...homeless population in the United States is at a staggering high, and many individuals are suffering because many lack employment/financial resources, housing resources, support from family and friends, and others negligence; such as natural disasters or fires. Homeless individuals may have no other choice than to live on the streets, trains, and alley ways to name a few places where homeless people seek shelter. The history of homelessness, social problems, demographics, common clinical issues, and intervention/future interventions will be explored to determinate how homelessness is caused and how it can diminish with time. Homelessness has been around for some time and is increasing with time. Homelessness was noticed soon after the Great Depression, which caused many people to lose his or hers home. “During the Great Depression in the 1930, many families were no longer able to afford their homes and It is thought that over two million people were homeless at this time and suffered severely from hunger and extreme poverty” (American History Of Homelessness, 2011). The Great Depression was an era of life where the stock market crashed and many where out of jobs and many lost their home. “The Great Depression began in October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. Consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and rising levels of unemployment” (The Great Depression, 2013). When the Great Depression occurred...
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...homeless population in the United States is at a staggering high, and many individuals are suffering because many lack employment/financial resources, housing resources, support from family and friends, and others negligence; such as natural disasters or fires. Homeless individuals may have no other choice than to live on the streets, trains, and alley ways to name a few places where homeless people seek shelter. The history of homelessness, social problems, demographics, common clinical issues, and intervention/future interventions will be explored to determinate how homelessness is caused and how it can diminish with time. Homelessness has been around for some time and is increasing with time. Homelessness was noticed soon after the Great Depression, which caused many people to lose his or hers home. “During the Great Depression in the 1930, many families were no longer able to afford their homes and It is thought that over two million people were homeless at this time and suffered severely from hunger and extreme poverty” (American History Of Homelessness, 2011). The Great Depression was an era of life where the stock market crashed and many where out of jobs and many lost their home. “The Great Depression began in October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. Consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and rising levels of unemployment” (The Great Depression, 2013). When the Great Depression occurred...
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...Fundamentals of Research Shannon Ladd April 21, 2013 BSHS/382 Vanessa Byrd This paper will define scientific method as well as give an explanation of how scientific research is used in a human services field. It will also discuss the steps in scientific inquiry and why those steps are important and an example will provide of scientific method in relation to the human services field. A description of quantitative and qualitative research will be given, explaining the differences in both model and how these methods relate to the human services as well as the scientific method. Further discussion will involve quantitative and qualitative research methodology touching on the definition of mixed method research. Finally summarizing how scientifically research sound supports the function of a human services manager. The scientific method is a method for research and study that is applied to investigate observations and to bring answers to questions. Researches can exploit the scientific method to search for cause and effect relationships. There are many different types of aspect to the human services field, no matter which one research is always needed. If there is a sudden increase in homelessness, child abuse, or joblessness, research offering results is required to answer the question that are related to the increase. The path to those answers can only be found through research. Scientific method according to the Merriam-Webster (2010), is “principles...
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...transient among other definitions. The term is well known because a large number of Americans have been named such who lived on the streets, or “skid rows” of this country. Homeless individuals have existed throughout history; however, more recently, a larger number and many categories of homeless individuals occur. In this paper the subject to examine is the history of homeless persons in America, the nature of the social problems and issues experienced by the homeless, demography of the homeless, common clinical issues and intervention strategies, and a discussion of future interventions. Vulnerable Populations Homeless Persons Homelessness has been a phenomenon in America beginning in the late 1700s according to author Kenneth Kusmer. “Kusmer begins with an examination of homelessness from the late seventeenth century through the early nineteenth century. Although the number of homeless fluctuated somewhat in this period (rising in the late eighteenth century and in the 1820s), concern about the homeless was not widespread. The homeless were also largely an urban phenomenon; rural residents rarely encountered homeless persons. The Civil War introduced soldiers to railroad travel and to foraging, and after the war, some veterans continued to ride the rails and lead a homeless existence. However, it was during the depression of the 1870s that the numbers of homeless rose substantially and there were a series of violent confrontations between railroad-riding...
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...Advocacy and Homelessness BSHS 441 Joann Wherry 6/6/2013 Advocacy and Homelessness What is advocacy? The classic definition is simply “The act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support. “(Free Dictionary, 2013). To brand this definition more explicit to advocacy inside the Human Services field we need to add just a little more information. A more exact, directed to human services, definition of advocacy could be: to provide assistance to a certain population by supporting or communicating for them to attain the services in which they require. The amount of homeless individuals in America is disturbing. The need for advocacy amongst the homeless populace is in extreme igh demand today. “The recession will force 1.5 million more people into homelessness over the next two years, according to estimates by The National Alliance to End Homelessness.” (PBS, 2013). People find themselves homeless for a multitude of reasons. A lack of affordable housing and the limited scale of housing assistance programs have been the main driving force contributing to the current housing crisis. Homelessness and poverty have always been intricately interconnected. Poor individuals are regularly unable to pay for shelter, food, daycare, health care, and schooling. The main reasons why homelessness continues consist of stagnant or dropping incomes and less secure occupations which offer little to no benefits. Other less underlying...
