...Homelessness Homelessness is not at big problem in the Faroe Islands. The people, who are homeless in the Faroe Islands, are the people who mostly have got problems with alcohol or other drugs. But they get some money from the country to buy food or something else. And they can sleep in a shelter called “Herbergið”. You don’t often see people sleep on the street here, and if someone sleeps on the street, the police will bring them to the police station so they can sleep there for a night, or they drive them home to where they live. In some countries, homelessness is a huge problem. There are too many people who are homeless, and sadly we can’t help them all. There are some places where the homeless people can go and get something to eat and a bet to sleep in for a night. But because there are so many people who are homeless, there isn’t enough room for them all, so some of them just have to sleep outside. It’s not easy to be homeless. When you are homeless your life is in danger every minute, especially at night. You sometimes have to sleep outside, and there are some people how are so desperate that they will hurt you just to get your money to buy drugs for or something else. There are many reasons why some people are homeless. Some are homeless because they are addicted to drugs or are alcoholic. They are so addicted that they can’t work. While some other people lose their job and can’t find another job. Some people send their children out to beg for money so they can use...
Words: 535 - Pages: 3
...Homelessness Do you ever take what you have for granted? Have you ever stopped to think about what you would do without the necessities you have? Most of us do not realize that we are lucky to be able to go home at night and sleep in a bed. The ugly truth is that there are hundreds of thousands of people in the world that are unable to go to a home at night and sleep in a nice warm bed. What's even worse is that a lot of these people are children, and have never known what it was like to sleep in a bed without any fault of their own. Our neighbourhoods are filled with homeless children and families that deserve the simple things that we may take for granted every day. As we grow older we concern ourselves about the youth that will soon take care of what we accomplished and built to improve our lives. 33,000 Canadians are homeless on the street, 11,000 of which are youth (" Report on youth homelessness", 2012).That is a large chunk of our youth not able to experience or have the same choices as we might have had in our lives. Every person is able to improve or make a change to better this world and environment, and we especially need our youth to help us grow and make a difference in the world. We need to help get our youth off the streets and empower them that they can make a difference, and they do matter. People become homeless for many reasons; however, the most common reason is the inability to pay rent. ("Homelessness in Canada", 2012) Many people may think that people...
Words: 739 - Pages: 3
...Homelessness It is a common desire for many people to have a nice home with the ideal family. While many are able to accomplish this in their lifetime, there are still others who suffer from the inability to achieve such simple joys in life. Homelessness is described as the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are most often unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure, and adequate housing. The legal definition of "homeless" actually varies from country to country, or among different entities or institutions in the same country or region. Homelessness is a prominent social issue within the state of Indiana as well as the rest of the nation that needs to be brought to awareness. In every state, more than minimum wage is required to afford a one or two bedroom apartment. The National Low Income Housing Coalition says nationally a typical family needs wages or combined incomes of $17.84 per hour just to make ends meet. In Indiana, a typical family needs wages or combined incomes of $13.41 per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment. Utilities only exacerbate the problem. With this being the very minimum cost of living, it is no surprise that many people across the country struggle and fail to provide an adequate home for their families. Depending on each family’s lifestyle, homelessness is not a farfetched possibility. Probably the most common stereotype of chronically homeless people is that they are drug and alcohol addicts --...
Words: 1072 - Pages: 5
...Social Problem of Homelessness Submitted by Name School Date Social Problem of Homelessness Definition of Homelessness Persons who reside in places that are not intended as, or are unfit for human habitation, including cars, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, under bridges, in garbage or recycling dumpsters, parks, or other places lacking basic amenities. Persons who live with sharing housing with other persons on a temporary or emergency basis. Persons whose primary nighttime place of abode is a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations, including shelters for victims of domestic violence, welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing. Why homelessness is a problem. No one really knows why but many factors can cause one to become homeless. Losing one’s job, becoming ill, and a lack of affordable housing can all play a major role in ones becoming homeless. What exactly does it mean to be homeless? Webster’s Dictionary defines the word homeless as having no home or permanent place of residence. To the conflict theorist social class is extremely important in this perspective for it defines your place in the pyramid of power. Resources are limited greatly in society and people are constantly in competition for these resources. Conflict theorists approach the issue of homelessness just like a master approaches his servants. They see the homeless as people that are...
