What Causes Homelessness? The United States Of America

Homelessness is an issue in American society today that affects anywhere from 800,000 to 3.5 million people. There are a substantial amount of people that are without shelter, food, or employment, and there are numerous other people affected by poverty and homelessness. People living in nearly every city in the United States are affected by homelessness due to the large amounts of homeless individuals living on the streets and begging for money, food, and other necessities. The issue of homelessness has been a constant problem since the conquering of the New World, and soup kitchens and homeless shelters have not been able to fully end homelessness. Especially today, with a lack of affordable housing and high unemployment rates, homelessness is prevalent.

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.

A place of safety and security is something that many of us take for granted, until we are confronted in our own neighborhood by someone holding up a sign pleading for help. Homelessness is a problem that has been afflicting hundreds of thousands of people around the world for ages. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, on a single night in 2016, 549,928 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States. That means that there were at least 500,000 individuals suffering without a place to lay their heads at night. In this report I will be discussing the causes of homelessness, who is affected, how it affects people, and homeless mistreatment.

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 America has existed for some time now, but has grown and changed majorly over the years since the 1980’s. According to Mary Hombs, “the prevailing stereotype of a homeless person was that of a middle-aged white urban male alcoholic” (6). But now there is no stereotype because homelessness could happen to anyone at any moment, so that is why it important to be aware. Millions of people in this country do not have a place to live including whole families, children, veterans, and even the mentally ill. Going day after day without food or shelter. Throughout this paper the main focus will be answering the questions: What is homelessness?; What are the main causes of homelessness?: Who is the homeless?; and How do the people of this country assist the homeless?

Homelessness is an issue in the United States. Individuals often become homeless for reasons such as; joblessness, underemployment, and enervation of unemployment benefits. People with families often do not earn enough income to support a family and provide adequate housing. Some people neglect to pay their rent, and as a result, he or she and possibly the entire family become homeless. In addition, people and families with barriers associated with medical issues, illicit drug use, and sexual/physical abuse may become homeless. The impact of multiple barriers on a person and/or family and lack of available resources to address these needs, is one of the many reasons why homelessness is such a serious issue within communities

Homelessness is a product of our entire country which is a direct reflection of our economy and there a lack of insight to those who have little to no means of digging themselves out of this rut. The loss of employment, unskilled laborers, lack of education which contributes

The United States is a country of wealth, prosperity, and opportunity, yet a large number of people are still homeless. Many people become homeless or lose their houses for different reasons. In Maryland alone, more than 50,000 people experience homelessness annually (Health Care for the Homeless). Before a family or an individual becomes homeless, they go through a series of devastating occurrences that are mostly unintentional and sudden. Some people become homeless from causes such as a family dispute, divorce, substance abuse, or gambling. The problem of homelessness is not easy to solve, but people need to understand that some of the prominent causes are a mental disorder, illness, loss of a job and domestic violence.

Usually the government wants the best for the people of its nation, and provides for their needs. Shockingly, this is not the case in Yemen, where families with young children are left to defend themselves. Specifically homosexual men are being targeted by their own nation, and terrorist groups. The conflict in Yemen is in the most dire of situations as innocent people are dying, becoming homeless, and getting arrested. This is an urgent problem because many innocent people are being victimized in Yemen, and have nobody on their side.

Homelessness is a prominent problem in the United States. Homeless people are unable to find permanent housing or essential supplies such as food or drinks.

Homelessness is an unfortunate epidemic that has plagued communities across the United States for decades. Although a homeless population has existed in our society throughout history, this social issue came to a head only a few decades ago in the early 1980’s. What defines homelessness varies from source to source, however a concise definition, stated by the McKinney-Vento Act, specifies that a homeless individual is typically one that lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night time residence (McKinney-Vento Act, 2001). Approximately 3.5 million people experience homelessness at some point each year in the United States. The homeless population is presently declining across the country. The National Alliance to End Homelessness reported a seventeen percent decrease in the homeless population between the years 2005 and 2012. However this trend is really only a mirage, that is certain to end and revert itself in the opposite direction. The increasing population, scarce resources and the surging number of individuals living at or below the poverty line indicate that the number of people without adequate shelter will eventually increase.

Today, homelessness has become a huge issue, not only in America, but all around the world. The number of children, youth, elderly, and families that have gone homeless has increased to millions. According to a survey conducted by the United states “an estimated 100 million people were homeless worldwide, as many as 1.6 billion people lacked adequate housing” (global Homelessness statistics, 1); however, the number of homelessness increases daily. There are several reasons and factors in which any individual can go homeless. Some of the causes include but are not limited to, drug addiction, physical abuse, family issues, unemployment, natural disasters, and depression.

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.

Homelessness is in fact a heated issue in the world. So, what are the causes of homelessness? First, homelessness is defined as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.” (The Mckinney-Vento, Homeless Assistance Act, Title X, Part C). There is an increasing number of homelessness because the instability in world’s economy, civil war, poverty and other causes. However, the class that is affected most and worst is the

Homelessness is the situation where individuals lack safe and adequate housing resulting in sleeping in the streets, their cars, and family or friends homes or in shelters. According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a homeless person is an individual who does not a have a permanent residence place, but rather has a temporary nighttime residence which is not designed for the accommodation of human beings (National Health Care for the Homeless Council, n.d.) Such nighttime residences include abandoned buildings, camping grounds, car parks and bus stations among others. Other agencies define homelessness as a situation whereby an individual lacks the necessary resources or networks to obtain permanent residence. Although there are different ways in which people experience homelessness, all types of homelessness are characterized by poverty and lack of permanent and stable housing. Homelessness can be short-term, long-term or even chronic. Regardless of the type of homelessness, the underlying intervention to end the issue of homelessness is to have measures or strategies that provide permanent and affordable housing to the homeless (National Alliance to End Homelessnes, 2015). The following essay is a proposal on how best to help the homeless in the community. The essay will begin with a brief analysis or statistics of the problem in the US. The essay will also outline the main reasons attributed to homelessness.