The Homelessness

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Creating a Social Problem: The Homelessness Elizabeth Black HSM/240 October 16, 2011 Marilyn Gardner University of Phoenix The Introduction: In Guilford County, Homelessness has become a national issue of significant proportion with over 300 cities and counties across the country implementing plans to address this human tragedy. In Guilford County, the Partners Ending Homelessness Initiative focuses on actively implementing, evaluating and updating Guilford County Ten Year Plan which is aimed at improving the quality of life for all residents of Guilford County by ending chronic homelessness and reducing all types of homelessness by 2016. The Partners Ending Homelessness Initiative focuses on generating housing and strengthening prevention…show more content…
The information collected provides a snapshot of unduplicated sheltered and unsheltered individuals and families experiencing homelessness as defined by HUD. On Wednesday, January 27th the Homeless Prevention Coalition of Guilford County conducted Guilford County’s Annual Point in Time Count. The survey included only individuals willing to answer questions about their living status within a single 24 hour time period, every individual or family experiencing homelessness are not included as some refuse to participate, avoid the survey, or are not found within the 24 hour time period. The 2010 Point in Time Count reveals that 1,064 individuals experience homelessness on any given night and 131 of those individuals are experiencing chronic homelessness. 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…show more content…
Structural factors: Our infrastructure has not succeeded in supporting the most susceptible in our society. Among structural factors the major cause of homelessness is high housing costs and lack of affordable housing. Other causes are increased poverty, rising unemployment, social exclusion, and harmful effects of de-institutionalization. Individual factors: Among individual factors, homelessness is commonly caused by a crisis in one’s life. This crisis could be leaving the parental home after arguments, marital or relationship breakdown, widowhood, leaving care, Leaving prison, a sharp deterioration of mental health, increased drug or alcohol misuse, a financial crisis or mounting debts or Eviction. In addition, other common breakdown causes for homelessness are: Physical or sexual abuse in childhood or adolescence, family disputes of breakdown, offending behavior and/or experience of prison.” (Pbs.org,

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