Category: Homelessness

As a result of the causes/reasons identified for youth homelessness, multiple issues affect these youth. These effects include contact with the criminal justice system, substance abuse, mental health concerns, sexual exploitation, and low levels of academic achievement. While specifically focusing on the academic achievement of homeless youth a rippling effect can be seen. It begins with a child or teen when first being without a stable living environment, which can result in a lack of attendance/focus in school, which then leads to low grades, and theses things combined can build up and lead to the negative consequence of not earning a high school diploma. This makes it difficult to gain a secure job, and with an inconsistent income, they may rely on illegal activities to survive, which will ultimately lead them into the criminal justice system.

According to ‘Teen Homelessness’, “According to a report published by the National Center for Homeless Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, approximately 1.35 million homeless teens were enrolled in public schools during the 2016–17 academic year.” This quote allows the readers to be able to realize just how many young people there are all over the country in unstable living situations and how that number is steadily increasing. Being able to realize the causes of youth homelessness and its impact on young people is critical when seeking a solution that can help those young persons without a home build a supportive connection with someone who wants to provide help. Across the country, there are thousands of non-profit programs and organizations, as well as shelters and drop-in centers that are in place to provide for and help homeless youth. The programs and services that are currently in place to benefit homeless youth are critical for those young people who face multiple risk factors daily because they have no place to call home and are living on the streets. Based on research it is proven that participation in extracurricular activities or sports can be beneficial in keeping youth without a home off the streets and even prevent youth homelessness before it occurs.

Engaging in activities with others can help with social inclusion, which allows them to feel a sense of belonging. Drop-in centers, which is another mode of support for homeless youth, are in place to provide necessities such as hygiene items, food, and someplace to wash clothes. According to, “How sports and arts can help prevent youth homelessness”, “Research shows that meaningful and accessible activities like sports and arts can have significant impacts on youth social connectedness, better developmental outcomes, improved mental health and recovery from trauma.” This proves how important something such as being a part of a basketball team is to someone who is used to constantly having to be alone trying their best to survive without a permanent home. Programs and services that have been implemented are important to the overall betterment of homeless youth. These young people need to have the ability to be a part of a system where they can build a trusting relationship with their school counselor, who will always be there to guide, advocate for, and support these homeless youth so that they can be better prepared for life after high school.

Homeless youth are faced with higher levels of stress and anxiety while their classmates can solely focus on their grades, these young people are often too busy focusing on daily necessities. Someone who can help to eliminate some of the pressures that may be weighing down on those young people without a home are counselors. Though many counselors may feel underprepared to accurately support the needs of those students without a permanent place of residence, with preparation and gained knowledge on youth homelessness they will be in a better situation to help these students to succeed. To help counselors obtain a better grasp of what youth homelessness is and in what ways they can help to support these young people, annually, a week before the school year begins classes should be held, where a liaison from a program directed toward helping homeless youth comes in and informs counselors of ways that they could be beneficial to homeless youth.

At the end of the session/class, the counselors should also receive a pamphlet that they could use to seek information from. According to, “The Hidden Homelessness among America’s High School Students”, “School counselors may meet homeless students’ basic needs by collecting school supplies, clothing or food items for students in need.” Counselors can organize school or community donation programs for homeless youth that can help provide the necessities these students need to survive outside of school. In addition to doing this counselors should regularly meet with those homeless youth and build a personal connection with these youth as well as to make sure that they are on track for graduation. With calculated planning, school counselors can make a positive impact on those students experiencing homelessness. Counselor support allows these young people to stay on track for graduating high school and attending a college of their choice.

Introduction

Homelessness is defined as the absence of a home, by 4 main concepts: Rooflessness (having no shelter), Houselessness (living temporarily in institutions or shelters), Insecure housing (where there are insecure tenancies, eviction, domestic violence), and Inadequate housing (living in temporary or non-conventional structures, unfit housing and extreme overcrowding). Homelessness can be caused by various individual factors such as mental health problems, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and the criminal offense, as well as structural factors such as shortage of affordable housing, low income, debt, and unemployment

As of November 2018, a total of 9,698 adults and children were registered homeless in Ireland This value has been increasing since 2014, as illustrated in the chart below This is a worrying trend as homelessness has a direct and established correlation with ill-health.

Morbidity influenced by homelessness

Mental health

Homelessness has negative impacts on the mental health of individuals, due to the anxiety, stress, and loss of confidence that it causes.

According to a study carried out by Bergin for Simon Communities of Ireland (2010) on the users of their services, 52% of those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness have at least one diagnosed mental health condition. More than a quarter of them are medically diagnosed with depression. A significant percentage (9%) were diagnosed with schizophrenia. These mental health problems are more than twice as common among the homeless than among the general population Homeless children and young people are particularly vulnerable to depression and mental health problems, as they often face exclusion or bullying in school and lack emotional care from their parents. Many homeless people also resort to alcohol drugs, and self-harm. In the UK, 70% of homeless young people have mental health problems and 33% of them self-harm

Physical health

The homeless are often exposed to extreme weather conditions, leading to respiratory problems such as asthma which was reported in 26% of homeless individuals Coronary heart disease is also prevalent Improper hygiene and sanitation lead to significantly high rates of infectious diseases, particularly hepatitis C, hepatitis B, tuberculosis and HIV. Other diseases such as malnutrition, parasitic infections, and periodontal disease are also common among homeless populations

Furthermore, homelessness complicates the treatment of existing health conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, which require routine medication. In the case of diabetes, for example, homeless individuals would not have access to daily insulin injections due to lack of affordability and because some types of insulin require refrigeration. They have limited control over their diet and face a high risk of their medication being stolen. These factors cause many existing health conditions to be exacerbated.

Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

Bergin notes that 66% of the homeless use alcohol, with 30% of them having complications due to alcohol usage. The most common complications were falls and head injuries, liver damage, and memory loss. Other conditions include hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, gastric problems, and seizures. A significant number (38%) use drugs, of which 40% use drugs intravenously. In Dublin, the number of active drug users among the homeless population had increased significantly from 23% in 2005 to 54% in 2013. Apart from the risk of overdose, IV drug use also exposes individuals to serious infectious diseases which can be transmitted through the sharing of syringes, such as HIV and hepatitis B and C. It also causes vein damage and abscesses. From 2004 to 2013, the number of alcohol or drug-related deaths among homeless people increased by 57%

Mortality influenced by homelessness

Higher prevalence of disease and limited access to healthcare results in a significant reduction in mortality among homeless populations. On average, the life expectancy of a homeless person is 42 years of age, compared to 82 years of age in the general population Additionally, the number of deaths caused by hypothermia among the homeless was thirteen times that of the general population

National policy

Homelessness has been an enduring problem in Ireland, and the government has responded with several policies, one of which is the Housing First National Implementation Plan 2018-2021 (). The Housing First approach aims to provide immediate, long-term, and affordable housing and also health and community support for the homeless, ensuring their reintegration into society and improvement in overall well-being. As of August 2018, the Dublin Region Housing First Service had created and managed 250 tenancies for 214 different homeless individuals in Dublin. The government has also committed €5.35 billion worth of funds to support the provision of 47,000 units of social housing and emergency accommodation by the end of 2021 ().

Providing homeless individuals with adequate and proper housing creates the supportive and stable environment necessary for their recovery.

At the same time, a team of healthcare workers comprising counseling psychotherapists, addiction support workers, and mental health nurses provides clients with support for problems such as addiction, depression, trauma, and suicidal tendencies. The reorienting of health services in this way provides the homeless with access to personalized healthcare, which is essential for tackling their multiple and complex needs.

