Premium Essay

Homeless Needs

Submitted By
Words 1911
Pages 8
Needs of the Needy
Homelessness is a substantial problem that America has come to face. Millions of people, including children, families, babies, veterans, and the elderly live day after day without food, water or a roof over their heads. People who are mentally ill have more difficult time while living on the streets, it can be extremely confusing to them, and dangerous to the rest of society. While circumstances can vary for each individual that experiences homelessness, there are a few relevant main causes and consequences that most individuals who have become homeless encounter. This problem must be solved soon, and therefore should be addressed as a major crisis that is affecting our society. The preferable remedy for the homelessness …show more content…
It is easier for homeless people to gain emotional disorders because of the psychological trauma they often have, from different stressors they encounter daily to sexual or physical abuse. 90% of suicide victims have a diagnosable psychiatric illness (Power). Those with mental disorders often never are able to get psychological help leaving them more vulnerable to committing suicide. Studies show that homeless and low-income housed families have higher rates of depression than the overall female population. Homeless mothers have an average of making at least one suicide attempt (“Health and Homelessness”). “Suicide among homeless people, both adults and young individuals, is a known health problem, with 22-46 percent having attempted suicide and up to 61 percent having had suicidal thoughts” …show more content…
It is cheaper to house those with mild mental illnesses and addicts in recovery then to continually treat them on the streets or arrest them. With buying the hotels they could be established to close monitor the patients to prevent drinking and drug use. This wouldn’t be a permanent solution but it can take pressure off emergency services for a few years until more permanent arrangements can be made. Older hotels usually are torn down after a few years because the land is worth more money than the empty buildings. The idea of housing the homeless while treating their addictions is the ideal thought, it won’t solve the problem but it can start the process to decreasing the pressure

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Chronic Homelessness In America

...has yet to be found. But, activists have came up with many alternatives for example like affordable housing and homeless shelters. Alarmingly twenty-two percent of people in shelters were children. There are a lot more statistics like this that just wanna make you cringe. But, they are receiving shelter and food so that is a great alternative than sleeping on the streets. Although this isn't a complete solution to the issue of homelessness we are getting closer to a final solution. Homelessness has gradually become a...

Words: 860 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Vulnerable Populations

...tattered clothes, unshaven beard, an unseen smell that comes from them. Homeless people have existed throughout history of the United States. However, more recently, it would seem that the numbers have risen since the economy is not doing so well. Within this paper, the model population homeless person will be discussed along with statistical information in Georgia, service outcome goals, pinball program to teach the goals that include to community organizations, internalized cost estimate of healthcare dollars saved by this program, and to potential funding sources that may potentially provide monetary sponsorship. According to the declaration of human rights, article 25 (1), states that “everyone has the right to… food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social services” (Donohoe, 2004). Although, it states right there that it is every person’s right to have access to these necessities, this is not always the case for many who for whatever reason, do not have the means to afford them. The current downturn of the economy next with current unemployment situation has led to force many people into homeless situations. But time homelessness “refers to the condition of individuals without a regular dwelling and the term is used to describe people who do not have the home and who sleep on the street, but is also commonly used to refer to individuals whose primary nighttime residence is a homeless shelter, a warning center, or another ad hov type of housing”...

Words: 2535 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Homelessness Plan

...Deborah Mager Dr. Bliss Engl. 101 11/22/11 Homelessness Plan There are so many children who are homeless each year with their families. Lucy Smith is one such child. She lives in a car with her mother after they lost their home. This past August, when the back to school lists came out, her mother couldn’t even afford to get her all the supplies she needs. Children at school make fun of her for being homeless and Lucy’s teacher kept asking her where her supplies were. Every morning, they go into a store to use the bathroom to get ready for the day. At least three nights a week, they try and go to a friend’s house to take a shower and wash their clothes. Her mother is looking for a job, but it’s hard to get hired when they don’t always have the cleanest clothes and an address. Lucy is just one child affected by homelessness, but there are many more, just like her. Unemployment is a major factor in homeless families ending up on the streets. The U.S Department of Labor claims that in 2010 there were at least 9.8 million families with an unemployed member. When the economy crashed, many people lost their jobs or received reduced hours. For many families, that caused them to get behind in paying rent or the mortgage. It was especially bad for the minimum wage workers who were already on the verge of homelessness before they lost their jobs. Another problem contributing to homelessness is the mortgage crisis. A Medill School report found that in October 2007, Illinois ranked...