Words: 476 - Pages: 2
...Homeless in Missoula Kelsey Brandewie Homelessness in Missoula, Mt has been a tremendous issue that the community is trying very hard to eliminate. What people do not know, is that the people out on the streets downtown and around the city, only make up 11% of the homelessness (2.) Those are not the only people struggling with life. There are families that do not have a steady home that the community does not realize need help because most of them have jobs and seem normal but in reality they are struggling to make ends meet. That is what the community needs to come together and fix. There is a rough estimate of at least 200 people who are homeless in Missoula.(1) There are of course, the visible homeless but 25% of the homeless, the “chronically” homeless that seemed to be overlooked by the community. Most of the homeless, of that 25% are families. (1) Families in which have children in them, who are trying so hard to provide for them and give them a normal life. These children attend public school but for them they never know where they will be sleeping that night once they leave school. Some of them sleep in their cars or they go from house to house but none of those houses are their homes. That is not a healthy life style for anyone to live, especially children. The sad thing is though, of all the resources that are at their feet, they only seem to use 50% of them (1.) They feel like they do not need the help as much as others might, so they are too afraid to ask for...
Words: 995 - Pages: 4
...THE MAIN CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF HOMELESSNESS OUTLINE THESIS: According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ recent survey of homelessness in twenty-three cities, homelessness is one of the most persistent problems that U.S. citizens have faced in recent times. Many factors have been diagnosed as the causes of homelessness. Advanced research done by many students and organizations have however proven that domestic violence, lack of affordable decent housing, and unemployment are the main causes of homelessness among people. These causes and their corresponding effects tend to make people miserable for most parts of their lives. I. Homelessness A. Increased rate in this problem B. Examples of situations of homelessness C. Main causes of this dilemma II. Domestic violence as one of the main causes of homelessness A. Various forms of domestic violence B. Main victims of this demeaning act C. Effects on domestic violence on victims III. Lack of decent, affordable housing as a contributing factor A. Continuous increase in rent as a main reason for this situation B. Eviction of tenants due to inability to afford rent C. The Impact of unaffordable housing on citizens IV. Unemployment as a major cause of homelessness. A. Rate of unemployment in our society B. The contribution of unemployment to the problem of homelessness C. Consequences of natural disasters on victims V. Conclusion A. Consequences of homelessness in the lives of people B. Possible solutions...
Words: 1811 - Pages: 8
...Why is homelessness an issue in a country as wealthy as the United States? When we as a country send billions overseas to other countries. We have over one million homeless people in our own country. Being a person that recently has had a debilitating physical issues that has left me without income for two years I have faced this issue. Homelessness effects everyone. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness US government spent a little over 4 billion dollars in 2012 on programs for medical treatment, housing grants, emergency housing, and even hotel vouchers for mothers that where victims of domestic violence. Here is a breakdown where some of that money went “HUD received 108 million dollars in 2012 for rental assistance, long-term housing, and rehabilitation programs that lead to permanent housing. The emergency solutions grant program was given 1.901 billion dollars for rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention programs”. So I found proof that our government is spending sufficient amounts of money on this problem. Still more intervention, prevention, and treatment need to be directed in the right areas to irradiate this problem. According to our fact sheet the Current statistics on the prevalence and characteristics of people expiring homelessness in the United States over fifty percent of the people who have experienced homelessness have a substance abuse problem or mental health disorder (2011). So are we properly screening the homeless at the...
