...Homelessness is an ever growing problem for years in the United States, and the debate on if the government should help is question that has been brought to the table. There has been a sharp increase in the homelessness in 2010 from approximately 407,966 to 640,000 since the fall of the economy (endhomelessness.org 2012). This number only represents just the people that have been reported in shelters. If you look closer the number of homeless in the US is amazing. Homelessness is a complex problem, with many challenges and variables. But for all of its complications, the solution to homelessness to some is surprisingly as simple placing them in homeless shelter. For many city officials, community leaders, and even direct service...
Words: 562 - Pages: 3
...Introduction This paper is an overview of homeless veterans in the United States. I will discuss how this issue fits into the field of sociology while determining which sociological theories from our text apply. Next, I will explain what is known and unknown about America’s homeless veterans. Then, I will discuss the value of sociological research into this issue. Finally, I will determine if there are practical implications of sociological inquiry. There is a serious homeless problem that plagues many Americans, including those Americans that fought for our country. Although we tend to hold servicemen in high regard, many people are very insensitive to those veterans that become homeless. Most people believe that homelessness is due to controllable factors such as laziness or refusal to work. Nothing can be further from the truth. Veterans not only make up a disproportionate percentage of the homeless population, but also stay homeless for longer. In fact, veterans are at a greater risk of becoming homeless due to a number of factors including unique military skills not needed in the civilian sector, combat-related health issues, minimal income due to unemployment, and a shortage of safe, affordable housing. Prior to becoming homeless, many veterans at risk of homelessness have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder or have acquired addictions during their military service. “At least 45 percent of homeless veterans suffer from mental illness, while over 50...
Words: 914 - Pages: 4
...Throughout the United States statistics show that there is evidence of an increase of persons that are in the state of being homeless. Conditions such as unemployment, low income, substance abuse, and mental disabilities are just to name a few. Some of these victims of being homeless are those that are least expected which include members of the military, the veterans, mainly those that have served during the time of the Vietnam War. As a direct result of Post Traumatic Syndrome and other mental/medical disabilities many in this group may not have a permanent home to call their own. To define homelessness according to the site for National Health Care for the Homeless Council (retrieved 2014), one of the official definitions for the state of being homeless or homelessness is presented as follows: A homeless individual is defined in section 330(h) (4)(A) as “an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g., shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing.” A homeless person is an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle; or in any other unstable or non-permanent situation. [Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C., 254b)](National...
Words: 1358 - Pages: 6
...Homelessness: America’s Invisible Numbers As each decade passes there comes to light a new or growing national problem that faces our country. Our nation’s history is blanketed with social problems the American people have encountered, such as civil rights, recessions, political struggles, warfare, and increasing unemployment. Each of these issues has received media attention for the problems, complications, and obstacles they provide for the population. Each of these issues in their own right is important and needs to be addressed because it affects every person in the country. However, there is another problem that poses a challenge to the American people that does not receive the attention it so desperately needs. The issue is American homelessness, a segment of the population that continues to grow with each passing year. Homelessness is caused by a number of factors that differ for each person. The most significant causes of homelessness are the lack of affordable housing coupled with a national increase in poverty, mental illness and addiction disorders. According to the McKinney-Vento Act of 1987, a homeless person is defined as any person who lacks housing. This includes individuals whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility that provides temporary accommodations or an individual who is a resident in transitional housing. This means an individual who lacks fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and an individual...
Words: 1900 - Pages: 8
...which I do not have written permission to include. I further agree that my name typed on the line below is intended to have, and shall have the same validity as my handwritten signature. Student's signature (name typed here is equivalent to a signature): Christopher Holland Introduction The purpose of this paper is to explore the homeless population in the United States while thinking critically. The research for this paper shall detail the history of homeless from its first noticeable conception. The paper will examine the time line of homelessness stating contributing factors as well as detailing the homeless struggle. This paper shall research the nature of the social problems or issues experienced by homeless people meanwhile showing the stereotyping and discrimination of homeless people. This paper will explore the different demographic groups along with common clinical issues and intervention strategies. After the research has explored the many aspects of homelessness then this paper will detail the future intervention to alleviate the the struggle of homelessness. The History of Homelessness The history of homelessness teaches us the epidemic dating back as far as the Middle Ages where most emphasis was put...
Words: 2052 - Pages: 9
...Program: Homeless Antone N. Green HSM/240 PUBLIC POLICY DEVELOPMENT IN HUMAN SERVICES April 19, 2015 Introduction: Homelessness has become a national issue. “At a point in time in January 2012, 633,782 people were experiencing homelessness. The national rate of homelessness was 20 homeless people per 10,000 people in the general population. The rate for Veterans was 29 homeless Veterans per 10,000 Veterans in the general population” (N.A.E.H, 2013). Due to the lack of affordable housing has resulted in vast and growing homelessness among individuals and families. Homelessness is not only a type of poverty but also a severe state of residential instability. Homelessness is increased by behavioral problems, alteration of mental health rule, differences in health and health care, racial disparities, substance abuse, domestic violence, variation in affordable housing, and lack of social support. Thesis Statement: The deficiency of affordable housing has resulted in widespread homelessness and has become a national problem The" Mission for the National Homeless" has decided to combat homelessness by providing food, shelter and other benefits and services to the homeless people. We will focus on providing housing, food distribution to fight hunger, educational, vocational and other services. We intend to fund our programs through private donations as well as federal and state funding. Problem: “Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines homelessness as those...