Words: 2817 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Assignment 3, the Concept of Program Reengineering

...homelessness are people just like us. They desire financial stability and a secure home, but have confronted difficult circumstances without sufficient resources to overcome the situation and remain housed. Unfortunately, that is the reality of homelessness today. Typically, families become homeless as a result of some unforeseen financial crisis - a medical emergency, a car accident, a death in the family - that prevents them from being able to hold on to housing. Most homeless families are able to bounce back from homelessness quickly, with relatively little public assistance. Usually, homeless families require rent assistance, housing placement services, job assistance, and other short-term, one-time services before being able to return to independence and stability. In the case study, "Mayor Schell's Zero Homeless Family Pledge", Norton discusses the challenges facing a policy manager in a large city (Seattle) government agency who is expected to implement a bold new policy to reduce homelessness that may exceed the local government's capacity to address the issue. In the case, the mayor of Seattle pledges in June that there will be no homeless families with children or homeless women by Christmas. The manager in the case, Alan Painter, shares the mayor's commitment and enthusiasm for reducing homelessness in the city, but has many concerns about the feasibility of the mayor's pledge. Painter knows the current...

Words: 1362 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Homelessness, Kip Tiernan

...Kip Tiernan: A Leader in the Fight Against Homelessness Homelessness can be defined as an individual lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (McKinney-Veto Homeless Education Act, Section 725). Because homelessness can be a short or long-term problem, it is difficult to accurately calculate homeless figures. The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that there are 634,067 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States. This includes people of all genders, ages, races, and backgrounds. According to the Campaign to End Child Homelessness, 1.6 million children experience homelessness annually (2012). In total, approximately 3 million individuals are experiencing homelessness each year (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty). Homelessness is a problem that is very personal. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends, and veterans are being affected. We must come together as a society to work toward combating this problem. Kip Tiernan was an inspiring leader in the fight against homelessness. Her greatest accomplishment was founding Rosie’s Place, the first homeless shelter for women. Kip Tiernan was born on June 17, 1926 in West Haven, CT. She was raised by her grandmother after her parents passed away when she was still a child. She got expelled from boarding school in the 1930s for consumption of alcohol. In 1947, she moved to Boston to study jazz at Boston Conservatory. Unfortunately, she again got expelled...

Words: 1733 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Human Services Worksheet

...Human Services Professional Worksheet BSHS 355 September 16, 2014 University of Phoenix Material Human Services Professional Worksheet Select three agency types from the following list: |A drug and alcohol treatment program |A hospital rehabilitation center (A physical rehabilitation center) | |A homeless shelter |A crisis intervention center | |A day treatment drop-in center for teenagers | | Complete the table for the chosen agencies by providing a 60- to 85-word response in each column. An example has been completed as a guide. |The agency |Description of the agency |Who they serve |The professionals involved with the |The professional’s role | | | | |agency | | |A domestic violence program|A domestic violence program provides |As mentioned, this program may |In many residential programs, |The role of the professional working in a| | |protection and...

Words: 1324 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Homelessness: A Case Study

...In Allegheny County, homelessness has been an ongoing issue in need of attention. Each year the Continuum of Care (CoC) program assists in providing point-in-time (PIT) data to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regarding the demographics of the homeless population throughout the country. People become homeless for a number of reasons. Primarily homelessness is due to a lack of funds. Homelessness can also be attributed to severe mental illness and chronic substance abuse. In the United States, 20-25% of the population is affected by some form of severe mental illness. People affected with mental illness are more likely to become homeless than the general population. Mental Illness can disrupt a person’s ability to carry out essential daily tasks of living, such as self care and household management. Mental illness can inhibit...

