On the other hand, some would disagree and argue that the cause of homelessness is because the economy is bad. Every time the economy goes south, the cost of living remains the same or goes up. For example, when the economy is bad, a large number of people always lose their jobs. With job loss, there is always the threat of becoming homeless if they cannot find another job
Homeless people are poor people. They are similar to us, but they no longer have work, no a place to call a home and no future for themselves and for their children. Defining the homelessness is somewhat difficult. The article “Who is Homeless in America?” defines: “Homelessness is attributable to a dwindling supply of affordable housing, an increasing number of people living below the poverty line”. (qtd.
A lack of affordable housing has contributed to homelessness. The loss of affordable housing puts a great number of people at risk of homelessness. The lack of affordable housing has led to high rent burdens (rents which absorb a high proportion of income), overcrowding, and substandard housing. These phenomena’s, in turn, have not only forced many people to become homeless; they have put a large and growing number of people at risk of becoming homeless. Excessive waiting lists for public housing mean that people must remain in shelters or inadequate housing arrangements longer.
As a result, some live in unsafe and unsanitary conditions that are badly in need of repair. There is a huge population in San Francisco that live below the poverty line. Homelessness describes a situation in which people lack a fixed dwelling place. A homeless individual is a person without a fixed and regular nighttime residence. Shelter is one of the most basic needs, yet many people lack this necessity.
Cities often find themselves unable to sustain the shelter needs of the homeless population, primarily due to financial constraints. City management tries to implement policies best for traditional and homeless residents, but it is difficult to achieve a mix that accommodates both. Cities usually offer some form of shelters. However, availabilities are temporary and not guaranteed. Often city policies are against loitering, panhandling, sleeping in public or in cars.
It is easy to group these people together and label them all the same, but every homeless person has a story, a reason, or a problem, that has lead them to where they are today. Homelessness exists due to a lack of affordable housing, a loss of income, mental illness, substance abuse, and a combination of various other reasons. In our society, it seems that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer making the gap between these two Classes seem larger each year. The Middle class has carried this country, and helped fund assistance programs, but they can also find themselves caught without work or housing. Foreclosures have hit an all time high, and unfortunately some people were allowed to finance beyond their means and now have become homeless too.
Another big cause of homelessness is people not having health care. They could have a job, but not given the benefit of free health care, so therefore if a poor family or individual were to be seriously ill they would not have enough money to pay for their health as well as to have a home. A high percentage of homeless people also are known to have a mental illness which could make it difficult to even impossible for them to get a job. As many as 3.5 million people in the United States has been reported of experiencing homelessness in a given year, even though most were temporarily. Some statistics of reported homeless Americans show 40% are families with children—the fastest growing segment, 41% are single males, 14% are single females, 5% are minors unaccompanied by adults, 49%
People like the Catholics, someone with a physical disability, people with mental disabilities, alcoholics, widows, orphans, the elderly, or anyone who was perceived to not be strong enough to carry their weight in society was asked to move on (streetnewsservice.org, 2010). All those people were considered a transient class of people. These people were homeless, moving from place to place looking for some place to settle and not finding anywhere that would take them into their community. It was a new world filled prospects, but not for everyone. The Great Depression of 1929 was also a great contributor to the number of homeless in America.
Vulnerable Population University of Phoenix Health Assessment and Promotion for Vulnerable Population NUR 440 Abstract According to Fitzpatrick-Lewis, Ganann, and Krishnaratne (2011) “Being homeless negatively impacts health as people who are homeless or marginally housed have less access to healthcare and poorer health outcomes than those living in stable condition” (p. 2). In America, people are becoming homeless for a variety of reasons. Some homeless people have addiction problems, some are illiterate, mentally ill, and they are veterans as well. On the other hand, others have experienced a string of bad luck and joblessness. At the end of the day, having no roof over their head is a hard reality that homeless people faced.
In cities across America the Homeless populations have become a recurring political concern. With the no one wanting to seem like they are anti-homeless the debate has created a sensitive issue. One side argues strongly for the health concerns in and caused by the homeless populous. The other concern is the negative effects the homeless cause business versus the hugely detrimental hit the new banns impose on the charities trying to provide to the homeless. The registration and certification requirements that state and local government across the nation have begun implementing, namely Houston’s new permitting requirement, allows the cities to monitor activity centers, prevent the spread of food prone illness in and from the homeless, as well as economically ensure business in their jurisdiction are free from the detrimental effect of homeless presence nearby.