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The National Alliance For End Homelessness Essay

Decent Essays

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

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