Causes and Effects of Homelessness Essay

Home littleness is musical accompaniment with break a home, be it on the streets or in fosters. in that respect atomic egress 18 umteen becomes for battalion comme il faut dispossessed, and the combination of factors that entice to statelessness argon contrasting for each various(prenominal). Some of the factors that contri fur in that respect to statelessness for youth, adept adults, and families argon poverty, national violence, substance v nauseatedainy and mental illness, limited aid run, and soulfulnessalised choice. The effects be overly change and posterior pertain to communities, businesses, separatewise quite a little and the dispossessed themselves. Some of the effects of dispossessedness be health, soulfulnessal, families, detestation, and the society. Although there atomic number 18 m round(prenominal) an(prenominal) reasons why mass become dispossessed, this paper entrust alto unhorseher when include the top quint causes. P overty is the number ace direct cause of people becoming dispossessed, fit in to the National unification for the dispossessed person. Poverty is outstrip known as that state of cosmos poor. When people deficiency income to meet all told of their needs, they argon forced to choose surrounded by lodgment, utilities, transportation, childc ar, healthc be, and nutriment.Nationally, unsettled who build been surveyed by the U.S. function of the Census, high proportions of unsettled individuals were found to be employed. However, wages are very much non sufficient to ensure hold perceptual constancy and many people do non countenance vocations that provide living wages, health insurance, or high job security. rough half of homeless adults pass incomes of less than $300 per month, (National coalescence for the homeless person). A lack of educational opportunities limits access to living-wage jobs and contributes to poverty. Another final renderment relate d to poverty is high court and shortage of housing. It is difficult, if not impossible, for low-income individuals and families to develop cheap housing. Its no wonder with the limited scale of housing helper programs, and other run of aid. With growing poverty levels and much people becoming homeless, public tending services are un fitted to guard up with the demand. Public assistance abide be described as authorities aid (publicly funded) or privately funded agencies (churches, and/or other charities) to containy, aged, or disabled persons and to strung-out children.Assistance programs do exist, but many get down regulations and requirements that many people direct ont qualify for. in that location are also the issues of waiting lists that might be as long as vi months or a year. Shelters are available, but may have limited distance and are only temporary (usually measured by weeks, many only haunting two weeks). Even with the programs out there, whatever(pr enominal) dont have tolerable funding for stayion of homeless. Whether people are treat, mentally ill, or have disabilities, assistance is becoming much scarce and rigid including health care necessities. While homeless people constitute of mentally ill people and addicts, this only irritates up a small portion of the entire homeless population. Mentally illness is foreseen as heterogeneous psychiatric conditions, usually characterized by worsening of an individuals normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning, and caused by physiological or psychosocial factors.Addicts consist of alcohol and drug users/abusers, which are considered of having habits of consuming either or both. consort the U.S. Conference of Mayors (2005), to the highest degree 16% of single(a) adults are mentally ill homeless, and addicts make up less than this (addicts are more complex). It is difficult for either (mentally ill or addicts) to keep a job and often have trouble finding housing and treatment. Both, mentally ill and addicts, have a wakeless time finding services when living on the streets, thereby creating a cycle of homelessness and addiction from which its nigh impossible to escape. Other homeless who need escape are the people of domestic violence. Domestic violence get out consist of women and/or children whom are or have been physically, mentally, and/or emotionally abused (battered). Nationally, studies orient that up to half of homeless women with children have experienced domestic violence, including children who are homeless. With particular(prenominal) entertains available for battered women, more women are fleeing their abusers, thus creating more homeless.Children, too, run a delegacy(predicate) because of world battered and end up homeless. Children often encounter more abuse while on the streets to acquire food, shelter or clothing. Both, battered women and children are often forced with choosing between being abused or becoming home less From references that I have conducted over the years,there are still homeless people that practiced choose to become/stay homeless. I interviewed a homeless veteran(prenominal) mainstay in 2009 whose name is Jim, and again in 2011. Jim informed me that he became homeless concisely aft(prenominal)ward the Vietnam War because he chose to. He didnt have family waiting for him, and had no desire of getting a job after serving his country. After being homeless for more than 15 years, he states that it is easier. He doesnt have the hardships of salaried bills such as rent, utilities, insurance, car fuel, and other bills. He also doesnt have the responsibilities of caring for dependents, but living only for himself.Because of this advantage, he is able to be on very little specie. Jim says that I boil down on only the basics of food and hygiene. With charities providing free food, soup kitchens, bivouacking equipment, clothing and restroom facilities (including showers), J im is able to survive without much begging. He claims that being homeless hallows me freedom because he pass a manners for the today and only planning for tomorrow. Though hard at times, simpli city can be blissful. unsettledness has a huge effect on an individuals physical and emotional health. Homeless men and women last from colds that they cannot get resign of because they have no access to medicine. They suffer from vitamin deficiencies and often dont get adequate sleep. Exposure to the elements and unsanitary living conditions can lead to frostbite, leg ulcers and focal ratio respiratory infections. Serious illnesses like human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS, diabetes and tuberculosis are more parking area in homeless people than among the common population.They also are more at risk for dependency on drugs and alcohol. Homeless individuals have no housing to comfort them from physical violence and even rape. At the time when a homeless person realizes that he/she wont h ave a roof to live under, it is hard for them to believe. It is this fact of not dealing with naive realism that makes homeless people less able to head actions, but they suffer psychologically as a result. Being without a home takes a terrible monetary value on children as well. Homeless children have higher rates of ear infections, get problems and asthma than other children their age. These children are also more likely to be depressed, anxious, or withdrawn, and have more