As part of Rebuilding Ireland, the Government’s Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness (),

The Simon Communities of Ireland is a charitable organization that provides a range of services to the homeless, which includes classes and workshops that allow homeless individuals to develop personal skills and increase their chances of employability. Its Health and Well-being Service also provides sports training, and group exercise and organizes events to nurture a greater sense of community among its clients.

International Policy

Within Europe, the FEANTSA (European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless) is a non-governmental organization focused on addressing homelessness. FEANTSA engages in constant dialogue with European institutions and governments to aid in the building of healthy public policy with regard to homelessness. FEANTSA also organizes seminars and workshops for policymakers and people working with the homeless for training and exchange of information between member organizations ().

At the 2015 UN General Assembly, a global commitment was also made ‘To reduce homelessness to functional zero (rare, brief and non-recurrent) in all member states by 2030’.

Conclusion

In conclusion, homelessness is a complex and multi-faceted issue that cannot be solved immediately, although Housing First policies are proving to be effective. There should be a continued and concerted effort between the government, community, and healthcare providers to reduce the health inequalities caused by homelessness.

The homelessness epidemic is a serious problem in most of the country’s major cities. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, there are more than 500,000 people are homeless every night. It is a difficult challenge precisely because it has many aspects, both in its cause and its far-reaching effects Effect. Homelessness not only affects people struggling to survive on the streets but also traders or residents nearby. Petty crime and drug addiction are popular. While many factors have contributed to the increase in homelessness rates, What is most serious is the lack of adequate social support services. By definition, a homeless person is someone who does not have a permanent home. They can search and Take shelter in garages, ATM halls, and metro stations. On a purely practical level, whether a city can provide enough homeless shelters and other forms of affordable housing,

Other people who usually sleep rough can sleep much safer with a bar roof over their heads. Social support services, whether funded by public or private funds, will be able to respond to the needs of many immediate and long-term challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness. In addition to providing adequate and reliable shelter, services such as addiction counseling, Dealing with physical or emotional abuse, and career counseling can address some factors leading to homelessness. Each person’s own stories through homelessness will be different. What is it usually? however, found that homelessness was the result of a series of events. Nobody could experience an unexpected job loss, which could lead to family problems at home, could lead to drug addiction as a coping mechanism, which can lead to additional financial stress, and Soon.

Appropriate social services at any point in the process can prevent homelessness from becoming a reality for that person. Equally complex are the effects of homelessness and can mirror the roots right. Because the person is experiencing homelessness, it can be deeply stressful for but personal relationship. Drug abuse can become a problem when the person tries to find a way to cope with the pain and difficulties of life on the streets. This results in a downward spiral which pushes the person deeper and deeper into the depths of poverty and isolation.

The impact also extends beyond the individual. As homelessness becomes more and more problems are visible in a neighborhood, home values can drop. Middle-class and working families may relocate, thus creating greater opportunities for different forms of crime. Businesses can close as the area becomes too prone to theft and property crime. Each city, and each neighborhood faces its challenges when it comes to homelessness. Although the specific root causes may vary from individual to individual, the lack of adequate social Service is the main contributing factor. Good social services can treat, alleviate or even eliminate some other underlying cause. With powerful effects on personalization and society as a whole, homelessness is an urgent problem that needs to be addressed with tact and compassion.

In this paper, I will focus on the topic of the effects of PTSD on the family and why veterans are returning to the country homeless. All across the United States of America, veterans are recognized and seen as heroes who have countlessly placed their lives on the line for this country, so why is it that many of them are returning to their country from deployments and services to ending up homeless? Homeless veterans initially came to the country’s attention in the 1970s and 1980s, when homelessness generally was becoming a more prevalent and noticeable phenomenon. Throughout this paper, I will be discussing the reasons why veterans, heroes of the country, are returning back homeless.

Post-traumatic stress disorder can have many effects on the family of a veteran. Due to the fact that the effects of PTSD, as well as other traumas, can modify and alter how a veteran feels and acts. Simply, traumatic occurrences that happens to one family member can affect everyone else in the family. Unfortunately, the power of these symptoms can make it hard for them to get along with other family members which can result in them withdrawing from their family. When trauma reactions are severe and go on and on without proper and professional treatment, this can cause many problems in the family. Members who find themselves attempting to cope with a beloved member of the family member who deals with PTSD may find themselves reacting in many ways. A few of these reactions that I am going to provide are quite common in veterans’ families who have to deal with one who suffers from PTSD.

One reaction that most family members have is sympathy. Without a doubt, people will feel remorse for a loved one who’s a veteran if they are suffering with PTSD or any other disorder due to a traumatic event. Indeed, it can be helpful for the veteran to know that his or her family sympathize with him or her. It might sound odd, but too much sympathy from the family can have a negative outcome. When it leads to ‘babying’ a vet and very low expectations for them, it can very well possibly send a message or hint to them that they aren’t strong enough to overcome their disorder. While reading an article, the author gave an example that said, “For example, if a wife has so much sympathy for her husband that she doesn’t expect him to work after a traumatic experience, the husband may think that she doesn’t have any confidence in his ability to recover and go back to work” (Jobe-Shields, 10).

Disconnection and detachment are a huge effect of PTSD. Aside from other family issues that may exist, veterans who return home from war can sometimes may feel detached and disconnected from his or her family and friends; even civilians. Also, many veterans don’t feel comfortable enough communicating to family about what occurred, not wanting to inform them on the realities of the war zone, or just believing that no one will truly understand because they weren’t there during their deployment. According to an article that I read, it said, “Often, the feeling and urge of wanting to isolate oneself from family can eventually result in a loss of understanding, support, and attachment” (Perciotti, 22). Many returning veterans who are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms may start feeling not to talk much about their time. So, they call themselves protecting their family from their emotions, both positive and negative ones. To do just that, the shut down and build a ‘safe haven’ to isolate themselves from family and remain distant. This in particular can lead to homelessness.

Homelessness is a problem and a barrier for many countries around the world that is being faced daily. The definition of homelessness differs from person to the next. The United States Department of Health and Human Service’s definition of homelessness is: “An individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets, stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle, or in any other unstable or non-permanent situation” (The United States Department of Health and Human Services). One of the many reasons why veterans are homeless is due to the lack of legal aid. Many veterans can’t afford lawyers for their behalf. A nine-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Randall Barry was once homeless. He was a well awarded soldiers throughout his service. However, during his last deployment, he started to experience bipolar disorder symptoms. Shortly after he noticed his symptoms, Barry decided to see a psychologist in the Force, but he was never formally diagnosed. According to ‘The Washington Post’, “After he [Barry] was discharged in 1989, Barry struggled to find work while his mental-health symptoms persisted. Without an official diagnosis, the VA denied his application for disability compensation. With no job and no benefits, he became homeless in 2008” (The Washington Post 2019).

He soon connected with HVP, the Homeless Veterans Project Law Center which is both a medical and legal partnership that provides health care, case management and legal services to high needed veterans for urgent health services. The attorneys helped connect Mr. Barry with housing and a psychiatrist who diagnosed and treated his disorder. Now with a diagnosis, the lawyers helped Barry obtain his long, overdue benefits he so well deserved via a disability claim. Due to the fact that Barry found an institution that aided him with legal advice, he is now safely housed and financially secure for the first time in forever. According to a recent study by the Department of Veterans Affairs, “At least five out of the top 10 problems leading to homelessness among veterans cannot be solved without legal help” (The Department of Veteran Affairs 2010).

