...Homelessness Georgia Davis Eng/147 June 29, 205 Janet Levy Homelessness “Homelessness is a worldwide problem that affects millions. You will find them sleeping on sidewalks, under bridges, on park benches, in cars and in any little cubby hole they can find. You will see women, men, young kids and families” (G. Davis, personal communication, June 29, 2015). ("The Portland Rescue Mission" ( 2015 ). Retrieved from http://www.portlandrescuemission.org/learn-more/myths-about-homelessness According to ‘the Portland Rescue Mission’ (2015), “The methodology for finding and counting the homeless is imperfect; we simply do not find everyone”. “Why are they all out there? What is Homelessness and what causes it? Homelessness is a very complicated issue that has no social or economic boundary. Mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence and economic times affect all ages of the Homeless” (G. Davis, personal communication, June 29, 2015). 1. Homelessness and Mental Health Mental Illness seems to be one of the leading causes of homelessness. “During my involvement with the homeless, I knew of a women name Frankie. Frankie was a school teacher, had a husband and two children. One night their home burned down with Frankie’s husband and children being lost in the fire. Frankie lost all rational thinking, not understanding why she lived. Frankie had a complete mental breakdown and ended up on the streets of Dallas homeless. This is a case of mental illness being the...
Words: 1201 - Pages: 5
...Homelessness is a huge social problem that is facing America as a nation today. According to Wikipedia 'Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling' (Wikipedia.(2013). Homelessness. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessnes). Homelessness has become a huge problem that looks us in the face daily and is putting a large number of children, teenagers,women and our elderly at risk daily. It impacts our society negatively. According to National Alliance to end Homelessness, '82 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States.Of that number, 239,403 are people in families, and 394,379 are individuals. Slightly fewer than 16 percent of the homeless population are considered "chronically homeless,"and About 13 percent of homeless adults- 62,619 - are veterans. '(National alliance to End Homelessness.(2013). Snapshot of homelessness. Retrieved from http://www.endhomelessness.org/pages/snapshot_of_homelessness)'. Some of the causes of homelessness and the extent homelessness affects our society today are as follows- Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness in the U.S. Statisctics show that in 2008 28% of families where homeless in the united states due to domestic violence.(National Homeless Organization.(2013). Domestic Violence and Homelessness . Retrived from www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/domestic). Over the years our society has seen a surge in violence largely due to media...
Words: 952 - Pages: 4
...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
...chronically homeless are those with a protracted homeless experience whose stays in the homeless system or on the street are both frequent and long. People that are homeless are reflective of every population demographic. There is no single path to homelessness, and despite stigmatizing images, no single stereotype fits. Individuals that are chronically homeless represent a range of individual vulnerabilities and face a many of systematic barriers that impede accessing adequate housing and services. Current economic climate presents the chance for homelessness to remain high (Coalition for the Homeless, 2002a). According to research, a substantial reduction in the occurrence of chronic homelessness could be achieved by linking affordable housing with treatment and support services. Alcohol and substance abuse is known as both a precipitating factor and consequence of homelessness can effect an individual’s ability to retain housing or limit housing options offered by programs requiring sobriety, and mask underlying or related mental health issues undetected or untreated in addiction treatment programs (Zerger, 2002). Individuals who have co-occurring disorders (COD) are particularly vulnerable to homelessness caused by more severe psychiatric symptoms, self-medication with drugs and alcohol, and frequent contact with the criminal justice system. Typically, once homeless, individuals with COD will have greater problems, need more help and are more...
Words: 1250 - Pages: 5
...who do not have a physical home and have mental health problems that prohibit the wonderful feeling we feel when at home. These people are the mentally ill who are homeless. We walk past the mentally ill homeless everyday, yet we often choose to turn our heads the other way and ignore the ache of a person in need, a person who doesn’t have a home. Today in America there are more than 600,000 people are afflicted with homelessness. While there...