Words: 1888 - Pages: 8
... Describe the social problem you have chosen. I have chosen homelessness as my social problem. Homelessness is defined as a person whom lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Their primary residence could be a private or public operated shelter to provide temporary living accommodations. It could be an institution that provides temporary residence for individuals needing to be institutionalized. It also could be a public or private place not designed for regular sleeping accommodations for human beings. This could be on the street, park, an abandon building or bus station to name a few. Homelessness has become an epidemic that has tripled since 2000 (Homelessness in the United States, 2016). B. Analyze the extent to which the social problem affects the Untied States. Homelessness affects a range of people. Around 75% of the homeless are adults. The number of children is also climbing but very difficult to collect adequate data. Males make up 60% will a large amount of these being veterans, the number of families is on the rise. Women are usually a result of domestic abuse accounts for 25%. The average age is 30-50 years with 64% of them being one person households. 62% of these people are in minority and 38% have some type of disability. Causes of homelessness include affordable housing, community -based treatment for mental health opposed to institutionalized treatment, veterans that need mental health care or job training, foster children...
Words: 547 - Pages: 3
...issue that “Striving for the Future”, plans to help correct is homelessness in America specifically East Tennessee. The individuals who are homeless are more often than others unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure, and adequate housing. The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country to country, or among different entities or institutions in the same country or region. The term homeless may also include people whose primary night-time residence is in a homeless shelter, a warming center, a domestic violence shelter, cardboard boxes or other ad hoc housing situations. “An estimated 100 million people worldwide were homeless in 2005. In western countries, the large majority of homeless are men (75-80%), with single males particularly overrepresented. In the USA, LGBT people are over-represented among homeless youth, at 40%. Modern homelessness started as a result of economic stresses in society and reductions in the availability of affordable housing. In the United States, in the 1970s, the deinstitutionalization of patients from state psychiatric hospitals was a precipitating factor in urban areas. By the mid-1980s, there was also a dramatic increase in family homelessness. Tied into this were an increasing number of impoverished and runaway children, teenagers, and young adults, which created more street children or street youth. Most countries provide a variety of services to assist homeless people. They often provide food, shelter and clothing and may...
Words: 1967 - Pages: 8
...issues in my community, is homelessness. This is a problem for many communities throughout the country, but I see it on a regular basis in the Raleigh, North Carolina communities. There is currently a health crisis visible on the streets of our communities. There are homeless, men, women and children living in unbelievable conditions. Many of these people are suffering from a multitude of health issues. America seems to have completely forgotten about these individuals, failing to stop a think about what elements of their life ultimately landed them homeless. Homelessness is not just a health concern for the individuals involved it also poses health risk to the community as a whole. First, the homeless are without access to running water, this poses several health concerns such as; where is their human waste going without proper facilities? Additional environmental concerns include; encampments, litter, run-off, disease and drug waste....
Words: 791 - Pages: 4
...HOMELESS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA So who exactly are Homeless? According to the Stewart McKinney Act (1994)[1], a person is considered as homeless if he/she is not able to acquire a “fixed”, “regular” and “adequate nighttime residence” and has a primary nighttime residence that is either used as a place to accommodate people on temporary basis, e.g. motels, rehabilitation centers, shelter homes, etc., or a place that is intended to be used as an institution, e.g. schools, hostels, etc., or a place that is not intended to be used as a nighttime residence (temporary or permanent) i.e. places like public parks, bus stops, subways, streets, etc. So this concludes our definition of Homeless. Now we shall take a look at some statistics obtained through reliable national data sources. Speaking broadly, people face homelessness because they cannot afford suitable housing. In fact, homelessness is clearly visible in urban areas of the country, where people lag enough resources to meet their housing requirements and eventually end up homeless. Homelessness can attributed to lack of money, higher living costs, scarcity of economic residence, etc. Moreover, data gathered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, through point-in-time count shows that; a) There are 610,042 people facing the problem of homelessness on any given night in America[2] i.e. almost 19 people in 10,000 will be suffering from Homelessness. b) Of these homeless people, 222,197 are...