Words: 379 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Outlaw Loitering Research Paper

...natives it is a struggle to find food or even a bed for the night. Believe it or not the Aloha state has one of the highest homeless rates for their population among the other fifty states. The governor has signed an emergency proclamation to tackle the problem of homelessness in the state. He said that this should give those individuals and families some hope for the future, and give them a faster route to finding a home. The governor also said that even though emergency proclamations are usually signed for natural disasters or statewide epidemics this should be considered one of those because of all the people it includes. The last things that were mentioned was that this plan is estimated to cost one point three million dollars and intends to provide permeate housing very soon. In Matthew six twenty-five it talks about how we do not need to worry about what we eat, drink, or wear, because God has that all in his hands. In the verses following it says to look at all the good...

Words: 482 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Homeless in Prince William County

...Homeless in Prince William County   Introduction and background: Homelessness is one of our nation’s most misunderstood and vexing social problems. Many individuals of all races struggle with the devastating effects of homeless including families with children, single adults, teenagers and the elderly. This is an issue that can be defined as living in unsuitable, unsafe and overcrowded environment. “On a single night in January 2013, there were 610,042 people experiencing homelessness in the United States, including 394,698 people who were homeless in sheltered locations and 215,344 people who were living in unsheltered locations” (Henry & Cortes, 2013). This shows homelessness in American is a crisis, many more individuals become homeless everyday. They struggle moving from place to place, night after night, in constant state of fear and survival. People become homeless for a variety of reasons. Homelessness is primarily an economic problem, and is also affected by a number of political and social factors.      Economic factors include the lack of affordable housing, “housing costs have risen steadily across the country, and they have skyrocketed in many areas. Further, the inability to afford housing is concentrated among households with incomes below the poverty level, whose members account for the vast majority of people entering homelessness” (Burt, 2001). The growing gap between wage earnings and the cost of housing leaves millions of families and individuals unable...

Words: 3289 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

3 Types Of Homelessness Essay

... Every homeless person has his or her own reason why they living outside the home. There are three basic types of homelessness. The first one is Temporary, it occurs when individuals have been displaced from their homes for a time but do not stay homeless for long. This could be because of some type of damage to their home such as a fire or natural disaster. Circumstantial is the second type it occurs when a person's circumstances change and he loses his place of residence. They might have lost a job or had to spend some time...

Words: 969 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Homeless in America

...million people homeless, according to the estimates of the National Law center on Homelessness and Poverty. Homelessness can affect anybody at any time through many situations. There are many reasons people are homeless some stem from natural disaster, to loss of job, to unable to keep bills up, to loss of home, to addiction, and to mental illness and physically and sexually assault. Many fall under federal poverty level and find it hard to bounce back. Many people look down to the homelessness people by thinking they are beneath them and have done wrong to be in the place they are in their lives now. Many people don’t look at the whole picture of what has happened to the person or family has gone through and has endeavored. Most people, whom are homeless, hate to ask for help because they feel that they have ashamed about their situation or they have failed their family. “Since the 1940’s, the issue of homelessness has remained a growing concern with the United States.” I have chosen this topic because a year and a half ago I was homeless. With no place to go and now shelters in my area it was hard to know what to do. I lived in a very rural area and it was not in my area. It was very hard I lived in our car for a while and then in hotels when I had the money. I also had three animals and shelters do not allow them. I had no money to kennel them till we got on our feet. I feel that this is a topic that is very misunderstood. There are many homeless shelters in large...

