Analyze The Causes Of Homelessness

Homelessness emerged as a national issue in the 1870s. Many homeless people lived in emerging urban cities, such as New York City. Into the 20th Century, the Great Depression of the 1930s caused a devastating epidemic of poverty, hunger, and homelessness. There were two million homeless people migrating across the United States. In the 1970s, the de-institutionalization of patients from state psychiatric hospitals was a precipitating factor which seeded the homeless population. The resin in homelessness is hurting the economy in many ways, and sadly the number of homeless people and families are increasing. Many people that end up on the streets and become homeless are dealing with problems that many of us don't, they become homeless because
they either have problems dealing with substance abuse or mental health or have simply lost their home by a natural disaster. “More than 124,000 – or one-fifth – of the 610,000 homeless people across the USA suffer from a severe mental illness, according to the U.S. many people become homeless due to a lack of health care. Untreated illnesses can lead to disability and job loss” (The Homelessness Connection in Health Care). Many people that are homeless are suffering from many different types of illnesses. They're gripped by schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or severe depression” (Jervis). The illness are usually caused by being homeless itself like having severe depression. Many of these illnesses will get worse if they go untreated. Treating illness that were neglected before is going to cost more compared to some who started the healing process and began to receive the proper care that they need. Homelessness is a problem that we face in America and the leading causes is substance abuse and natural disasters, homelessness is hurting the economy and we need to uses plans like housing first and Obamacare to eliminate homelessness for America.
The leading cause of homelessness is substance abuse and natural disasters.
“A 2008 survey by the United States Conference of Mayors asked 25 cities for their top three causes of homelessness. Substance abuse was the single largest cause of homelessness for single adults”. (Substance Abuse and Homelessness)What is Substance abuse? Substance abuse’s meaning is overindulgence in or dependence on an addictive substance, especially alcohol or drugs according to dictionary.com. Substance abuse can disrupt relationships with family and friends and often cause people to lose their jobs. For people who are already struggling to pay their bills, the onset or a worsening of an addiction may cause them to lose their housing and become homeless. Another cause of homeless ness is natural disasters. “Natural disasters can increase significantly the number of homeless people in a matter of hours. After Hurricane Katrina the number of homeless was around, four times the previews amount.”(NPACH.ORG) Natural disaster can increase the number of homeless because many people may lose their home in a flood, earthquake, hurricane and
etc. Homelessness hurts the economy because we have to take care of the homeless by providing food and shelter to them and police enforcement if they break the law.
“The cost of housing, rent assistance, and full time care management, was $19,500.” (Stoehr). Homelessness hurts the nation’s economy in many ways for example the tax payer is going to pay for those people and it is going to cost us money because there are a lot of people that are homeless and need help, but it is going to cost us money. We have to provide the homeless with shelters and food. If the homeless person is arrested it’s the tax payer that is going to have to pay for the cost of jail like the prison bed “A typical cost of a prison bed in a state or federal prison is $20,000 per year.”(cost_of_homelessness) It costs $20,000 for one person a year to provide a prison bed which can add up and cost the tax payer a lot of money. “When Utah officials added up the amount going into medical treatment and law enforcement the cost to the state per homeless individual was more than $216,300 a year.” (Stoehr). The state is spending money on medical and law enforcement which is costing the economy and it's not solving the problem. Many homeless don’t care if they are going to jail because they know that they are going to at least get a place to stay and sleep. These cost that come up don’t really help the actual problem itself. Many of these costs are just for one individual but there aren’t just a few homeless
individuals and sadly the number is growing each day. As you can see the number can easily add up and still not solve the problem. “Homelessness is an economic problem. People without housing are high consumers of public resources and generate expense, rather than income, for the community. In WNC tourism driven economy, homelessness is bad for business and can be a deterrent to downtown visitors. Based on a study conducted a few years ago, it can cost our community as much as $23,000 for one person to be chronically homeless for one year (shelter stays, jail time, emergency room visits, etc.)” (Homelessness). Homelessness is bad for business. In places where tourism is a big contributor to the economy it can hurt the business if there are a lot of homeless people. Also if there are a lot of homeless people in a community than that community is going to have to spent money to help them and provide a place for them to stay.
Many homeless people that become homeless can develop illness and become victims of drug abuse. “Though homelessness is an accepted part of the urban landscape for city dwellers in public spaces, there are many individuals who suffer and go unnoticed. A substantial number of the psychiatrically ill live in the outskirts of cities, under bridges and even tunnels that carry subway trains beneath cities.” (How Many People with Serious Mental Illness Are Homeless). People that are homeless end up using drugs and abusing them. Living with this illness is hard because they can't go to a hospital or pay for the medical bill. The solution to homelessness is using Obamacare and proven solutions like housing first to end homelessness. The solution to homeless people with mental illness is possible through the affordable care act also known as Obamacare. “Homeless men and women who didn't qualify for insurance in the past now have the chance to sign up, and Mack — that was once homeless himself — is there to help.”(Jervis) Many people that weren’t covered under insurance because of their mental illness are now covered thanks to the affordable care act that was passed by the Obama administration. This helps them out and can help some get off the streets because they can now treat their illness and have help paying for it. Also if before someone wasn’t cover for insurance because their employer didn't provide it now they can get health insurance which prevents more people from losing their house because they can't afford to pay for the price of medications all out of pocket. “Another proven solution developed in New York City and replicated nationwide is the “housing first” approach to street homelessness, which builds on the success of permanent supportive housing.”(Solutions) this is another solution to help end homelessness by providing housing for them until they can get on their feet again. Although it isn't a permanent solution it can be the helping hand that many need. For example if someone can actually get a job but aren't confident that they will do well because they don't a house to go back too this may help them in recovering their confidence to get the job. Also it helps relieve some stress that people might have because they don't have a home to go back too and help them feel safe. Again, it isn't a permanent solution to solve the problem but it is step in the right direction. Helping the homeless is the right thing to do but sadly it costs a lot of money. “Homelessness both causes and results from serious healthcare issues, including addiction, psychological disorders, HIV/AIDS, and a host of order ailments that require long-term, consistent care. Homelessness inhibits this care, as housing instability often detracts from regular medical attention, access to treatment, and recuperation. This inability to treat medical problems can aggravate these problems, making them both more dangerous and more costly.”(Szep) the health effects that are cause by being homeless can quickly add up and many of the problems that come with it are expensive because they require consistent care and take time to heal. “Another study found that the average cost to California hospitals of treating a substance abuser is about $8,360 for those in treatment, and $14,740 for those who are not.” (Homelessness). Being homeless can make the problem worse because it is not receiving the proper attention it needs to. This is one to the big problem that needs to be factored in. The causes of homelessness are substance abuse and natural disasters. Even though we want to help the homeless, it hurts the economy so we should invest in some proven solutions that actually work and end homelessness. The high cost is a reason that makes solving homelessness even more difficult. With the right programs set into place we can help end homelessness.