Words: 1711 - Pages: 7
...Vulnerable Populations: The Homeless JLG BSHS302 April 7, 2012 KT Vulnerable Populations: The Homeless The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25(1) states: “Everyone has the right to… food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services” (Donohoe, 2004). Although it is everyone’s right to have access to those necessities, it is not always the case for many, who for whatever reasons, have no means to afford them. Here in the United States, the current unemployment situation as well as record foreclosures has forced many people to become homeless. “The term homelessness refers to the condition of individuals without a regular dwelling and that term is used to describe people who do not have a home and whom sleep on the street but it is also commonly used to refer to individuals whose primary night-time residence is a homeless shelter, a warming center or another ad hoc type of housing” (NPACH, 2011). The homeless face many problems in day-to-day living and this paper will focus on this group as a vulnerable population will discuss the history of the homeless, the nature of homelessness as a social problem, what issues they experience, their demographic, their common clinical issues, intervention strategies used for this particular group, and finally, what interventions are planned for the future. History of the Homeless Population For years, homelessness has been an ongoing problem in countries around...
Words: 1932 - Pages: 8
...Introduction Homelessness is a critical issue within the United States of America. According to the United States federal law and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, if a person lacks a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence the person is then considered homeless. The National Alliance to End Homelessness reported that on a single night in January 2015 564,708 people in the United States were considered homeless, meaning they had no place to sleep. In the 1870s the issue of homelessness in America emerged causing many homeless people to live in urban cities. In the 1930s this issue worsened due to the Great Depression, causing poverty and more than two million people were homeless and in search of work. The homeless...
Words: 1390 - Pages: 6
...Address Homelessness Houston/ Harris County Blue Ribbon Commission to End Chronic Homelessness Houston/Harris County May 2006 Table of Contents COMPONENTS OF THE 10 YEAR PLAN 1. Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness……………………………………Tab 1 a. Context b. Synthesis of Research Findings c. Strategic Plan Goals d. Summary of Year 1 Action Steps e. Funding Requirements f. Summary of Data Report Findings g. Models used to Develop Plan 2. Summary of System Management Function…………………………………Tab 2 3. Enumeration and Needs Assessment………………………………………...Tab 3 a. Enumeration b. Community Profile c. Profiles of Specific Sub-Populations d. Conclusions e. Recommendations 4. Gaps Analysis……………………...………………………………………...…..Tab 4 5. Rapid Re-housing Demonstration Report………………………………….....Tab 5 a. Pierce Intervention Evaluation 6. Open Doors Report………………………………………………………………Tab 6 a. Rapid Assessment of Needs of Hurricane Evacuees Blue Ribbon Commission to End Chronic Homelessness Anna Babin United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast David Benson Harris County Commissioners Court David S Buck, MD, MPH Department of Family & Community Medicine Baylor College of Medicine James Calaway Center for Houston’s Future Robert Eury Central Houston, Inc. The Most Reverend Bishop Fiorenza The Diocese of Galveston – Houston Skip Kasdorf Greater Houston Partnership Richard Lapin City of Houston Anna Leal Houston Endowment, Inc. The Honorable Pat Lykos Harris County Anthony Love Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris...
Words: 17499 - Pages: 70
...Snapshot of Homelessness David Mello HCA430: Special Populations Instructor: Monica Vargas May 2, 2015 Picture This A Snapshot of Homelessness Imagine if you will, for one moment, a reflection of your daily life. For most, it began like any other day; you awoke from your warm and comfortable bed, showered, chose your outfit for the day, ate breakfast, and then went to work or school. As the day came to end, after earning a solid days wage, you went home to a nice warm dinner ready on the table, a bed with fresh linens awaited your tired and heavy eyes, and for the rest of the evening and into the night you slept on a pillow of dreams. This is in essence the American dream is it not? To have the basic needs that to some may come as a surprise, many Americans do not have. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “In January 2014, there were 578,424 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States” (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2015). Many people would be in agreement that the above noted agenda is fairly normal; shelter, food, clothing, education, and family are all blessings and amenities that we take for granted but nonetheless are things that every individual deserves to have. Unfortunately, these are things that many people must suffer without. Scholarly research that spans over the course of two decades has continually and firmly established the emergence and persistence of indigent and homeless individuals...
Words: 2572 - Pages: 11
...RUNNING HEAD: Mental Illness & the Homeless Mental Illness & the Homeless Shannon Nolen 7-21-11 I have lived in many cities and visited many cities where there are a lot of homeless people. I have sometimes wondered how these people get into the situation of not having anywhere to go. I also see a lot of these people talking to themselves and I have always thought they were just on drugs which a lot of them probably are but now that I have learned more about mental illness it is very difficult to determine whether mental illness is a cause or an effect of homelessness. There is research showing that “It is thought that approximately 25 to 33 percent of the homeless population suffers from some form of mental illness” (Townsend). This number is shocking to me and made me wonder why this is? Some of the following theories have been proposed: the deinstitutionalization movement of the 50’s and 60’s, the growing number of war veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, cuts in government entitlement programs for the mentally ill and substance abuse (Townsend). As nurses we have a very important role in treating the mentally ill homeless patient. We have to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness, evaluate whether or not they are taking medications and receiving the right kind of treatment, and if they aren’t we need to guide them in the right direction for getting treatment and provide resources...
Words: 1559 - Pages: 7