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...Homelessness There is an urgency to save the homeless in this country, but it seems less altruistic than it in fact is. The urgency is related to an out of sight out of mind philosophy. People who live in residences paid for with their own income have many misconceptions about the homeless: For example their social nature, beliefs, cause of despair, and what to do to fix the broken system of feeding and sheltering those in need. People cannot solely want to cure homelessness because they do not want to see it, or panhandlers bother them, it has to come from an unselfish place. It is the responsibility of human service agencies to educate the public, and find ways to empower the homeless so they do not have to suffer. A reform in intervention is necessary; with so many homeless adults and teens having mental illnesses, a way to return them to a societal reality needs to be addressed. History of Homelessness in the United States Animals, including humans, have always sought to find shelter. The basic needs for survival include food, water, air, and shelter. These four necessities are mentioned in every philosopher’s or psychologist ideologies of what humans need for survival. Even Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has safety as one of the most basic needs. When someone loses or has never had a permanent residence they are considered homeless. Cars, friends’ couches, shelters, and abandoned warehouses are not considered homes. In the middle-ages the homeless were a way to make...
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...“personal problems”. These problems can never be resolved by a single human. It takes many people of the given society to work together in order to reach a solution. Social problems are very much complex that it threatens the values of society. The cause and the solutions are responsibilities of the society Affected Population The meaning of being homeless in the United States helps define who is able to receive shelter and assistance from health and social service providers. In order to live a normal life requires having a home to live in. Yet people with no home and unable to afford anything can be found in all countries. The main reason is the individual cannot get the housing loans or welfare accessible to others. The causes of homelessness can be caused by family altercations or tragedy (or prison), or even a natural disaster. The larger proportions of homeless parents who are separated from their children in the US and the larger number of families in the homeless population are both likely because of the US social policy. Higher levels of inequality and lower levels of social benefits are associated with higher rates of homelessness. The Stewart McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 describes a homeless person as any place not meant for regular sleeping accommodation by humans. In 2005, an estimated 744,313 men, women, and children were homeless in the United States (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2007). Adults that are homeless are poor and have high rates...
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...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 the world, including developed countries like the United States...
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...THE PLACE OF DEEMED HOMELESS IN GOOD GOVERNANCE AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH OF INDIA TITLE: GOOD GOVERNANCE AND URBAN POVERTY PROGRAMS Author 1: Priyanka Bhattacharya, 1st Year, BBA.LLB(Hons) Author 2: Bharat Aseri, 2nd Year, BBA.LLB (Hons) ABOUT THE AUTHOR A girl from a metropolitan city of India, Priyanka Bhattacharya, was always in her way to be at the top. Doing her schooling from two famous schools of India, South Point High School and Gokhale Memorial Girls’ School, her capacity to write, think and dream increased and was ready to reach the top. Ups and Downs were a part and parcel of her life but hope and sincerity was her ultimate. After passing her first boards examination in class 10 her passion towards success increased because she knew in this world if one has success one is admired else are nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ. Working hard was not her part of the meal but the impulsive nature to get something and thirst of success which she always wanted to quench made her to this way. She passed her 10+2 examination with 88% of marks and being the state topper in accountancy in her WEST BENGAL BOARD OF HIGHER SECONDARY EXAMINATION, securing 98% marks out of 100. Awarded NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP by the Central Government she pursued corporate law for a better future and a better career and she is currently studying BBA.LLB in NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, ORISSA. Deprivation from all the enjoyment and happiness of the poor and homeless people touched her...
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...Homeless in Kentucky Paul Jay Keys HSM/210 - Human Services in the United States February 8th, 2014 Ms. Angelique Spruill University of Phoenix One often thinks of homelessness as an urban problem. You think of a person, maybe wearing ragged clothing, walking down a street pushing an encumbered shopping cart, and living under the bridge or in a shelter. However, in Kentucky, our homeless have a very different face as our homeless are often living with friends or family or living in places that do not have running water or electricity. A person is considered homeless if they do not have access to safe, affordable and stable places to live. People become homeless for a variety of reasons such as health problems, family conflicts, limited life choices and the lack of a support system are common causes of homelessness. Loss of employment or the lack of affordable housing, are some of the economic factors that play a role in becoming homeless. Individually, the effects of homelessness are extensive and severe as homelessness means more than just a loss of self-esteem they face intensely higher rates of infectious disease, mental health problems, physical disorders, disabilities and premature death. They also face intensified risks of becoming imprisoned or institutionalized. Homelessness also has an intense impact on the community as well, taking an incredible toll on family stability by impeding the ability to find and maintain jobs, hindering the learning process of children...
