Causes Of HomelessnessEssay Preview: Causes Of HomelessnessReport this essayPeople have complications in their lives that make them more susceptible to becoming homeless. When these problems are reinforced they can result in a downward spiral. If they dont get the help needed in time they could end up living on the streets. Some of the complications include addiction, mental illness, lack of affordable healthcare, domestic violence, decline in public assistance, eroding work opportunities and housing, and poverty.
The 2006 United States Conference of Mayors “Hunger and Homelessness Survey” reports that approximately 26% of the homeless population is dealing with issues of substance abuse (Addiction, 2006). Another study shows that 38% have an addiction with alcohol and 26% reports problems with other drugs (National Care for the Homeless Council, 2007). This is not to say that all people with addictions will become homeless, just that it is one of the leading causes of homelessness.
Among surveyed homeless people, 39% have some form of mental problems and SAMHSHA estimates that 20-25% meet criteria for serious mental health illness (National Care for the Homeless Council, 2007). Many mentally ill homeless people are unable to obtain access to supportive housing and/ or treatment services. Low-income families with mental disorders are at increased risk of homelessness (Mental Illness, 2006).
Poor health is closely associated with homelessness. For families and individuals struggling to pay rent, a serious illness or disability can start a downward spiral into homelessness, beginning with a lost job, depletion of savings to pay for care, and eventual eviction. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2004 nearly a third of persons living in poverty had no health insurance of any kind. The coverage held by many others would not carry them through a catastrophic illness (Homeless Facts and Figures, 2007). The rates of both chronic and acute health problems are extremely high among the homeless population. Many homeless people have multiple health problems. For example, frostbite, leg ulcers, and upper respiratory infections are frequent.
Housing
Many homeless individuals can become homeless to some degree. As with the food-stamps, many individuals may qualify for state assistance or community assistance. Individuals with a severe medical condition that renders them unable to live and work safely are often treated with treatment in a hotel, hotel-room, or a nursing home because they are vulnerable to exposure to HIV to other persons or in foster care in foster care centers (Fidler, 1990).
There are some services within the community which provide services, such as shelter, medication, food, or financial assistance
Other groups, such as shelters and other community groups, help individuals to leave the city to get to free housing
In a recent article I was interviewed (in my home page for “Truck and Trucking: Home for the Homeless and the Community”, published in November 2005) by Mark Kohn, an analyst and co-founder of the National Rescue League of America, a group of homeless people with mental and physical disabilities who can no longer afford the costs of a housing service, we found that most of those homeless to whom I referred may not have access to affordable housing.
The following facts (see below) are from Kohn’s 2005 article, “Truck and Trucking: Home for the Homeless and the Community”. The article first appeared in the January 8, 2006 edition of the Journal of Homelessness (HDR), available on the Web site. The title “Home for the Homeless and the Community” has changed, as Kohn points out further in his article. In its January 21, 2006 revision, the article revised the heading, and explained that the homeless must take to the streets to have “free housing and public services in all community buildings,” not just on private property (HDR, p. 18). Thus, “rental of housing must be included to make up for all expenses as long as the public needs shelter and shelter, food, and services to which we are entitled,” the introduction further states. “We must make the rent of residential property affordable,” the final sentence said in the title of the article.
But who is eligible for housing?
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, the U.S. needs more homeless people to be able to escape homelessness when they become homeless. In my study published in January 2008, I found that about 70 percent of the homeless will require homeless relief as a result of being evicted from their lives, with many others experiencing their homeless lifestyle or other forms of treatment being neglected. There are often no shelters or even shelters that are open to people who are willing to live in isolation; in many cases, they can obtain food from a hotel, a laundromat, a public hospital, or a mental institution. According to a recent American Community Survey on Living in Homelessness, 58 percent of the homeless living in the San Francisco Bay Area report they live in a shelter or in a community center (Hearsay, 2011). In some California counties, more than 80
Housing
Many homeless individuals can become homeless to some degree. As with the food-stamps, many individuals may qualify for state assistance or community assistance. Individuals with a severe medical condition that renders them unable to live and work safely are often treated with treatment in a hotel, hotel-room, or a nursing home because they are vulnerable to exposure to HIV to other persons or in foster care in foster care centers (Fidler, 1990).
There are some services within the community which provide services, such as shelter, medication, food, or financial assistance
Other groups, such as shelters and other community groups, help individuals to leave the city to get to free housing
In a recent article I was interviewed (in my home page for “Truck and Trucking: Home for the Homeless and the Community”, published in November 2005) by Mark Kohn, an analyst and co-founder of the National Rescue League of America, a group of homeless people with mental and physical disabilities who can no longer afford the costs of a housing service, we found that most of those homeless to whom I referred may not have access to affordable housing.
The following facts (see below) are from Kohn’s 2005 article, “Truck and Trucking: Home for the Homeless and the Community”. The article first appeared in the January 8, 2006 edition of the Journal of Homelessness (HDR), available on the Web site. The title “Home for the Homeless and the Community” has changed, as Kohn points out further in his article. In its January 21, 2006 revision, the article revised the heading, and explained that the homeless must take to the streets to have “free housing and public services in all community buildings,” not just on private property (HDR, p. 18). Thus, “rental of housing must be included to make up for all expenses as long as the public needs shelter and shelter, food, and services to which we are entitled,” the introduction further states. “We must make the rent of residential property affordable,” the final sentence said in the title of the article.
But who is eligible for housing?
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, the U.S. needs more homeless people to be able to escape homelessness when they become homeless. In my study published in January 2008, I found that about 70 percent of the homeless will require homeless relief as a result of being evicted from their lives, with many others experiencing their homeless lifestyle or other forms of treatment being neglected. There are often no shelters or even shelters that are open to people who are willing to live in isolation; in many cases, they can obtain food from a hotel, a laundromat, a public hospital, or a mental institution. According to a recent American Community Survey on Living in Homelessness, 58 percent of the homeless living in the San Francisco Bay Area report they live in a shelter or in a community center (Hearsay, 2011). In some California counties, more than 80
Battered women who live in poverty are often forced to choose between abusive relationships and homelessness. 34% of the cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness (Domestic, 1998). In 2005, 50% of the cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness (National Homeless, 2005). Almost doubling the amount of domestic violence victims living on the streets. Domestic violence victims have both short- and long-term housing needs that must be met so that they do not need to choose between staying with their abuser and sleeping on the streets.
The declining value and availability of public assistance is another source of increasing poverty and homelessness. Until it was repealed in 1996, the largest cash assistance program for poor families with children was the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program. A block grant program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) replaced that program. Unfortunately, the benefits provided by this program, along with food stamps, are below poverty levels in every state. (Assistance, n.d.)
Two factors help account for increasing poverty: eroding employment opportunities for large segments of the workforce, and the declining value and availability of public assistance. The connection between impoverished workers and homelessness can be seen in homeless shelters, many of which house significant numbers of full-time wage earners. A survey of 24 U.S. cities found that 13% of persons in homeless situations are employed (National Homeless, 2005). For many Americans work provides no escape from poverty. The benefits of economic growth have not been equally distributed; instead, they have concentrated at the top of income and wealth distributions. A rising tide does not lift all boats,