Words: 2046 - Pages: 9
...Homelessness: Understanding Why Abstract In January of 2014, 578,424 people were going through homelessness, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The three main reasons for the large measure of homeless families and people in America and other countries as well are affordable housing, low wages, and mental illnesses. Other reasons also include addictions, abuse, health care, and/or natural occurrences are contributors towards the distressing circumstances of homelessness, which often leads to divorce, health concerns, and educational obstacles. This paper introduces where homeless began and where it needs to end. Homelessness: Understanding Why T.S, Elliot stated “Home is where we start from”. David Belgum, a volunteer Chaplin with the Salvation Army Corp, asked these simple questions, “Is the length of residence in one place a criterion? How substantial does it have to be to be classified as a home? Who should judge whether or not the category of homelessness is to be applied in a given situation—the resident or residents, or someone from the "establishment"?” (Belgum). For many people this is true, but for many it’s not, but whose call is it to make? Many studies are inadequate when it comes to know accurately knowing how many people are in shelters or on the streets. The information found through these studies can be helpful when it comes to knowing roughly the amount of people that use the places like shelters and soup kitchens, but it could...
Words: 2443 - Pages: 10
...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 and they don’t qualify for health care. There are also a large number of former veterans who become homeless. It is estimated that between 23 percent and 40 percent of homeless adults are veterans (National Alliance to End Homelessness). Poverty is related with higher risk...
Words: 1398 - Pages: 6
...large budget deficits. Fortunately, public compassion soared, and in 1986, 5 million Americans joined hands across the country to raise money for homeless programs (May 25, 1986 Hands Across America). In 1987, the McKinney Act authorized millions of dollars for housing and hunger relief (Donahue, 2007). Nature and Issues of Social Problems Homeless and poverty go together. People are unable to pay for food, clothing, shelter, child care, health care, and education. Choices have to be made to have what they need for their daily life so they have to put other things behind to cover necessities. Domestic violence leads people to become homeless because they are forced to choose from the abusive relationship or becoming homeless. Mental illness issues also force people to become homeless. They are unable to find supportive housing or adequate treatment. Addiction issues also put so many people on the streets to feed their addiction before any other basic need. They need to address low-income housing crisis. Accident or an emergency...
Words: 1290 - Pages: 6
...When i’m riding in a car or walking down the street and spot a homeless man or woman, I begin to have mixed thoughts. Part of me wants to know how they ended up there.The other part of me wants to help. It pains me because sometimes I feel that I am too young to help. In school, teachers are hard on students, tellings us to stay in school or else we will end up on the street. But dropping out of school isn't the only reason people become homeless. Family and relationship problems, drug or alcohol abuse and even eviction can cause homelessness. Homelessness can result to mental illness, hunger and loneliness. Homelessness is a serious problem all communities all over the world need to address. Homelessness affects a person’s health...
Words: 557 - Pages: 3
...Homelessness and poverty continues to be a problem across Canada and around the world. Homelessness is described as ‘the situation of an individual or family without stable, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it’ (Gaetz, Donaldson, Richter, & Gulliver, 2013, p.4). Homelessness can result from mental, cognitive, physical or behavioural challenges, or may result from societal barriers and discrimination (Gaetz et al., 2013). Gaetz, Gulliver, & Richter (2014) states that declining wages, reduced benefit levels including pensions and social assistance and a shrinking supply of affordable housing have placed more and more Canadians at risk of homelessness. According to recent estimates, each...
Words: 1255 - Pages: 6
...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 of America. Although many community programs have existed for years, the very first known rescue mission for the homeless was established in 1872 in New York City (NPACH, 2011). By the end of the Civil War, thousands of people were...