Words: 545 - Pages: 3
...“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” – Mother Teresa (Mother Teresa, 2001). Many people have difficulties in their lives that make them more susceptible to becoming homeless. When these complications become reinforced they can initiate a downward spiral that almost seems impossible to get out of. Approximately 3.5 million people are likely to experience homelessness in a given year (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2007). Not receiving the help needed in time can result in living on the streets. Some of these complications include mental illness, lack of affordable healthcare, drug addiction, domestic violence, decreasing work opportunities and housing, decline in public assistance, and poverty. It has become so common to see a homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk. 43% of the homeless population are women, 36% are families with children, and 7% are unaccompanied minors. 50% are African-American, 35% white, 12% Hispanic, 2% Native American, and 1% Asian. 66% of the homeless have problems with alcohol, drug abuse, or mental illness and veterans constitute 40% of the homeless population (GrabStats, 2008). Having insufficient money does not help to cover the expenses of a home, a family, and bills. The typical lower class citizen has to deal with all types of financial issues. ...
Words: 2828 - Pages: 12
...of homeless families are unwed mothers or women from abusive relationships. Many times these women have a hard time providing for their children due to lack of education, familiar support, and limited social support. Health related issues are also a concern of the homeless whether with or without children. Many of these adults work, but their wages won’t cover housing cost and none provide health insurance. For the children that may be covered by Medicaid, many times the parent may have problems with transportation to and from clinics. For the adult homeless that are covered by Medicare, a lot of the medical expenses may not be covered and they have to utilize free clinics where available. Children that experience homelessness can overcome their challenges and become successful, but many end up with behavior problems that can have a negative impact on their education. (Walker-Dalhouse and Risko 2008). An article by Walker-Dalhouse and Risko, states “75% of homeless children perform below grade level” (2008). I’m sure the unique situation of the homeless child brings many challenges to teachers. Children need to be encouraged in the classroom to participate in...
Words: 576 - Pages: 3
...There’s no place like home | | Homelessness started as far as the 1930’s when the stock market crashed causing “The Great Depression”. During this time people lost jobs and their homes. People were devastated at the fact that that they were forced to sell their belongings. Later on in the years homelessness began to increase after the war because the vets couldn’t find jobs and were forced to live on the street because no one would hire them. The reason that there are so many people homeless is because the economy. People can’t find jobs so they have to sell their home and downgrade to a smaller home or apartment. Often there are times when families are broken up because the husband can’t provide for his family and they end up on the streets. The root cause of being homeless can be explained by economics, it’s said that people who become homeless are going through a financial issue and are unable to obtain or maintain their homes. Research shows that 83% of the homeless population experience episodic, transitional, or temporary periods of homelessness. The challenges that people in poverty ridden areas in trying to keep their get a home is the level of the housing cost burden. When housing is 30% or less of monthly income then it is considered to be affordable. Data collected from the US Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey shows that 75% of the households at or below the poverty line are severely housing cost burdened. When your housing accounts for 50% or...
Words: 2357 - Pages: 10
...Advocating for the Homeless Kathi Chambliss May 14, 2012 BSHS/442 Anita Payne The population I choose was the homeless. I have a lot of compassion for the homeless because of how people perceive them as being lazy, drug addicts, or alcoholics. Because of the economic state of the nation today there is a significant rise in middle class homelessness. (Caldwell, 2012). Even though a large portion of the homeless suffer from psychological issues, lack of food, no job training making most of the homeless unemployable, no housing, no medical care, and have criminal backgrounds, they are still considered human beings, should be offered rehabilitation programs, and easier ways to obtain medications for psychological issues. A large percentage of the homeless suffer from psychological problems. Another problem is in most cities the center that treats indigent psychological problems is usually located in the downtown sections and the homeless cannot get transportation to and from the centers. This makes it hard to get treated for the psychological problems and this causes the person to be unemployable. The homeless need an interested party to negotiate in his or her behalf on matters of conflict or legal matters. Since there are so many areas that the homeless need help dealing with it takes a person who knows the system, where the resources are, and how to use them to advocate in their behalf. Another alarming issue concerning this population is more than 40% of the current...
