A count in January, 2007, found 745 homeless people in Lucas County, with 200 of those classified as "chronically" homeless, according to HUD data. Figures from January of this year were not immediately available. Nationally, nearly 1.6 million people were homeless and found shelter
Episodic homelessness refers to persons that have recurring housing problems. And, chronic homelessness is when a person is without a permanent residence for more than one year. One of the problems with homelessness is that it’s numbers have been increasing ever year. For example, in the report “State of Homelessness in America 2011” it reveals the number of homeless people in 2008 was 636,324, and the number in 2009 was 656,129, that is an increase of 20,000 people (3 percent increase) in just one year. One of the effects that
I think that long test and other guidelines that are drawn out does interfere with the homeless want and need to seek help. If barriers were lower and the standards were lower more homeless people who seek help and want to get their alcohol problem under control. Not all the homeless want or need help but there r a lot of them that is a afraid of the outcomes that comes along with seeking help from housing agencies and government programs. If a person has a reason to do better they will at least try. The studies showed that if the barriers were lower more homeless would want to and will go to housing agencies for help instead of living on the streets.
The community needs to build a more regional, client-focused, coordinated network of homeless services. The strategies call for maintain but not increasing the existing shelter capacity at this time, even though the shelters regularly turn away people due to lack of space. This will allow additional resources to flow to other needed services and housing. It is vital that the community place attention on those housing and services that help people regain long-term stability and address the underlying causes of homelessness, such as transitional housing and related services, employment services, and assistance in making a successful transition to permanent housing. Be more proactive in preventing homelessness…emphasize approaches that follow clients as they progress throughout the continuum of care, including assistance to people once they enter permanent housing.
Though the professional relationship may come to an end, the perception of authority may remain, which may affect the relationship outside counseling. Advocates in the human services field are vital, they help clients set goals, educate clients about their rights, and provide access to resources through information. The greatest need for advocacy comes from underprivileged groups, such as children, the elderly, victims of abuse, or the homeless. My personal approach to advocacy for the homeless would start with increasing community awareness. This involves property owners, local government, and business owners.
With the current recession, it is a very real possibility that more than 1.5 million will be forced into homelessness in the next two years alone (PBS: Public Broadcasting Services, 2011). Imagine, that number of people do not have a permanent and safe home in which to live. Why? Why do we have so many homeless in one of the wealthiest countries in the world? Clearly homelessness is a problem in America.
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, there are about 672,000 homeless in America, with the most being reported in Florida. There is a lot of cost to the tax payer associated with homelessness. Research shows, that a homeless person spends an average of 4 days longer in a hospital than that of a non- homeless person, costing the tax payer about 2,400 for this visit. They also receive psychiatric treatment at a rate of 100 times more than that of a non-homeless person, costing about 3.5 million a year. Then you have the homeless people who don't receive medical treatment, and end up with long term diseases, that need long term care.
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%
1 in 4 people who experience homelessness on any given night are under the age of 18"[iii]. Newspapers report that the charities which provide support services to the homeless are helping more and more families being plunged into homelessness. Mums and Dads with school aged children, or younger, who used to work and pay all their bills have lost their jobs in tough economic times. The rising cost of living can take the roof from over their heads and they too are left wondering where to go next. Homelessness is not a simple problem.
This year snap shot shows an increase in homeless veterans, domestic violence victims, and homeless children, with a 55% increase in the number of Veterans living on the street or in emergency shelters, a 31% increase in the number of domestic violence victims who are experiencing homelessness (with 40% of those victims being male), and an 8% rise in the number of homeless children. It is not easy to determine the exact number of homeless since estimates differ according to the