It is most difficult to come to an understanding knowing that someone who has served and fought for our country are living and abandoned on the streets. For countless of veterans, if not all, homelessness has become a sad part of their reality. There are so many homeless veterans across this country. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs informational website, “The most recent PIT Count was conducted in January 2019. This national snapshot of Veteran homelessness showed that 37,085 veterans experienced homelessness in January 2019, compared to 37,878 in January 2018. Nearly 40,000 veterans who fought for us are suffering daily” (The US Department of Veteran Affairs, 2018). One of the biggest contributing factors to homelessness among the veteran population is post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Many veterans that suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder do not receive good enough treatment for their disorder. Due to this disorder, many can’t maintain jobs and maintaining connections with families and their friends. When veterans are discharged from the military, many of them struggle to fit back in with civilian life. Research shows veterans’ lack of support and social isolation contributes to homelessness among veterans with PTSD.

Although I would love to give a prominent answer to why many of our veterans coming back homeless, there is an abundance of research to do. Beyond the examples that I have provided, there are still many other factors that can lead a veteran becoming homeless. As for the responses of families to their beloved related veterans who suffer from PTSD, you can see that there are many different types of responses and effects on families from that. While there are many studies on veteran homelessness, the goal is to figure out why they are homeless. I must point out that no one has been able to fully answer the question of why veterans are coming back homeless, but I hope that in the future, there will be more and advanced studies on this issue and find a more prominent answer. Until then, one can only say that there are many factors that lead to this event, such as lack of assistance provided, mental illnesses, PTSD, lack or loss of support, and the lack of legal aid.

Although it seems that the United States doesn’t have a high rate of homelessness, in 2019 about 567,715 people were counted as homeless nationally. Unfortunately, in these almost two years approximately, this rate started to increase. There are many reasons why the rate of homelessness has been increasing for the past 2 years. One of them is due to mental illness.

According to metalillnesspolicy.com, “Mental illness is a major contributor to homelessness. In 2008, a survey was performed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors; 25 cities were asked for the three largest causes of homelessness in their communities. Mental illness was the third largest cause of homelessness for single adults mentioned by 48% of cities; for families, it was mentioned as the 1st one and 12% mentioned by the cities”. Although this evidence might demonstrate that mental illness for single adults is worse because of its higher percentage, it isn’t. When you analyze the scenario of a single adult mental illness versus a family one, you notice that the more people are involved in a mental illness, the worse it can be. For example, if one member of the family has a mental illness, it can possibly be passed to another member, whether by being hereditary or just by living together with that person. This web page also mentioned that “lack of treatment for the most seriously ill causes the kind of delusions and bizarre behavior that makes living alone or at home with family untenable. As a consequence, many people with untreated serious mental illness become homeless, and the community is forced to bear the cost for that.” (mentalillnesspolicy.com). In this case, the authors are talking about ‘serious illnesses’, which makes the process of being homeless more easily and faster. When they state that “lack of treatment for seriously ill causes kind of…that makes living along or at home with family untenable”, they use the word ‘untenable’ to describe how difficult it is for a person with a serious mental illness to live in a home alone or with their families that they decide to leave and start living in the streets. This supports why the homelessness rate has been increasing for the past 2 years.

To conclude, mental illness is one of the main reasons for such a rapid increase in the number of homeless people in our country. The homelessness rate is still increasing now in days, and we have to do something about it!

Homelessness is a very individualized experience for anyone suffering from it, so finding an exact method for solving it is difficult. It’s similar to how the medicine affects people in different ways or surgical procedures cause different reactions in the body. With more attention, understanding, and support for the problem, there can be significant progress made.

Causes of Homelessness

There are three main kinds of homelessness affecting society: chronic, episodic, and transitional. Chronic homelessness is defined as an individual who has been suffering from homelessness for over a year or has suffered four or more different times, equivalent to 12 months, within three years. They live long-term in a homeless shelter rather than using it as an emergency place to stay or a place that shouldn’t be inhabited by a person.

When someone is suffering from episodic homelessness, they are having recurrent issues with keeping a stable home. The individual is commonly young and becomes homeless from abuse, mental illness, addiction, unemployment, or low wages.

Transitional homelessness is a sudden, usually short-term form of homelessness caused by a sudden catastrophic event such as the loss of a job, a disaster like a tornado or fire, a child losing their guardian(s), or domestic violence.

Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

Mental illness and substance abuse, tied for the third leading cause, go hand in hand with chronic or episodic homelessness. They enhance each other and cause a massive downward spiral for the individual suffering from it. Whether or not mental illness and addiction were a part of the person’s life before they became homeless or even caused them to be in that situation, the stress and trauma of homelessness can lead to more intense symptoms or desire for drugs and alcohol and using drugs as self-medication for a mental or physical illness. Behavior relating to mental illness and addiction can create problems with keeping up with daily activities, and on a much bigger scale, keeping a stable home and job.

Studies conducted by the National Coalition for the Homeless show that 33% of the homeless population suffers from a form of mental illness. The most common forms affecting the homeless population are depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety. There has been a huge lack of support for people suffering from mental illness throughout history, causing both increased homelessness and people in jail. The Mental Health Systems Act of 1980, which helped provide grants to nonprofit and public organizations to fund assessments for mental health service needs, professional and financial assistance, community engagement, and other programs, was repealed by former President Ronald Reagan. This caused the closing of many institutional mental health centers and left patients with no housing and healthcare services to become a part of the community again.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 38% of the homeless population were dependent on alcohol and 26% were dependent on other drugs. Homeless people often turn to alcohol and drugs as temporary relief from the stress and negative emotions they suffer from, but it hinders them from getting help from themselves and outside sources. Lack of funding, accessibility, and attention to the homeless population among rehabilitation centers, substance abuse treatment, and prevention programs make it very difficult for people to get the help they need with treating their addiction and stabilizing their housing and employment situation.

Family Instability

Children who experience homelessness are caused by family problems, ranging from the loss of a guardian to being kicked out for various reasons to abuse. Children can also be born into a homeless family due to a lack of resources for pregnancy prevention and sexual assault.

My father experienced homelessness twice during his childhood after being kicked out by his mother. Both times were from a disagreement they had. Youth who are sent away by their parents because of disagreements, religious views, sexual preferences, and other reasons have nowhere to go. They are too young to get a job to provide for themselves, and especially too young to buy or rent a home or apartment. Without the support of their family, children are utterly alone and will have much more trouble bringing themselves out of homelessness.

In Mills and Ota’s journal Homeless Women with Minor Children in the Detroit Metropolitan Area, they discuss how young mothers without a high school diploma and no income and their children become homeless because of mental illness or substance abuse. They were likely to have already been struggling financially and the new life they had to provide made their financial situation crumble. If a mother and the father, if present, isn’t prepared financially or emotionally for a child, it’s common that the sudden additional expense becomes too much for them to handle.

Homelessness has a huge negative effect on children because they don’t get the proper physical and emotional development. With a lack of proper socialization with other children their age, they can develop emotional and behavioral problems, especially if their guardian suffers from a similar problem. They also suffer from serious health problems due to a lack of access to medicine, support, food, and clean water. It’s common for children suffering from homelessness to having a proper education as many of them retake a grade, drop out early, perform less than average, and get in more trouble because of their lack of social interactions.

