recovering. Many homeless individuals in the Virgin Islands have experienced few things of what was previously