According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (2016), in January 2015 there were approximately 564,708 individuals living in emergency shelters or outdoors. With the baby boomer population aging, the rate of homelessness among this population has also increased.
Homelessness is defined as:
1. People who are living in a place not meant for human habitation, in emergency shelter, in transitional housing, or are exiting an institution where they temporarily resided.
2. People who are losing their primary nighttime residence, which may include a motel or hotel or a doubled-up situation, within 14 days and lack resources or support networks to remain in housing.
3. Families with children or unaccompanied youth who are unstably housed and likely to continue in that state.
4. People who are fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, have no other residence, and lack the resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing. (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2012).
Many people have preconceived ideas or thoughts about the homeless population. Some of these thoughts are the individuals are lazy, unmotivated, drug addicts, ill, dirty, and mentally unstable. Then bring in the aging population and the perceptions of incompetence, incontinent, and incapable all of which have been documented beliefs among service professionals such as doctors, nurses, social workers, and mental health professional (Kane, Green, & Jacobs, 2013). Until these perceptions
There are 2 categories within the count sheltered, or living in homeless housing and unsheltered, meaning a car or tent, 18 individuals in the 2016 survey were considered unsheltered this count nearly doubled from the 10 unsheltered in 2015
The Refuge Transition Team (RTT) is a program currently being provided through Mental Health Care, Inc. in the Tampa Bay area. The program is designed with the evidenced based model of Critical Time Intervention. Refuge transition team targets adult individuals who are chronically homeless, diagnosed with a serious mental illness, have histories of public inebriation by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMSHA) definition with priority enrollment given to veterans. The program services 36 individuals per year and services begin in shelter facility and transition to the community as the individual progresses in recovery and independent living. The Critical time Intervention model is time-limited intervention that last up to nine months. The model provides the additional support and assistance this population needs to secure a stable independent life.
This group includes “…those facing the risk of losing their shelter either by eviction or the
There are varying estimates regarding the number of homeless people in America. According to reports from NLCHP the number of homeless people in America is 3 million which include 1.3 million children. ("Homelessness and Poverty, Overview," 1). As I am living in the state of California so I want you to take notice of the homelessness in this state. Estimates reveal that there are 4,400 to 8,800 homeless people in Foresno County (Della-Piana, 2006). The other areas like San Joaquin County has 2,700 people homeless (Farrow, 2009) and in Sacramento County there are similar number of homeless individuals. The situation has become worse due to financial crisis and financial conditions of foreclosures and layoffs. Other reasons are shortage of cheap housing and increase in inner city drug culture due to which homelessness increased in California's Central Valley.
When we start talking about the homeless population there are some key terms that we need to understand. The first of those terms is sheltered homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2014) defines sheltered homeless people as “individuals who are staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs or safe havens” (pg. 2). These would
In the United States the homeless population continues to grow rapidly. Homelessness has been a public health issue for many decades. Often times these individuals feel as though society has turned a blind eye to them. This at risk population is seen by society as lazy or chose to live a life on the streets, but if one would examine this population closely would see that there is more to this at risk population than what society has labeled them as. The forces, which affect homelessness, are multifaceted. Social forces such as family breakdown, addictions, and mental illnesses are in combined with structural forces such as lack of low-cost housing, insufficient health services, and poor economic conditions. Many would
Homelessness has become an evolving epidemic of our time, and the health implications associated with being homeless makes it that much worse. Homeless people are at major risk for premature death and a wide range of health problems such as HIV, skin blemishes, and much more. It is very difficult for homeless people to fix their health issues due to the difficulty of accessing health care possibly because of missing health cards, or simply because of the stigma placed on them when they enter a public facility. Whatever the problem may be that is forcing more people to become homeless, it must be solved, and quickly before our world turns into a travesty.
The federal definition and government statistics of the homeless fall under the aspects of the three categories defined also as “people who fall under the form of non-stable nighttime housing and result to form of living in shelters, hotels, motels, or other families”. This creates more social issue because it causes the effect of bigger households, a more unstable income, and enough income which effect to having families to result in more financial help from the state. For every
Blowing wind, extreme temperatures, lack of private amenities and feeling of shame; these are all of the issues that homeless people endure on a daily basis. Homelessness is an issue that is on rise for many communities throughout the United States. It not only is your stereotypical person but it can be families who have come of hard times but also our veterans who have served our country. According to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council website (2016), “A homeless individual is defined as an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in a transitional housing” (para. 1). Issues caused by homelessness have many communities creating policies and ordinances for those issues that could become a future problem.
A homeless person is one who lacks a permanent place to live. This person is therefore forced to live on the streets, in abandoned buildings, in cars, and some lucky ones get to live in shelters where they are safe from the dangers of the night and also from the harsh elements. These people find themselves in such a situation because they cannot afford to pay for a place to live. This can be caused by a variety of reasons. Economic factors is one of them, where one is unable to get enough money to pay for their house either because they don’t have a job or the money they get at the end of the month is insufficient. There is also the issue of high cost of housing which renders a permanent place to live way out of their reach. They
Companies closing or laying-off workers has left many un- and under-employed. Once a family begins operating at a deficit, recovery becomes more difficult. Without significant savings or familial support, circumstances may conspire to render families homeless through foreclosure or eviction. Once a family has lost stable housing and employment, regaining it may prove to be an insurmountable hurdle that may only be scaled with the assistance of the community.
Homelessness is a major social crisis in the United States of America. From 2014 to 2015, homelessness in America increased by 2 percent. The major sub-populations which comprise homeless people in America are unsheltered persons, families, chronically homeless people, and veterans (National Alliance to End Homelessness 3). In America, 15 percent of homeless people are defined as being chronically homeless, while 2 percent of homeless families are chronically homeless (ibid. 7). A person is defined as chronically homeless by the United States Government if they have been continually homeless for a year or more, or have experienced more than twelve months of homelessness in the last three years (Office
Although it is very hard to estimate the number of homeless people in the US, we can get very close using massive amounts of studies and the census so we can at least get a good idea so we can start helping them. 52% of requests for emergency shelter for families were denied in the last year, a 22% increase from least year.(2) Homeless families in rural areas have very little or nothing to fall back on if they are faced with homelessness. They are often forced to live with friends or relatives to avoid homelessness. This is often considered homelessness and counted in studies. However, nearly half of the families requiring emergency shelter aren't even as lucky as to have a friend or relative to live with.(3) The national estimate for homelessness in the United States as of 2001, was 3.5 Million people, 1.5 million of them being
Homelessness is a major problem facing many cities. Some people are homeless because of unfortunate situations, and others are homeless by choice. Homelessness has been around since 1640.