Adults, and children if they are in that situation as well, can become homeless because of domestic violence. People in an abusive relationship are most likely in absolute reliance on the abuser so when they flee, they have nothing of their own to fall back on. They are often forced to lose all contact with their family and friends, so they have nowhere else to go but the streets. 80% of homeless mothers with children have experienced domestic violence

Actions Taking Place in Detroit

The WAVE Project

The WAVE (Welcoming All, Valuing Everyone) Project, which was established in 2018 in Macomb County, is a nonprofit organization that provides private showers and bathrooms to those in need. The organization started out in Mount Clemens as a monthly meeting with volunteers and homeless members of the community. They discovered that homeless people have a lot of trouble getting access to proper showers and other hygiene, whether it be because of location, transportation, or other reasons. Their shower trailer includes 3 private stalls with a toilet, sink, and a stand-up shower. With just this one trailer, the members of the WAVE Project are able to provide over 40 showers to homeless individuals during one event, which lasts around 4 hours.

The importance of this project isn’t because it solves homelessness, but because it brings hope and dignity back to the homeless members of our community. With the morale boost of being clean and presentable, there can be sparked the inspiration to pull themselves out and begin to rebuild the lives they had before homelessness took over. More often than not, establishments won’t want to hire a homeless person and this causes the individual to avoid job interviews from a lack of confidence in their hygiene. But by providing these showers, the volunteers are making opportunities possible for the homeless to go and have successful job interviews and stock up on money for the future. On the news, where I found out about the WAVE Project, I saw a story about a homeless man who was a part of a recent event in Detroit. He had a job interview that same day and he was able to get himself cleaned up before he went. An organization like this is an amazing push in the right direction for homeless people, giving them the proper morale boost to bring their lives back.

During the interview I had with Todd Gordon, co-founder of the WAVE Project, two of my questions were about how the community and government can help bring an end to homelessness. Gordon answered, “There are a lot of really good people who are trying to make an impact. So one of the things that I know is already occurring is collaboration and mutual assistance. Even just getting in the same room and sharing ideas and coordinating services, helping one another along the way…It all comes down to who you know.” There is an idea of homeless people that “there are trepidations that they themselves don’t care enough to fix”, so Gordon believes that there should be more understanding of homelessness and the people who suffer from it, that they aren’t just lazy and trying to get free handouts. Homelessness is a real problem, not just an act. He stated that he believes that the goal of the WAVE Project is to love the individual for who they are and where they’re at, not acting in fear, disgust, or mistrust.

Gordon described the homeless people being able to shower for the first time in maybe weeks or months as a “powerful transformative moment.” In the beginning, when they first approach the shower they are scared, hesitant, and guarded but they “emerge with a glow and a gratefulness that words can’t explain.”

The Clay Center and the Bell Building

The Clay Center, created by the Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO), is planned to be opened in 2020 on Mack and Elmwood off Gratiot. There is a $20 million investment for the campus which will include a permanent apartment complex with 45 private units, available to single adults. Included in the two-story building, there will be mental health services, substance abuse services, job, and resume assistance, transportation, and a medical center.

The Oakman Boulevard Bell Building, another project that provides permanent housing and other services for formerly homeless adults, was also founded by the NSO. The building includes 155 fully furnished apartments. On top of the services mentioned previously, the Bell Building includes other resources like a gym, library, computer room, art and music rooms, and a chapel.

Actions Taking Place Around the World

Housing First

Many of the homeless services in Detroit find that the most important action to emphasize is Housing First. To get people off the streets and give them a steady footing on improving and building their lives and health, organizations are providing permanent housing. The idea is that before any significant improvements can be made such as employment, budgeting, mental health services, and rehabilitation, basic necessities like food and shelter must be provided. Homeless individuals have access to a home no matter what their situation is, without needing to go through the service tests and programs before receiving a home. On top of the housing, other services are provided that each individual selects for themselves. The services range from doctors, therapists, social workers, faith groups, family, and friends. Because of this, the Housing First program can be personalized for each individual or family suffering from homelessness.

Michigan Campaign to End Homelessness

The Campaign to End Homelessness for Michigan has five goals, housing all homeless veterans, annually reducing chronic homelessness by 20% and family, individual, and youth homelessness by 10%. A common proposal to end homelessness is affordable housing and the Michigan Action Plan for 2017 to 2019 is no different. There is a plan to establish more affordable housing where the homeless population is more prominent. The members of this action plan believe that “no man, woman, or child should be forced to sleep on the streets, in the woods, or on a cot in a shelter on any night, in any town or city in Michigan. Any homeless experience should be brief, rare, and non-recurring.” They also want to provide fast and proper income support so there is no unnecessary waiting.

What Wins-Conclusion

If there is a way to completely end homelessness, the most effective and important way to start is to provide permanent housing for homeless individuals and families. With the majority of the homeless population feeling completely hopeless, trapped, and humiliated, they need a huge morale boost. By providing basic housing, food, hygiene, and safety, the people suffering from homelessness can eventually feel like themselves again and regain the motivation to make their lives better. General skills and job training would be beneficial as well to give a skillset valuable in the working world.

However, it can just stop at housing and training. Mental health and addiction are very prominent factors in homelessness and they have to be acknowledged in order to properly end homelessness. Once they become stable with their new home, if there are deep-rooted factors affecting the homeless victim such as mental illness or substance abuse, there has to be a more permanent solution so they don’t succumb to that again and lose what was worked for. To help solve the root causes of homelessness, programs such as support groups, mental health services, and rehabilitation centers have to be accessible to homeless people.

With community programs like the WAVE Project, volunteering, and government organizations like the NSO working together, I think that homelessness can be overcome. As Todd Gordon said, collaboration is the best way for solutions to take place. People working together and becoming aware of the seriousness and vastness of homelessness will inspire people to volunteer, donate, and fundraise. The homeless community won’t be able to help themselves in the beginning, they’re going to need access to resources that will be provided by collaboration. It’s not simply going to be one solution however, every homeless individual and family has their own situation and they’ll need their own set of solutions to efficiently bring their lives back to normal. A general framework of affordable housing and various needed services can be universal, but some people may need more help and attention in certain areas than others.

There are many reasons why our government ought to spend more to address the uncontrolled issue of homelessness. In spite of the fact that the quantities of homelessness in the United States have diminished in the previous 10 years, more than 3.5 million individuals every year experience homelessness, with 578,424 people experience homelessness every night Numerous neediness stricken individuals are reliably at the danger of homelessness there is an absence of reasonable lodging, numerous occupations give low salary, and dejected individuals can’t manage the cost of therapeutic consideration for help. In any case, homelessness doesn’t just stretch out to the destitute – it likewise influences a standard resident. It very well may be an aftereffect of catastrophic events, family passing, joblessness, aggressive behavior at home, separation, family issues, and mental incapacities. By balancing out individuals through shelters, moving them into perpetual lodging, and actualizing help projects to keep them in their lodging, we can diminish, however, wipe out, homelessness in our society.

But If the government helps funds the (HAF) program and gives $11 billion more than ten years to pay for Segment 8 Lodging Decision Vouchers and quick re-lodging for families encountering or in danger of homelessness. Area 8 Lodging Decision Vouchers enable amazingly low pay families to pick humbly estimated lodging in the private market and pay 30 percent of their pay for lease, with government reserves (controlled by a nearby Open Lodging Authority) paying the rest of. Quick re-lodging works with destitute families to distinguish landowners and find fitting lodging, gives momentary budgetary help, and associates families with administrations (counting business administrations) in the network. Both are demonstrated to end homelessness in our community. However, Homelessness has consistently been more an emergency of sympathy and creative mind than one of the sheer financial matters. Governments go through millions every year on shelters, human services, and different types of triage for the destitute, yet just giving individuals homes ends up being far less expensive, as per inquire about from the College of Washington in 2009. Counteracting a fire consistently requires less water than smothering it once it’s consuming.

