Homelessness in Children Stephanie Berg South University Homelessness in Children “To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul. It is the hardest to define (Weil, 1952, p. 41). All over America there are millions of people who are homeless. Families struggle to make ends meet. They face foreclosures and job losses due to the deepening recession.
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
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%
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
One proposal currently in motion is long term housing for youth who experience mental health issues. Currently there is only one program that serves homeless youth; the program is not in the Anchorage area. There have not been many studies completed in Alaska, only a recent study by the University of Alaska Anchorage and Covenant House Alaska have provided the data that shows that services are needed for Native Alaskan youth (2010) What do we know about homeless youth? Youth ages 18 and younger will experience homelessness, according to a study by The Alaska Mental Health board (1999), 1.6 to 1.7 million people under 18 will experience homelessness each year. (That's more than the population of Philadelphia.)
ARGUMENTATION-PERSUAISON ESSAY “HOMELESS IN AMERICA” CHRIS RIECH SOUTH UNIVERSITY ONLINE “HOMELESS IN AMERICA” The reason people are homeless in America today is due to the lack of support from out government. Economic problems such as being laid off work or the rise in the cost of housing have lead people to live on the streets. They have no family to help them and they are left with no other choice. People with mental illnesses and addictions also become homeless quite often. A lack of affordable housing has contributed to homelessness.
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.
The Office of National Statistics, interviewed parents, teachers, and children themselves, and found that many suffer from emotional problems such as depression, anxiety and aggression. Statistics show that over a 3 year period, children whose parents were split up were 4.53 more likely to develop emotional problems than those whose parents were still in one household, and were 2.87 times more likely to demonstrate the start of behavioral disorders. Edmondson, Brad/Waldrop, Judith “Single Parents Statistics” American Demographics, Dec93, Vol. 15 Issue 12, p36, 2p, 2 Charts, 1 Graph. Per the US Census Bureau single parents consist of “other families” which are households of unmarried couples.
Homelessness and HIV is an issue that can sometimes go hand in hand, but does homelessness lead to a person getting HIV or does HIV lead to a person becoming homeless? The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that 3.4% of homeless people were HIV positive in 2006. Only 0.4% of the general population (adults and adolescents) were infected during the same time in 2006. In 2007 HIV/AIDS deaths were more prevalent in the homeless population than it was in 2006. (National coalation for the homeless, 2012) HIV/AIDS and homelessness are intricately related.
- Single adult males between the ages of 25 and 55 account for almost half of the homeless population. - 20% of the homeless are 16-24 years old (about 6, 000). - People can be pushed into homelessness by a variety of factors: loss of job, mental illness, addictions, family violence or abuse, extreme poverty. - Changes in the economy and in the housing market are adding to homelessness. - Declining incomes + reduction in social benefits + decline in affordable housing = even more homelessness.