Words: 688 - Pages: 3
...Homeless Assignment When I think of the homeless I think of those who are less fortunate, meaning not able to provide the necessities of life for themselves and/or families. These necessities include food, drink, clothes and shelter. Of course, when I was younger, I was very afraid of the homeless because they fit the description of a stranger explained by my parents. I was, as I’m sure everyone has been told when they were little how not to talk to strangers. Therefore, I associated homeless people with bad people that I should not talk to and this became the stereotype. Through the years, I begin to place the homeless into categories. What I mean by this is, as I grew up I stop seeing the “typical” homeless person simply walking the streets or standing in front of a store, restaurant or gas station asking for help. Instead they had began to hold signs near a busy intersection that would give a brief description of who they were and why they were in this position. One may have been a retired factory worker out of a job or a divorced parent who had lost everything. Then there was the old “will work for food” sign that never saw a job because when offered they just asked for money instead. Therefore I began to associate the homeless with “normal” people who had faced some difficult circumstances in their life. If normal people could get through it then why couldn’t the homeless. Because I asked myself this question, the homeless in my opinion had...
Words: 1201 - Pages: 5
...Introduction Homelessness is a crisis faced across the globe. Homelessness can be simply defined as a person living without a home, forcing them to reside on the streets. Some homeless people exit the situation quickly, but many more fall into homelessness long term. Much of this trend is due to many social-economical factors in the society. Drugs, finances and abuse are some of the root causes to this problem. The lack of jobs, rise in living costs, addictions to drugs, and domestic disputes are what drive people to become homeless. According to a report released by the US census Bureau, (2014), the rise in homelessness is significant, hitting 3.5 million people who experience the situation in every year. Out of the 3.5 people experiencing homelessness, 35% of them are families that include children. The families in the United States are the fastest growing segment of homeless individuals. The military veterans who are homeless constitute 23% of the total people who are homeless in the United States. Of the 3.5 million homeless people, 25% are minors who are aged below 18 years (U.S. Census Bureau 2014). The minors become homeless when their families or the caretakers become homeless. Some of the homeless children lack paternal families and may have run away from the orphanage and children homes to make lives on their own. The statistics showed that 30% of the homeless people had experienced domestic violence and 25% suffered from mental illnesses. In the urban settings...
Words: 1356 - Pages: 6
...The Empathy Project: The Homeless Introduction We see it every day yet it is so easy for us to ignore it: homelessness. It is more common and a larger problem than we realize but we have accepted it into our society and that it is not easily preventable. Certain people under difficult financial circumstances can easily fall below the poverty level with our highly competitive capitalistic system. A social stigma, as defined by Dalton Conley, author of You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist, is “a negative social label that not only changes others’ behavior toward a person but also alters that person’s own self-concept and social identity” (Dalton 211). Homeless stigmas are so overtly present in our society that we overlook the actual problem and possible solution. It has been ingrained into our society that wealth defines “good” and poverty defines “bad.” Characteristics associated with this understanding of “bad” include deviance, laziness, and lack of capability. Our system has shaped us to believe that everyone has an equal chance at wealth and success, ignoring the underlying cases of the struggling individuals in our society born into their socioeconomic status that prevents them from this “American” opportunity. We have these preconceived notions of homeless people that have been proven to be untrue yet we only pay attention to the fewer examples that support it and pre-judge based on these mere instances. The situation of being homeless...
Words: 2862 - Pages: 12
...215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 120 Toronto, Ontario M5T 2C7, Canada The National Center on Family Homelessness, 181 Wells Avenue, Newton, MA 02459, USA Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, USA Abstract: Outreach and engagement are regarded by many who work in homeless programs as essential services. Outreach on the streets and in shelters is often the first point of contact for people who are not served by traditional sitebased services and is often the first step in engaging homeless people in services. While outreach and engagement are critical components of the response to homelessness, consensus is lacking about the nature and effectiveness of these services. The purpose of this paper is to examine what is known about outreach and engagement for people experiencing homelessness. The authors review quantitative studies that examine outcomes and augment this understanding with information from qualitative studies and non-research literature. The latter provides information about the goals of outreach, assumptions and values, staffing issues, and consumer involvement. The paper concludes with implications for practice, policy, and research. Keywords: Homeless/homelessness, outreach, engagement, review. INTRODUCTION At a recent discussion among outreach workers in Washington, DC, one participant described the reasons for providing outreach to people experiencing homelessness: “Waiting for people to come to us didn’t work…so what we’re doing is going to where people...
Words: 11383 - Pages: 46