Words: 909 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Homelessness

...McKinney, for purposes of the 1987 McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, “a homeless person (homelessness) is one who lacks a fixed permanent nighttime residence, or whose nighttime residence is a temporary shelter, welfare hotel, or any public or private place not designed as sleeping accommodations for human beings.” (Baum, 8) A rather deceptive definition when one considers the fact that homelessness is not a natural state, but one created and maintained by political agendas.Our government is not doing all that it can to combat our nation’s homelessness.In 1987, the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act was put into law. (Burger, 68-83) However, our government has moved away from the need to address the causes of homelessness. Instead our government has focused on the individual responsibility of those who become homeless, blaming their misfortune as their own fault. (Baum, 5-9) It is this belief that has helped to increase the homelessness of our nation, and it is this belief that will continue to do so if our government does not take a closer and more realistic look at the causes behind homelessness in our nation. Unless our government commits to ending homelessness through public education, policy advocacy, and technical assistance, homelessness will become a national disaster for the United States. Right now our government is not doing all it can towards putting into place the necessary solutions to combat homelessness. Who are/where the homeless people are...

Words: 2445 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Homless

...The Homeless Samantha bates BSHS 442 February 12th, 2012 Mary Beth Bova The homeless are just as important as all other individuals in life and advocacy agency’s are there to help those who are in need. The biggest hit in such a situation are women and children who have no were to turn and end up on the street. Women who have become homeless are either getting out of a bad marriage was there was physical abuse. And in other case the women are not well educated and cannot hold a job after getting divorced. The sad position many of these women have is that the children will become homeless to and be forced to live on the streets. There are some individuals who become homeless due to mental illness because live situations have put them in that position, not been able to hold down a job or function in life. In many cities there are shelters were the homeless can go and get some assistance, for example a meal and place to sleep for the night. In some situation the families will not go to a shelter in the fear that his or her positions will be stolen. In the homeless shelters they should have a safer program making it safer. Young teenage mothers are also at times forced to live on the street due to the parents not wanting to help her raise a child. This could be due to the family not having the funding or ability to raise another child and the baby’s father is not in the picture. There are many individuals who become homeless for other reasons and they might never be able...

Words: 614 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Increase Mental Health Care Funding

...States. Between 2009 and 2011 the United States witnessed some of the largest state budget cuts in history, and we are still suffering from the consequences of doing so. Where does a majority of homelessness, suicide, substance abuse and jail overcrowding stem from? If you take a closer look it will become very clear that cutting the funding for mental health research and treatment has left these mentally ill patients with very few options suitable enough for their varying conditions. Due to the lack of appropriate facilities needed to properly diagnose and treat mentally ill patients, jails are becoming overcrowded and homelessness is at an all-time high. The importance of mental health care is being put on the back burner while, instead, it needs to be a priority and that is why President Obama’s proposition to increase funding to aid the mentally ill in 2014 is extremely necessary. As states cut mental health care funding, prisons are becoming an asylum. There is a very common misconception among the general public that mentally ill individuals are extremely violent, however, this statement has proven to be very false. The unfortunate truth is that this stigma blossoms from the fact that, these days, jails have become one of the few places that will take the mentally ill patients in. As the economy dries up funding to make professional help and proper medication easily accessible, patients have become...

Words: 1630 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Homelessness

...six thousand homeless people in Tucson, even though one will most commonly see one or two homeless individuals throughout a given day (Carter, C. 2013 pg 5). There are homeless people in the parks trying to stay cool under shade and on the streets asking for assistance from others; fortunately, most people that have extra money, food, or clothes will give it away to those less fortunate. They can usually be spotted by their large collection of belongings in bags or shopping carts. In a survey performed in 2013, a description of the average homeless person in Arizona was developed: The results portray an “average” Arizonan experiencing homelessness today as a single, childless White male in his mid-40s; he has been homeless for several months and has experienced two bouts of homelessness in the past three years. He probably spent last night in an emergency shelter; he most likely became homeless after losing a job or following conflict or violence in his family.” (Hedberg, Hart 2013 pg 3). Some community members have said that they feel uncomfortable around homeless people because they feel unsafe. Homeless people do not usually have the ability to get cleaned up; their clothes are dirty most times and they haven’t washed themselves in a long time. If the people were given an opportunity to clean up, they would have a better chance of finding a job to no longer be homeless. Because of the unfortunate life situations that they deal with on a daily basis, the homeless people have...

Words: 1333 - Pages: 6