Essay On Homelessness
Homelessness in the United States is still a tedious issue, that is slowly becoming better. 1 in 200 Americans, experenices homelessness and/or have lived in a shelter. About two thirds of homeless people stay in emergency shelters or in a transitional housing program. The other third live on the street, abandoned buildings or other places not suitable for human conditions. Homelessness is defined as an individual or family who lacks fixed, regular, and adequate residents. There are four categories of homelessness: Current homelessness, imminent homelessness, youth/family home instability caused by hardship, and home instability caused by domestic violence. More resources, volunteers, and donations are a great opportunity to help the homeless.
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Homeless. Who are they? Adults, minority groups, elderly, and the disabled are the most reported and common people to be homeless. Nearly 78 percent of all sheltered homeless persons are adults. No matter what the characteristics, any person can be homeless. Homelessness is becoming less of an issue, but still has a tight grip on the United States. To keep decreasing homelessness and improve the living situation of current homeless people, larger shelters for families can be built, local business providing jobs to help get the homeless on their feet, volunteers and donations can be used to provide essential materials for the homeless, along with education and food. Resources to help combat homelessness is needed in the United States due to the remaining grip homelessness has on the communities.
Some personal characteristics can cause a person to be more at risk of being homeless, but there is no true discriminate, no one chooses to be homeless, hardship and situationation leave a person vulnerable. The most commonly affected members of society that are plagued by homelessness are elders, veterans, disabled, and minority persons. During the 1980s homelessness was at its highest percent, “A time when there was economic distress, high unemployment, and was the period when chronic homelessness became a societal problem” (McKinney, 2006, p. 1). There are two lengths of homelessness: chronic homelessness and short term homelessness. The thought of not knowing where one will sleep that night or when one will receive a meal is one of the most mind crippling effects of homelessness. Losing control of the smallest things, such as where to sleep is the hardest. Reports have concluded that the majority of people with family or children on the streets with them, state not having control and the power to determine whether their child will have a warm/dry place to sleep and food in their bellies, as one of the worst parts of being
homeless.
Adults with children who have gone the route of a system called PATH, the city’s homeless families intake center, the persons have to be “eligible” for the shelter. “And they keep telling you, ‘You’re not eligible, you’re not eligible, there’s nothing you can do,” he says. “I have a disabled child, how are you gonna deny shelter? It kind of breaks you down … because it’s like they want to break you down so you give up and not push to be housed if you’re homeless, even though you have no choice but to push” (Ganeva, 2015, par. 6-7). Knowing that some shelters do not allow any person that is homeless to occupy the shelter unless eligible, is outrageous, especially when one has a child(ren). However, most shelters have a maximum capacity limit, so families are more so not taken. The inauguration of a shelter for families with children and/or disabled children is a necessity to thoroughly provide the required resources, such as medication or therapy for the child or adult to be able to reunite to society without falling behind again and ending up in a state of chronic homelessness, the state of recurring and long term homelessness. Implementation of job opportunities from businesses is a great way to provide resources to those who actually want to be held accountable to their problems and success. The involvement of volunteers and local business that can provide some work, will create a greater awareness and strive to want out of the horrible routine most have driven themselves into. “The shelter’s not the best living situation. So you want to get out of there soon, but if you don’t make enough money, it’s kind of hard,” he says. “It’s almost impossible” (Ganeva, 2015, par. 25). Many homeless people take working towards and for their money to get back on their feet as an accomplishment, so why not provide the resources for them to do just that. Residential persons do not always understand the true effects of being homeless; becoming hopeless and trying to adapt to a current environment. Judgement and shame leave people not trying to find help. Judgment and ridicule lead the general objects. The general population who have never been through a dramatic event such as losing their home, may object because there are already shelters for the homeless and there are always jobs available, that no one should be in the situation of being homeless. With the understanding of what the homeless go through, the solutions are the best way to help the homeless in the community.
Homeless. Who are they? Adults, minority groups, elderly, and the disabled are the most reported and common people to be homeless. Nearly 78 percent of all sheltered homeless persons are adults. No matter what the characteristics, any person can be homeless. Homelessness is becoming less of an issue, but still has a tight grip on the United States. To keep decreasing homelessness and improve the living situation of current homeless people, larger shelters for families can be built, local business providing jobs to help get the homeless on their feet, volunteers and donations can be used to provide essential materials for the homeless, along with education and food. Resources to help combat homelessness is needed in the United States due to the remaining grip homelessness has on the communities.
Some personal characteristics can cause a person to be more at risk of being homeless, but there is no true discriminate, no one chooses to be homeless, hardship and situationation leave a person vulnerable. The most commonly affected members of society that are plagued by homelessness are elders, veterans, disabled, and minority persons. During the 1980s homelessness was at its highest percent, “A time when there was economic distress, high unemployment, and was the period when chronic homelessness became a societal problem” (McKinney, 2006, p. 1). There are two lengths of homelessness: chronic homelessness and short term homelessness. The thought of not knowing where one will sleep that night or when one will receive a meal is one of the most mind crippling effects of homelessness. Losing control of the smallest things, such as where to sleep is the hardest. Reports have concluded that the majority of people with family or children on the streets with them, state not having control and the power to determine whether their child will have a warm/dry place to sleep and food in their bellies, as one of the worst parts of being
homeless.
Adults with children who have gone the route of a system called PATH, the city’s homeless families intake center, the persons have to be “eligible” for the shelter. “And they keep telling you, ‘You’re not eligible, you’re not eligible, there’s nothing you can do,” he says. “I have a disabled child, how are you gonna deny shelter? It kind of breaks you down … because it’s like they want to break you down so you give up and not push to be housed if you’re homeless, even though you have no choice but to push” (Ganeva, 2015, par. 6-7). Knowing that some shelters do not allow any person that is homeless to occupy the shelter unless eligible, is outrageous, especially when one has a child(ren). However, most shelters have a maximum capacity limit, so families are more so not taken. The inauguration of a shelter for families with children and/or disabled children is a necessity to thoroughly provide the required resources, such as medication or therapy for the child or adult to be able to reunite to society without falling behind again and ending up in a state of chronic homelessness, the state of recurring and long term homelessness. Implementation of job opportunities from businesses is a great way to provide resources to those who actually want to be held accountable to their problems and success. The involvement of volunteers and local business that can provide some work, will create a greater awareness and strive to want out of the horrible routine most have driven themselves into. “The shelter’s not the best living situation. So you want to get out of there soon, but if you don’t make enough money, it’s kind of hard,” he says. “It’s almost impossible” (Ganeva, 2015, par. 25). Many homeless people take working towards and for their money to get back on their feet as an accomplishment, so why not provide the resources for them to do just that. Residential persons do not always understand the true effects of being homeless; becoming hopeless and trying to adapt to a current environment. Judgement and shame leave people not trying to find help. Judgment and ridicule lead the general objects. The general population who have never been through a dramatic event such as losing their home, may object because there are already shelters for the homeless and there are always jobs available, that no one should be in the situation of being homeless. With the understanding of what the homeless go through, the solutions are the best way to help the homeless in the community.