However, If only the government would give networks what they have to guarantee that no youngster lives in the street or spends significant stretches in shelters and that kids and families flimsily housed find support with lodging. It would give financing to lodging mediations that have demonstrated to end and avoid vagrancy in a financially savvy way, however, that has never been supported enough. The advantage to these youngsters is self-evident – by enabling them to rapidly get away from the injury of vagrancy, it keeps away from a large group of negative results and enables their folks to give a steady domain and return to work. Advantages to citizens are similarly vigorous, as families and youngsters have better wellbeing, can look after work, improve in school, and are progressively ready to add to their networks.

Furthermore, People that are not do not support that the government should end homelessness in our society would claim it will cost us a lot of money or maybe the funding is too much but, no. this is nothing but a game-changing component of the proposition is that it is subsidized on the ‘obligatory’ side of the government spending plan. This implies it is a long-haul (for this situation ten-year) responsibility to address this issue. Financing will be dependable over these ten years, and country and urban networks can focus on taking the necessary steps that will improve the probability that the objective of completion vagrancy for America’s families will be met. Past the expansive advantages to children and families, and interest in moderate lodging for the most minimal salary families supports efficiency and financial development. By associating laborers to networks with well-paying occupations, great schools, and travel, interests in moderate lodging can spike neighborhood work creation and increment wages. Interests in moderate lodging help nearby economies and add to neighborhood and network improvement.

Also, research shows that the lack of reasonable lodging in significant metropolitan zones costs the American economy about $2 trillion per year in lower wages and efficiency. The absence of reasonable lodging avoids lower-pay family units from moving to networks with increasingly monetary chances. Without the weight of higher lodging costs, these families would be better ready to move to regions with developing nearby economies. Thus, families have obliged chances to expand income, causing more slow GDP development. Analysts gauge that the development in GDP somewhere in the range of 1964 and 2009 would have been 13.5% higher if families would be advised to access reasonable lodging. Such a development would have prompted a $1.7 trillion increment incomplete salary or $8,775 in extra wages per worker. And every dollar put resources into reasonable lodging helps neighborhood economies by utilizing open and private assets to produce pay—including inhabitant income and extra nearby duty income—and bolster work creation and maintenance. Building only 100 moderate rental homes creates $11.7 million in nearby pay, $2.2 million in charges and other income for neighborhood governments, and 161 neighborhood employments in the principal year alone.

Conclusion

In Conclusion, Ending homelessness would improve our economy because we would have more people involved in our society. If only the government would give networks what they have to guarantee that no youngster lives in the street or spends significant stretches in shelters and that kids and families flimsily housed find support with lodging. It would give financing to lodging mediations that have demonstrated to end and avoid vagrancy in a financially savvy way, however, that has never been supported enough. The government should give the homeless lasting, moderate lodging, and wraparound administrations. Lasting steady lodging or housing for homeless people will not only solve one of the biggest American problems by ending homelessness all over the country but also help our economy.

Work cited:

1. “What Does Ending Homelessness Mean?” What Does Ending Homelessness Mean? | United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), https://www.usich.gov/goals/what-does-ending-homelessness-mean/.
2. “4 Simple Ways to End Homelessness.” Google, Google, https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_58a45fe9e4b080bf74f04294/amp.
3. “It Would Actually Be Very Simple To End Homelessness Forever.” Google, Google, https://www.google.com/amp/s/thinkprogress.org/it-would-actually-be-very-simple-to-end-homelessness-forever-d6f15852b2ec/amp/.

The issue of homelessness is universal. Almost every country is trying to find a solution to reduce the growing homeless population. In the United States, there seems to be a misunderstanding about homelessness and a perception that it is a self failure or a flaw that has made an individual or family homeless. Taxpayers can be hesitant to vote for bills that will allocate funds to assist in welfare programs and government assistance, due to the thought that there must be something morally wrong with people that are living on the streets or in shelters. The term “welfare queen” has been used a lot in news and in everyday conversations about why funding government aid programs should not be prioritized. The truth is there are many factors to how and why people become homeless ranging from predatory lending practices done by mortgage brokers or for-profit universities, criminal history, overall health including mental health and addiction, housing and rent prices increasing dramatically, and lastly income inequality and discrimination. In this paper, we will discuss a few of these determinants and try to bring light to the cycle of homelessness and why it is so difficult to break the cycle.

Psychiatric disorders affect 30-40 percent of people who are homeless (Lippert et al. 2015). There are a few different types of homelessness; chronic, episodic, and transitional. Chronic homelessness is “characterized by a few spells lasting long periods of time, reflecting a persistent homeless state” (Lippert et al. 2015). Episodic homeless is defined by “residential instability, with frequent shifts between housed and homeless circumstances” (Lippert et al. 2015), and transitional homeless “comprises a short, isolated homeless spell between moves from one stable housing situation to another” (Lippert et al. 2015). There is something known as the accumulation of risks perspective which is mainly referring to the idea that problems accumulate for homeless people (hardships) that can accumulate over the life course. The accumulation of risks perspective holds that “earlier advantages (and disadvantages) influence the accumulation of resources (or hardships) throughout the life course and exacerbate health inequalities over time” (Lippert et al. 2015). This perspective is further supported by the stress theory, which is the theory that “disadvantaged social positions carry greater exposure to stressors and weaken the stock of economic, psychological, and social resources that may be deployed to cope with life stress, ultimately jeopardizing mental well-being” (Lippert et al. 2015). A study done by Adam Lippert and Barrett Lee concluded that “psychiatric disorders are most common among people who are chronically or episodically homeless and least common among the new-entry homeless. It was also found that the lower prevalence of mental health problems among the new-entry group is related to this group’s fewer encounters with life stress”. Approximately 78 percent of the homeless population suffer from at least one substance use disorder (excluding tobacco use disorder) and 68 percent suffers from at least one mental disorder (such as depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) and 55 percent suffers from both substance use and mental disorders (Schutz 2016). The strongest and most consistent risk factors were substance use disorders and mental illnesses, followed by low income and other income-related factors.

In 2012, the National Alliance to End Homelessness presented the notion that homelessness in the United States can be ended, rather than managed. It is believed that ending homelessness is “achievable through a reimagined approach that combines evidence, resources, innovative thinking, and political will” (Henwood et al. 2015). It has been nearly 70 years since the United States adopted the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights, which stated housing as a fundamental human right that should be attainable by all. “Homelessness has a disproportionate impact on certain historically marginalized or stigmatized groups, including African Americans and individuals with mental illnesses and other evidence” (Henwood et al.2015). There have been studies that document the high costs of healthcare, behavioral health, criminal justice, and other services persons experiencing chronic homelessness incur- upwards of $40,000 per year- make it abundantly clear that the continued existence of homelessness is staggeringly expensive to taxpayers.

