Homeless people are everywhere these days; we see them around the corners and at stops asking for change or food. Homelessness affects a numerous people in America on a frequent basis. Sadly, this issue affects all of us whether or not we experience it directly. Its effects are seen through problems in public health, the economy and human tragedy. Some of the reasons people become homeless are unemployment, poverty, lack of affordable housing, substance abuse, mental illness and lacking needed services.
Most homeless people do not have housing and due to their social status it is difficult for them to use restrooms in public places and so they often have to relieve themselves outside which cause a major public health problem. Also, access to health services is hard and some of them have physical and chronic illnesses, which are made terrible by difficult living conditions: sleeping outdoors in all kinds of weather, taking food that is cheap and unhealthy and most them stay in close range that increases the risk of infectious diseases spreading. People who have no homes tend to be more of an expense to a community; this is because they are high consumers of public resources. Sheltering, medical care and feeding the homeless are some of the costs incurred. Some towns rely on tourism; tourists get put off when there is a high rate of homeless people which results in reduced income. Homelessness is a human tragedy; a lot homeless people live under bridges, in tents and on benches which make them vulnerable to bad weather and violence. This also makes them feel stripped of basic human integrity. Some homeless people suffer from drug or alcohol abuse and mental health issues, this leads to increased cases of violence and sexual abuse (Homeward Boundwnc, n.d).
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Homeless is caused by a variety of reasons and but mostly it is due to economic factors. Various sub populations are most impacted by it. People that suffer from mental illness and/or drug or alcohol problems tend to become chronically homeless. These are people that have been homeless for over a year and have been homelessness more than four times in the past three years. Veterans often become homeless due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and disabilities that are as a result of war. Approximately 10% of America’s population is made up of veterans. Young people are also impacted by homelessness because of conflicts in the family, like divorce, abuse and neglect (Ross, 2013). Due to the crisis with foreclosures and the struggling housing market, more middleclass households are finding themselves getting into an already strained rental market, this makes the competition for housing that’s affordable a lot more. If the middleclass household falls below and gets into the lower income class this could drive them to homeless. Lack of housing and poverty are a major factor in homelessness.
After the Great Recession, a lot of the wealthy household have fully recovered whilst the middle-class and low-income families are still suffering from the remaining effects of the downturn and show little improvement in their incomes (Ross, 2013). Homelessness especially affects some but not others due to wealth inequality problems in America. A lot of people suffer from mental health issues and substance abuse problems. What differentiates those that become homeless from the others is support. Some have very strong support systems and access to good facilities whilst others have none of those and therefor turn to the streets.
The Obama administration came up with a plan called Opening doors to end homelessness that included collaborating with other agencies. The plan is to mainstream education, housing, health and human services to prevent Americans from experiencing homelessness. The plan consists of four goals. One is to avert homelessness and stop it amidst veterans in five years. Also, finish the job of ending chronic homelessness in five years. Another is to avert and end homelessness for youth, families and children in the next 10 years. Finally, to find a way to end all kinds of homelessness (Ross, 2013). This plan is still underway and we are yet to see the results.
There is nobody to out rightly blame for homelessness, the government plays a role, us as individuals plays a role. We all have a role to play to help curb this problem. If we can all come together and come up with ideas and solutions to tackle this it can be reduced, although I don’t think it will ever end.
References
Homeward Bound wnc. (n.d). Homelessness . Pp 1. https://homewardboundwnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Homelessness-Dec.-2012.pdf
Ross, T. (2013, December). No Place Like Home – Addressing Poverty and Homelessness in the United States . p 5-6-10. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/poverty/reports/ 2013/12/05/80220/no-place-like-home/.