Words: 1932 - Pages: 8
...Homelessness in America Homelessness in America has always been an issue but it has become an even bigger issue over the past years. With a world filled with global conflict, disappearing jobs, higher education cost, and increasing poverty in America, the homeless need our help more than ever. Just last year, the national poverty rate rose to include 13.2 % of the population. Also, 3.5 million people were forced to sleep in parks, shelters, under bridges or in cars. Hunger and homelessness are increasing epidemics plaguing the United States. Because of the high cost of living, high unemployment rates, and low-wage jobs, countless Americans are forced to choose between food, housing, and other expenses. According to recent studies, money is being devoted to rent and utilities rather than food. 35% of the homeless population is families with children, 23% are U.S. military veterans, 25% are children under the age of 18, 20-25% suffers from mental illness and 30% have experienced domestic violence. 19.3 % of homeless people live in New York City and Los Angeles. New York City has been shown to have the highest number of homeless people in the country. The next biggest is Loss Angeles and then Seattle/King County Washington. As a result of doing nothing for the homeless, more people will become homeless. That means, more people sleeping on the streets, dying from hunger, and possibly an even higher crime rate. Economic factors play a huge role in the issue of homelessness. The...
Words: 1635 - Pages: 7
...Homelessness is not a new problem facing our nation; it dates back to the beginning of time. Homelessness is defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as “an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” This definition is how the number of homeless individuals in the U.S. is calculated. There are many reasons why a person becomes homeless; some people are homeless by choice, others are forced there by circumstances. According to a 2006 report issued by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the main causes of Homelessness are: lack of affordable housing, poverty, low paying jobs, unemployment, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence and prisoner re-entry. This report will take a closer look at each cause to determine why it is such an issue. Is homelessness and problem people must accept as inevitable or is there a solution to reduce the number of homeless in our community? Over the past 25 years, several trends have contributed to the rise in homelessness. The first trend is a shortage in affordable rental housing. This includes all forms of rental property whether it is a house or apartment. Rental rates rose with the rate of home values but when the housing market crashed at the end of 2007, the rental rates did not drop. The increased popularity of luxury, resort-style apartments have also aided in a high rent market. The foreclosures that the United States has been experiencing have left many people with...
Words: 2122 - Pages: 9
...and Mental Health Shana Holt NUR/408 August 24, 2015 Ann Reagan Homeless Veterans and Mental Health According to the "National Alliance on Mental Illness" (2015), "Veterans make up as much as one third of the nation's population of homeless people." (Homeless Veterans). The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans estimate that 45% of these veterans are also living with a mental illness and half suffer with substance abuse problems like drug addiction or alcoholism. This population is predisposed to a number of medical, psychiatric, and social problems such as tuberculosis, HIV infection, hepatitis, alcoholism and substance use, skin and foot disease, schizophrenia and related psychoses, malnutrition, and trauma. Many of these veterans have lost their families, homes or even both as a result of the inability to adapt to civilian life. America's homeless veterans have served in all wars including some of our most recent like Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. The Veterans Administration (VA) currently provides specialized homelessness programs to almost 150,000 homeless veterans. “Since 1987, VA's programs for homeless veterans have emphasized collaboration with such community service providers to help expand services to more veterans in crisis." ("National Coalition for Homeless Veterans", n.d.). Epidemiology Paper Roles This paper will explain the role epidemiology plays in the surveillance of mental illness and substance...
Words: 1982 - Pages: 8
...Depression in the Homeless Population According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), one in four Americans will experience mental illness in their lifetime in any given year (NAMI, 2014). Approximately 6.7 percent, around 14.8 million people suffer from major depressive disorder. NAMI (2013) found that sixty percent of adults suffering from mental illness did not receive any mental health services in the previous year. Mental health illness is a serious financial drain on the American health care system, with NAMI (2013) reporting around 200 billion dollars in lost revenue per year. Mood disorders such as depression can cause frequent hospitalizations; it is the third most common cause of hospitalization in the United States for both youth and adults (NAMI, 2013). The American Psychological Association (APA) found that the rates of mental illness among the homeless population were twice that of the general population (APA, 2014). Disparity Nyamathi & Marfisee (2012), identified factors in the homeless population that makes them susceptible to health care disparities such as age, homeless status, and lack of education. Johnson & Chamberlain (2011) found that while mental health issues are prevalent among the homeless population, it does not always precede homelessness. However those suffering from mental health illnesses experienced more long-term homelessness compared to those who did not. Wright (2014) found that 54% of homeless patients reported negative attitudes...
Words: 813 - Pages: 4