There has been some success using participatory action research on addressing the health care needs in the homeless population. It has been found that serious mental illness exacerbates morbidity in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, epilepsy, and cancer, often resulting in barriers to health care services and lack of treatment adherence (Broadbent et al. 2008; Kessler et al. 2005). These cumulative risk factors often end in adverse health outcomes. Homeless people in rural settings have reported negative encounters with health care professionals, describing examples of demeaning and disparaging nature (Kiser et al. 2018). In a recent national study, the unmet health needs of the homeless, as compared with the general population, could be 6 to 10 times greater, while the inability to access medications and treatments can become insurmountable barriers when there is a need to focus on basic survival skills including nutrition, safety, hygiene, and shelter (Baggett et al. 2010). The participatory action research that was done was a collaborative approach between community members, the homeless individuals, representatives from homeless shelters, and the academic community jointly participating and sharing control over all phases of the development, implementation, and evaluation of the project from assessment to dissemination (Kiser et al. 2018). There are several obstacles to access to care including lack of insurance, lack of money for copayments, lack of access to medications, and challenges with transportation. The project was successful because the participatory action research has given a voice to key members of the community involved but it has also required high levels of time, trust, turf-sharing, and respect for each member of the coalition. The housing first model has been described as the “clear solution” to chronic homelessness by developing immediate access to private-market, scatter-site housing without prerequisites for sobriety, psychiatric stabilization, or completion of previous treatment programs (United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, 2010). The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness works to “coordinate the Federal response to homelessness, 2013, para. 1). The system works to develop a better understanding of homelessness estimates and trends and can be used to measure meaningful progress to end homelessness over the next decade. Since the 1990s, the question of “how can we help homeless people” has transitioned to “how can we solve their homelessness?”. The housing first approach was initially viewed as counterintuitive but is now a leading solution to rapid housing of the most vulnerable homeless people. This strategy undoubtedly requires an unprecedented national partnership between public, private, nonprofit, and faith-based sectors. Ending homelessness means “that every community will have a comprehensive response in place that ensures homelessness is prevented whenever possible, or if it can’t be prevented, it is a rare, brief, and one-time experience” (What Does Ending Homelessness Mean? 2018). Specifically in the United States, New York is starting to use some Medicaid funding to finance the construction of new permanent housing, Abilene, Texas has recently ended homeless in the veteran community (Broom 2019). Housing costs should not compromise other basic needs.

Housing and rent prices are divided into two parts: the cost of maintaining, operating, and construction, the land that the building sits on and how valuable that location is. The inability to pay rent that covers just building maintenance or operating costs is due to income, however, if there is a struggle to find affordable decent housing even if a person can cover the overall building costs then the issue is the affordability of the location. For many years major metropolitan cities in the United States, especially west coast cities like San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, the price of the land has increased dramatically. The buildings themselves are barely renovated and rarely offer any more amenities than a private bathroom, however, the location is desirable. Portland, Oregon is seeing a rise in gentrification similar to what was experienced in San Francisco post-WWII (Barton 2011). Once undesirable, industrial areas like the Northwest or even the North and South East districts have been “discovered” by wealthy affluent families. Lower-income housing is becoming less prevalent and individuals or families are being evicted without the option to resign a lease due to property owners wanted to increase rent. The property owners know once more affluent people move to the area the overall downtown center will improve which will again reinforce the higher cost of the rent. Currently, in the Portland area, the overall rent and housing prices are increasing creating a hot market where homes are being sold within days of being listed. Gentrification is pushing out longtime residents and forcing them to move outside of their districts or outside of their counties, uprooting children from schools, creating longer commute times to work, and creating overall instability in their lives and the lives of their children. Childhood housing instability puts children’s school readiness at risk in turn lowers overall educational attainment (Ziol 2013).

Causality has been discovered in areas that at one time were deemed undesirable, or locally undesirable land uses and increased gentrification in those areas with increasing land price. Usually, these areas are close to industrial plants, warehouses, and are generally not close to a body of water, or natural areas. This area had lower property value or lower land value. Once these areas are cleaned up or have the potential to be cleaned up it is common for developers or wealthier individuals to start to buy up land and property in order to then profit on the incoming gentrification. Cities are not trying to create gentrification, they are merely trying to clean up the city and create a more equitable living situation, unfortunately, this brings about gentrification by creating a model where people of the lower class, or minorities are being moved out of their homes, maybe by being bought out, or eventually being unable to afford the overall rise in the land price. “If improvements in environmental quality encourage gentrification and the displacement of lower socioeconomic status populations, benefits may flow instead to higher status residents while costs are incurred by the people least able to afford them” (Eckerd 2011). There need to be environmental quality improvements being made to all areas of a city without gentrification happening. Yet it has been seen like stated above, that no environmental improvements need to be made for there to be gentrification. Only if land shows some potential and could be profitable, so it is difficult to predict when and where gentrification will occur.

Having a criminal record is considered a “symptom” of being homeless, this is because of a large overlap between being homeless and having a criminal history. ‘Not only are the large number of people released from criminal justice institutions at increased risk for homelessness, but conversely, homeless people are vulnerable to incarceration’ (Tsai et al. 2013). Being incarcerated for any number of months or years does not in itself lead to lack of job attainment and job education, rather incarceration just keeps individuals from progressing their lives because they are in a cell or have the stress of court dates and fines (Tsai 2016). Some of the more common crimes that homeless individuals are arrested for are disorderly conduct, vagrancy, and public intoxication. There is a hypothesis that the homeless population isn’t being arrested because they are a violent threat to society, but they are a nuisance to society therefore being put in a cell for some time will benefit society as a whole, called the “rabble management thesis” (Fitzpatrick 2011). This thesis can be proven when looking at the common crimes and seeing that these crimes do not typically affect others, rather just affect the individual. Anything more serious like assault, burglary, or trespassing is typically done to find a place to sleep over the night, or means to secure a place to sleep.

Mental illness, as well as military history, are extremely common in the homeless community that has previous experience with the criminal justice system. A longer history of incarceration is usually in tandem with a history of mental illness compared to short-term or no history of incarceration (Rosenheck et al. 2013). It has also been found that if there is the proper treatment for mental illness, for example, someone who is brought into the criminal justice system with symptoms of impulsive behavior or assault associated with drug use then counseling and coinciding with substance abuse treatment is beneficial and lowers that person’s risk of being re-arrested (Roy et al, 2016). Since mental illness and homelessness are so in tandem there is an issue with re-establishing individuals who have involvement with the criminal justice system and co-occurring disorders.

Obtaining and maintaining housing is by far the most difficult for these individuals. Not only is obtaining a means of housing difficult but the added stress of attaining a job; back in 2005 a national study was done that researched 5 U.S. cities to figure out if employers would hire someone with a criminal background, overall 65% of employers said that they would never higher someone, regardless of the offense, who had a criminal background (Clark et al. 2017).

Discrimination plays a big role in arrests and can be a predictor for the possibility for an individual to be re-arrested. In Canada a study was done with a total of 607 participants, a common predictor of re-arrest was male gender and aboriginal ethnic background (Clark et al. 2017). Profiling done by police is common not only in Canada but is common in the U.S. as well. Discrimination takes many forms, not only ethnic but there is also sexual discrimination, for example, a police officer arresting a homeless transgender individual prostitute because of personal biases instead of arresting a female prostitute. Discrimination can lead to mental health issues like depression and suicidal tendencies, this already happens with people who are sheltered face discrimination; the result is tenfold for those who face discrimination and are homeless. Once an individual has a criminal record, especially someone who is already facing daily discrimination due to race, gender identity, sexual identity, or mental health issues, finding a job, maintaining healthy habits, and obtaining a home or apartment can be difficult and usually, most of those priorities take a backseat because a lot of the times it seems like a lost cause.

Due to the way our criminal justice system works we do not give enough emphasis on rehabilitation, instead, it is much more common to just house people that society perceives as a threat for a period of time and then they are released. Unless properly housed a lot of already homeless individuals will become homeless again, and will most likely be re-arrested, then instilling the belief among society and police officers that homeless individuals are a lost cause or they do not care about their well-being, which reinforces the homeless individual that they are a lost cause because no one is telling them differently.