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...Homeless persons BSHS/302 - INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN SERVICES In 1948, the United Nations passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 23 states, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.” However, shockingly there are between five and six hundred thousand people that are considered to be homeless today. This means they do not have a permanent, safe, or affordable place to live. Due to the rising costs of housing and lower wages for skilled workers or the lack of demand of work, people going homeless is rapidly becoming a problem. Also there are many other reasons why people are homeless, such as family breakdown or a natural disaster. In earlier times homeless people were typically blamed for their own circumstances or they were considered to be lazy, a drunk, or a criminal. During the Great Depression, beliefs about the homeless were changed. During the depression people were faced with hard times. Millions of people lost their jobs and homes, and those who still had a job struggled just to make ends meet. In the 1960s, mentally ill patients being discharged by the masses, also known as deinstitutionalization, were sent out to live on the...
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...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 individuals whose main nighttime...
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...The Public Needs to Know By: Drea Johnson ENG115 February 24, 2013 The homeless population in America, as well as the metro Atlanta region is not what it used to be 20 years ago. The Giving to Live organization is working hard and often to see that the rate continues to decrease as well as offer up as much help as they can to take care of those who are still in need. The Giving to Live organization feeds about 50,000 homeless people per year. 40%-60% of those homeless people are employed but cannot afford meals. This organization not only provides food assistance to the homeless but also to others with varying circumstances on a daily basis. This is not an easy task. Several steps and precautions go into making sure this happens. Sometimes, circumstances that are beyond man's control causes changes to take place without notice and some may suffer still. But Giving to Live works diligently with many community workers and volunteers to see that meals are prepared and food is available for homeless families/children, low-income families with children, the elderly, transitional facilities, and orphanages. The number one benefit of Giving to Live is to decrease the number of hungry people in city of Atlanta and in the southern region of America. This factor, though not the only one, is what keeps our director, Ms. Miriam Wilson and her team working around the clock to take care of so many. As a member of this organization, I have been doing some research on Child...
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...offering the homeless with fast solutions to their problem and offering the services they need. The policy provides permanent, affordable housing to families and individuals suffering from homelessness (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2014). This policy approach differs from other related strategies in its primary and immediate emphasis on providing accessible and sustainable housing solution. 2. A historical context, explaining the introduction of the social policy. Conventionally, most of the providers of housing to the homeless made it a necessity to show evidence of “housing readiness.” Some of the requirements were to enter treatment or to achieve sobriety before offering permanent housing. To address this problem, the Housing First program needs to provide permanent supportive housing. Being different and separate program from "rapid re-housing", it is a relatively new invention in social policy and human service programs. Being an innovation, this program has not undergone major changes. However, it spanned off from past programs to provide housing to the homeless. It developed as a substitute to emergency shelter/transitional housing progressions system. Major changes in policy have led to the actual implementation of this Housing First program. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 signed in February 2009 is one of these changes. The act would provide funding for the “Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program” (HPRP). The Homeless Emergency...
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...Running head: HOMELESSNESS Homelessness in America Victoria M. Williams SOC 331, Social Justice & Ethics Cari Lynn Beecham-Bautista, Instructor November 23, 2015 HOMELESSNESS Homelessness in America Homelessness is a multifaceted social problem that is difficult for America to solve. Over the past three decades, there has been an increase in the homeless population in America (“Opening Doors Plan,” 2015). Even when America’s economy is progressing, there is still a high number of citizens who are facing homelessness (“Opening Doors Plan,” 2015). A lack of federal financial assistance, fragmented services and the difficulties in accessing these services have played a major role in hampering the solution to this social problem (“Opening Doors Plan,” 2015). As a result, these factors have necessitated a shift in federal, state and local policies to end homelessness. America has learned that homelessness can no longer be viewed as a short-term crisis where an abundance of emergency shelters can solve the problem. The demand for emergency shelters has always exceeded the supply for them. In order for justice to occur, there is an urgent need for more preventive measures and long-term solutions to end this problem. Homeless individuals and families are a vulnerable population whose rights have to be protected. A just response to America’s homeless problem has to include prohibition of criminalization laws, permanent housing with supportive...
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