difficulty in school than their peers. Homelessness tears families apart because nearly shelters wont take boys and others wont accept children. A fetch may have to watch impotently as her children are taken from her and fit(p) with relatives or in foster care,which exceedingly usurps the children.These can lead to emotional breakdowns that lead them to become institutionalized or they can begin to develop behavioral problems that reason them in front of a judge. at that place is also the economic i mpact that homelessness has on society. Operating and maintaining homeless verify services programs are costly ventures. The funding for these programs comes in the form of taxpayer dollars and private donations. Yet, almost of these programs are generally unfunded, which means that only the most basic of services can be offered. This in turn means that many homeless are forced to stress alternate methods of getting their basic inevitably met. Subsequently, those homeless who cannot find employment will turn to recycling or panhandling as a means of putting money in their pockets. As the numbers of homeless who dig with garbage cans and dumpsters in search of recyclable items and as the number of homeless who panhandle increases there are the inevitable complaints to the communitys political relation to do something nearly the homeless.This usually causes the city to adopt stricter laws tinting and in some instances, prohibiting these activities. Then, because of the need to enforce these ordinances, local law enforcement mustiness be on the look-out for violators. For those homeless who are caught, the officer must then take the time to stop, check the persons ID, and write the person a ticket. Which be more money, because then it has to go through the local court system. Paper survive has to be fill up out, court appearances must be set, and for those homeless who either dont pay the fine or show up in court, additional paper work is created. If a warrant is issued, then the bordering time the person is caught, there is a possibility that they will be attached a trip to the local gaol at taxpayers expense, of course which means more paperwork.There is also an environmental impact that homelessness has on a society. Since most communities do not have anyplace near the amount of supportive resources need for the numbers of homeless in their areas, the homeless will be forced to find alternate places to live and sleep. In more urbanized are as, this could be in the doorways of businesses after closing hours, behind buildings, public benches, bus shelters, building hallways and the like. In other, less urbanized communities, the homeless may seek shelter in green belt areas. Since every person has a need to worry the call of nature, and because many businesses deny the homeless the use of bathroom facilities,the homeless are forced to use whatever snug location they may find to incline to those needs. The cost of clean-up, once again comes out of taxpayer dollars.Since the 1940s, the issue of homelessness has remained a growing concern within the U.S. Factors contributing to the problems are wide-ranging and deep-set within the make-up of our economy, and affect the economy as a whole. non all homeless people chose to live in the streets or shelters. If a person believes this, then their perceptions are ignorant and unaware. whatever the causes of an individuals homeless, the consequences can be brutal. There is no one cause of homelessness and as a result there is no one solution. The solutions needed to blow out homelessness are the same ones needed to prevent its occurrence. An understanding of the population and the causes of homelessness provides the backwardground incumbent to begin developing a outline to end homelessness.ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHYAbout the Homeless shooting of homelessness. National coalition to End Homelessness, 2011. Web. 2011 October 3.www.endhomelessness.org/ separate/about_homelessness/snapshot_of_homelessnessOn this web page, I accessed some(prenominal) inner links to gain additional information for more specifications. The National Alliance to End Homelessness gives lots of details pertaining to homelessness. There are statistics, characteristics and reasons of homelessness. This site focuses on educating people about homeless and offers homeless people resources. It gives common geographical areas of homeless, the types of people who are homeless, how often people become homeless and the reoccurrences. The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a non-profit shaping committed to preventing and ending homelessness with updated and present-day(prenominal) information. This source helps emphasize the causes of my papers main topic, and reinforces the effects of homelessness based on facts.Jim. Personal interview. May 2009.Jim was a homeless veteran at the time of interview and has been homeless for more than 15 years. He was actually part of a mob community, consisting of seven other homeless people. I talked with several of them, but he is the one with the most to say. This interview is about some people choosingto be homeless for no particular reason, other than it being easier. Jim talked about when he became homeless shortly after the Vietnam War. He hadnt had family before the war, and didnt have anyone/anywhere to turn to afterward. association didnt offer much support and government didnt offer any help. So he became homeless . Now, its his way of life and he has no desire to change it. He has adapted to being homeless and finds that its easier (the others agreeing that its an easier way of life).Jim is still homeless as of luxurious 2011, when I ran into him this summer. He mentioned that as a veteran and Obamas help with veteran services, he now receives some assistance (food, cash, and METRO bus tickets for transportation). Even with spic-and-span veterans laws passed to help homeless veterans, he remains homeless and claims to be too old to go back to work. This information supports my theory on some people choosing to be and stay homeless. USHUD 2010 annual Homeless Assessment Report to coition SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS and STATISTICS. National alignment for the Homeless, 2011 June 20. Web. 2011 October 1. www.nationalhomeless.orgWhy Are People Homeless? National Coalition for the Homeless, July 2009. Web.2011 October 1. www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/why.html The National Coalition for the Homeless gives statistics and information about homeless people. Both web sites talk about what types of people become homeless and reasons why they become homeless. The main reasons described in detail pertain to poverty and housing statistics, but also give some examples of other factors. Information also includes characteristics of homeless persons. The information provided is factual and is as dead on target as can be judge (homelessness cannot be known precisely). The National Coalition for the Homeless is a national net that is working toward ending homelessness with current and updated information. The organization consists of many services that all push for the rights of homeless people and report to congress. These sources give factual information about the causes and effects of homeless people, and support the topic of my paper.