This brings us to the issue of police decision-making. Many times police are not properly trained to handle homeless individuals. Many homeless individuals, like stated above, have co-occurring mental health problems, sometimes they are genetic, and sometimes they are brought on by traumatic events that have happened in their lives, sexual abuse, death of parent or guardian, early drug abuse/addiction, or long family history of incarceration. The officers that are dispatched to the scene for example of public intoxication, see is just a drunk individual and are trained to obtain relevant information and to make an arrest if warranted. The officers are not considering the possible life events that have to lead this individual to become homeless or feel ostracized from their community. Even if an officer has a personal empathetic feeling associated with the intoxicated homeless individual, they have a protocol to adhere to.

Officers may have difficulty identifying signs of mental illness or temporary mental instability. It is not protocoled to locate or to contact a local hospital or clinic while on the scene but to make arrests and maybe ask those questions later. Our criminal justice system is set on retribution and justice that it has lost sight of the individuals who need it the most. Homeless individuals with mental illness have nowhere to go, making them an easy target for arrests because they are more visible than other offenders. Homeless individuals with mental issues are also more likely to be taken advantage of by other offenders. They have a higher chance of being targeted to perform certain illegal jobs, which in turn again give them a higher chance of being arrested; because of the lack of trust for police homeless individuals are not as likely to cooperate (Clark et al. 2017).

Overall in every journal, article, TED talk, and book that we have read or watched, there is one concept that stands out the most and the most repeated. In order for our nation to begin to solve the problem of homelessness, we must create a fully integrated system that helps all sectors of public health, public housing, and veteran affairs to become one strong program. Communication is necessary within each and cooperation is crucial in order for this system to work.

There are many extenuating factors that contribute to an individual’s journey into and out of homelessness. In order to prevent the cycle completely, it is imperative we address these causes. The homeless population isn’t a fixed group of people, it is ever-changing with people who are just coming into or out of homelessness. Things like mental health issues, substance and alcohol abuse, run-ins with the criminal justice system, housing inequality, and income inequality all need to be considered. The first step in addressing the housing need across the United States.

Being homeless is a state when a person does not have anything to survive. When there is no shelter to live in. According to sociology theory, it is a serious issue in the world and our society. There are various causes behind this issue. Major causes of homelessness are Family disputes, imminent eviction, poor governmental policies, bad addiction, debt, and low level of education and mental health problems in people. These glitches can occur due to unemployment, low salaries. Some of these problems denote biographical difficulties among which social and personal conflict and subjective factors are accountable. Becoming homeless gives birth to a lot of things like depression and other serious health issues (Testoni, Russotto, Zamperini & De Leo, 2018). Poverty is one of the biggest issues in the world and many countries are tackling this issue causing homelessness. There are three articles chosen for the literature review based on homelessness. This indicates there are various reasons and roots behind homelessness, possible steps are described, taken by the government to prevent it in different countries. I will focus on the methods used in articles to figure out reasons and policies to stop homelessness at different levels.

To begin with, in the first article case study is used to describe homelessness and its prevention policies. In big countries many assurances toward homelessness are evident (Szeintuch, 2017). Different countries are dealing with it at different stages. Moreover, some countries taking it at the primary prevention level and some broke it into three stages to tackle it. Prevention policies to homelessness are explained using a case study of Israel’s policies. It is described in the article that search indicates the council of Europe’s European Committee on social rights examined whether countries are ensuring the rights to housing or not. Six in the eight EU members state committee are failed to complete this fundamental. Those failed countries to ensure housing left people to live in inadequate accommodation. People waited years on social housing lists. Many faced increased debt levels and were forced to evict (Szeintuch, 2017). Based on these findings of search in Europe, North America, and Australia the literature proposed the appropriate need approach to design the solutions to homeless policy. On the contrary, there are problems listed standing in the way to homeless prevention. It is difficult to ensure that prevention has targeted the ‘right’ population. Second thing is that prevention targeted in one country may be different in another. Consequently, homelessness prevention and effectiveness should be carefully accessed.

Three main questions are used in a search to develop a framework for homelessness prevention. The first one is to consider that who is at most risk and how to identify it. The second thing to consider that where homelessness comes from, did they owned a house before becoming homeless. Thirdly, what events participate in the causes? Do families or individuals become homeless? Further, it is proposed that various reasons can be behind homelessness like structural, institutional and personal, or interpersonal. In the methodology, materials are collected from the Israeli government and local authorities (Szeintuch, 2017). The issue was based on a variety of materials, bills laws, letters, and reports summaries, papers stories, videos, and audiotapes. The policy of homeless prevention in Israel is based on these findings. Data is given in a descriptive way of the findings. There are particular rules to be followed on street dwellers. While finding if people are eligible for housing there are characteristics to consider on the people who need housing (Szeintuch, 2017). History is given behind homelessness and three levels of prevention policies are described. The three levels of primary, secondary and tertiary are methods to intervene the homelessness. Examples are given of collected data. These steps are helpful to stop homelessness in any country at the initial stage and reduce the number of new cases. This search is done in an effective way.

In the second article, the author shed light on India’s government policies and the number of homelessness. There are various reasons behind homeless people in every country. In India economic growth, exclusion from class, society, and family are major factors behind homelessness. Collected data indicate that in India there is not a big variance in the growth of India than in other developed countries but still there is a number of people living below the poverty line in India. There are cases to be noticed like, illiteracy, increased number of child abuse, and child labor. There are millions of people living on the roads. However, economic growth is increased at a huge level in India but still, there is an imbalance between the distributions of government policies between the people (D’Souza, 2018). Every year new schemes are introduced in the favor of people but still left millions of Indians unaffected. There are various reasons the biggest thing is corruption in the system all those policies and funds for poor people never reach them.

Corrupt Politicians in the system misuse their positions. Poor people are at the bottom line of fruits. The random sampling method is used to present a study of homelessness. It is also shown that inequality of income distribution is the biggest cause. Major cities are mentioned like, Bangalore and Chennai. People who live on roads and sleep on roads are described as those who do not have a good education level. They live at the poverty line, do not use their rights, and are not aware of anything going around them. These are basic problems in people. Table chart is given indicating specific numbers and percentages of homeless people, their gender, and particular selected years in the study (D’Souza, 2018). Domestic violence, low income, rural-urban migration, family and lack of social support, mental illness, and disability are the major factors behind the causes of homelessness. All the data is given in a particular and effective way. Useful suggestions are proposed to eliminate the homeless in India. Inclusive growth should become a major policy that every citizen of the country must share the benefit of the country’s growth. These suggested policies and frameworks can be implemented in all countries to get out of this problem because the era of globalization gear toward development and profit there is a need for justice in the distribution of rules to save humanity.

The third article is based on the United States and improved homelessness in the rural areas. It is revealed that in cities people on the roads are easily highlighted and acknowledged as homeless. They are provided with housings by the associations but in rural areas, there are people living in inadequate conditions. They are struggling with their earnings, day-to-day life, family disputes, and individual situations. Those rural areas are lacking in funds and developments. The point-in-time survey is used to perform the study on homelessness. Furthermore, a bar graph is used to indicate research based on ten years (as cited in Yousey & Samudra 2018). It shows that homelessness is almost stable to some extent. During ten years period, it only decreased from 80,000 to less than 70,000. Which is not a huge change. The data is available to the public reported online at the state level. A view is given from previous studies. Three different levels are mentioned which distinguish homelessness at different levels. There are limitations highlighted in form of federal policies which hinder the progress of rural areas.

There are different areas divided into groups of people who do not like living in another group of people. Different people living in different provinces do not share their funds and growth with other provinces which drags other people down. People living in rural areas are most affected by poverty. Equal distribution of rules and policies by the government can help in their growth (as cited in Yousey & Samudra 2018). This study indicates that there are no perfect solutions but still changes can be implemented to help homeless people.

In a nutshell, in all three articles, various reasons are mentioned behind homelessness. Studies are shown in a specific way. Various suggestions are made to eradicate homelessness from the countries and world. No one in the world wants to become poor and homeless intentionally. The government body is the first who can come forward and take faster and accurate decisions and actions on this problem. It is hard to imagine life without a house. Society and individuals can come forward to help people. Countries can tackle this problem by helping each other at the world level.

Homelessness could come in many forms people from children, young adults, adults, and the elderly. In the case of many of them, many people have done many things to try to get out of being homeless although there are many reasons for why people are homeless and depending on what age group you fit in it could be different reasons to what lead them to the place they are in. For example, an increase in poverty rates, lack of affordable housing, Decline in the availability of public assistance all affect both adults and the elderly and at times even adults with a family. For us to get out of poverty since there are many reasons we are in poverty and that is explained in the book as followed: ‘DiNitto has defined five different approaches to the conceptualization of poverty in the united states: Poverty as deprivation, poverty as inequality, poverty as culture, poverty as exploitation, and poverty as structure.’ (Social Works and Social Welfare) Next Child’s homelessness, could be many causes as well with either being in a family one of the bigger issues is that they either lack Parental support, foster homes, or individual care. This case is easy although many kids are afraid to go into a foster home or a homeless shelter because they don’t know what would happen to them or if they’re with their little brother or sisters they wouldn’t want to be separated. This is a big issue although there have been improvements even helping kids at times helping them get an education and even get a job if they can’t find someone to adopt them or even foster them. As mentioned above many people get affected from all ages groups from children/infants through adults and elders. Like there are many ages groups that get affected many have different reasons to be homeless as well as have different situations that have them end up in that specific situation. Like those many reasons, there are also many factors such as race and another idea that causes a person to be homeless. Although there are many ways that we as a community can prevent or control homelessness in either our small towns or big cities. Even though they are homeless they also affect people that aren’t homeless depending on the area that you live in.

Homelessness is one of the disasters that one can confront suddenly or where one can be just as being destitute by going for broke which can be certain or negative purposefully or not deliberately. The forces which affect homelessness are complex and often interactive in nature. Social forces such as addictions, family breakdown, and mental illness are compounded by structural forces such as lack of available low-cost housing, poor economic conditions, and insufficient mental health services. Together these factors impact levels of homelessness through their dynamic relations. As mentioned above homelessness affects everyone from all ages and cultural groups. If we are like many thinking that African Americans are one of the most likely to be homeless then we are wrong. “Unfortunately, the public’s racial image of poor people is mistaken, as census data reveal that the most typical poor person is white (non-Latino). To be more precise, 42.4 percent of poor people are white (non-Latino), 28.7 percent are Latino, 23.1 percent are black, and 3.7 percent are Asian. As these figures show, non-Latino whites certainly comprise the greatest number of the American poor. Turning these percentages into numbers, they account for 19.6 million of the 46.2 million poor American.”(Social Problems 2016) Although as overall group children are the highest to be homeless accumulating for about 1.3 million out of the 3.5 million people being homeless every single night.

As much as we need to close our eyes ordinary and imagine this isn’t occurring the insights are not a concealed marvels poverty for families is hard especially for families with kids in them because according to the video the united states as of 2012 has one of the highest child poverty rates in the developing countries and also according to the video as of 2017 there are still 14 million kids living in poverty and about 10 percent of those are homeless. Which in the book states ‘We saw earlier that 22 percent of American children are poor. This figure varies according to the type of family structure in which the children live. Whereas only 11.6 percent of children residing with married parents live in poverty, 46.9 percent of those living with only their mother live in poverty. This latter figure rises to 53.3 percent for African American children and 57.0 percent for Latino children (US Census Bureau, 2012). Yet regardless of their race or ethnicity, children living just with their mothers are at particularly great risk of living in poverty.'(Social Problems 2016) To add to this in “Social work and Social welfare” reads families with children represent the fastest-growing segments of the homeless and poverty population. (Social works pg 161)

As mentioned above children are more likely to be in poverty and because of that, they are one of the leading groups that are likely to be homeless. One of the major social problems to cause homelessness in today’s society is poverty. Poverty has been a problem since colonial America times and what makes it worse is that it hasn’t changed at all since it has been established as poverty. (Social works pg 168) Even with the number of programs and services given to poverty, it is still a big challenge that still lies ahead and by the looks of it just like past history, it doesn’t look like it will get better soon. In a conflicting view stratification results from a lack of opportunity and discrimination against the poor and people of color. (Social Problems 2016) This is one that relates to the short film I watch called “Park Avenue: Money, Power, and the American Dream” because this theory shows that there are obstacles set in the way of the people in poverty to prevent them from advancing out of the situation they are in which shows higher powers try to keep them in that certain situation because they don’t want to lose power they think they own.

One way that Children are affected is that they tend to have higher problems with social interaction as well as problems with school than those children that aren’t homeless. Although that isn’t the biggest problem they tend to repeat a grade or have higher chances of dropping out of school completely and separate themselves from their closest family members. Another issue is one of the major causes of homelessness for children in the U.S. includes experiences of trauma, especially domestic violence, by their mothers and/or by the children themselves; trauma frequently precedes and prolongs homelessness for children and families.”( Family and Youth services bureau 2016) Because of this, they tend to fall victim to causing more problems for themselves such as to cause crime or even hurt other people to let go of their frustrations which are caused at home. Lastly, they have a high chance of having a mental issue as well as health problems which comes at a high price for both the homeless person as well as the community. With that that leads to my next, how does homelessness affect those who aren’t? Well like mentioned above with high health issues being an issue things tend to accumulate.

Although homelessness is a big problem for the people themselves it also affects us as people that aren’t homeless. As a community Homelessness comes at a very high cost to individuals, communities, and systems of care. Numerous studies demonstrate that communities save money by providing permanent supportive housing to people experiencing homelessness. Homeless persons are more likely to suffer from chronic medical conditions and complications due to housing instability. Emergency rooms, crisis response, and public safety systems are utilized at a much higher rate by homeless individuals. With that said it comes to a high price for taxpayers which get their taxes raised. Another way it affects us is that it can also cause health problems for the people around homeless people like health hygiene as well as another issue is can lower property value for naborrhods that have homes around homeless communities. This is a big issue for people trying to sell their homes because they are less likely to sell their homes compared to those people not living in a community with either a homeless shelter or just homeless around the community.

In conclusion from what I have learned, there are many ways Social workers and Psychologists, as well as sociologists, can help people from any situation they are currently in and that also includes people in homelessness. One way is we could start by furnishing help with solid needs is a standout amongst the most critical ways that we could help people in homelessness. Solid needs may incorporate essential necessities like sustenance, garments such as clothes and shoes, and even a shelter like a home, however can likewise incorporate social advantages, medicinal services, or kid care like for babies and small children and even young adults. Social workers can also help customers with solid needs in an assortment of settings, including social administrations offices, network administrations offices, and international aid organizations. They may allude customers to fitting assets, meet customers to straightforwardly furnish them with products, or help customers round out administrative work required for certain social advantages such as filling out papers for school or aid programs that they might need as well as show them what could be best for there family at the time of needs especially in the cases of people living in poverty especially families.