Homelessness and Jennifer A.

Running head: HOMELESSNESS

Homelessness
Teresa
Introduction to Research and Information Utilization 110
Mr. W
Feb 23, 2009

Homelessness
Thesis: Lack of affordable housing, domestic violence and substance abuse all contribute to the widespread of homelessness in big cities and all over the U.S.

Has anyone ever stopped to wonder why the population of homeless people is rising? Studies have shown different reasons to explain why this is a never ending problem. Not having much attention to help the issue of homelessness is one way this problem is increasing. Not having many homeless shelters that these homeless people can go to as well as different programs that can help to stabilize the situation is a contributing factor as well. Not many programs that can help an individual before living situations get to the point of homelessness are what the U.S. is lacking. Some reasons of homelessness is an abuse of substance or alcoholism one might be suffering from also there might be one trying to get out of an abusive relationship. Another reason some people go homeless is due to lack of affordable housing in big cities where the rent or mortgage is too much for a particular individual to afford. However, this is a widespread problem all over the U.S.
The National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness (NSCAHH) stated that the number of people experiencing hunger and homelessness is rising, and communities are strained for resources to deal with these issues. Homelessness is a widespread problem that is not only in urban areas. Homelessness is increasing in small towns and rural areas too. The government funds for this issue are decreasing making it harder for charitable organizations and churches to feed and house the homeless. The NSCAHH also stated that even though the United States is the richest country in the world approximately 3.5 million people are homeless each year while 36.3 million live in a household without enough food including more then 13 million children. In the 1080’s there were about 2 dozen food banks nationwide; today more than 200 affiliated with America’s Second Harvest, the food bank network and several dozen additional independent food banks. It was also reported by the NSCAHH that this problem in a diverse of range of communities, from towns of 1000 people like Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, to suburbs like McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to major cities like Los Angeles, California. Homelessness is not anything new in our communities. There has been help given out by many businesses and the government as well but as the resources are decreased in these times of rising needs it has become overwhelming for communities to help those in need and leave many low income individuals with nowhere to turn except be homeless.
Thousands of Americans are hungry and have no place to sleep. Many homeless people are parents and there children. Children in fact, make up of a quarter of the homeless population. A national Catholic weekly magazine stated that a number of studies have shown that the instability of homeless children’s lives can lead to poor health, developmental delays and greater risks for anxiety and depression. More disturbing is the fact that homeless shelters are being forced to turn away families due to not having enough room to feed or house them. In a number of cities such as Denver, Boston and Philadelphia the economy has led landlords to raise rents. Due to these increases parents that have low income jobs are unable to pay the rent and feed there children as well as them selves. This is why they end up going to a homeless shelter and sometimes turned away. People are becoming homeless because of not having enough money for a house and no place to go. The National Law Center reported that an estimated number of homeless on any given night ranges between 600,000 and 760,000 nationwide. Funding to help the homeless has not kept pace with the growing need.
Homelessness is the condition of being without a permanent place to live- to sleep, eat, shower, come and go as one please, leave one’s belongings, and receive mail. It’s a condition of being without a place to call home. This was said to be true by Bruce Burleson as well as two societal problems that are endemic in a capitalist, profit-driven society: lack of affordable housing and extreme poverty. Skyrocketing rent are truly pushing people to become homeless. In Boston apartments that once cost 500 dollars are now costing up to 900 dollars. As the years go by the rent has started to double instead of dropping. The landlords in Boston said this would be a good thing this way there could be higher property-tax revenues and this could lead to incentives to build more homes meaning lower rent for the properties. This has not shown to be true by any means. This has led to a sharp increase in homelessness. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “Fair Market Rent” says that a families housing should be no more then 30% of there income although poor families are given no choice but to do so.
Many reasons why some people go homeless and have no place to live but the streets of there communities is domestic violence. The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has reported that one reason of homelessness among women and children is due to domestic violence. The most common reason for a woman to enter into a homeless shelter is to flee from an abusive relationship. Going homeless is the only option that many women in abusive relationships have when they have no where to go and want to get out of the situation is. They have the choice of either staying in that kind of relationship because they are on a waiting list for assistance or go to the streets. Most of these women have children with whom they are taking with them. Homeless shelters may be available to assist these people although in 1998 there was an estimated 32% of battered women with there children turned away due to the shelter already being filled. The Ford Foundation did a recent study that showed out of 777 people in 10 different U.S. cities 22% of them said they are homeless due to leaving an abusive relationship. In Minnesota 19% of the homeless are due to domestic violence. That is one in every 5 women homeless to being beat. In states that have looked at domestic violence and welfare receipts report that approximately 50-60% of the current people have experienced violence from a current or former male partner.
Another reason for homelessness is due to substance abuse. The San Diego Region Task Force said substance abuse is often a cause of homelessness due to inhabiting ones ability to work and to maintain family relations. Studies have shown the one-third of the homeless suffers from chronic alcoholism and one-tenth abuse drugs other then alcohol. Once a person becomes homeless they use alcohol and drugs as a way to cope with there problems. Alcoholics have been well represented among the ranks of the homeless for nearly a century. It has been reported that nearly a third of adults that are homeless suffer from chronic alcoholism. In a nation in denial, Alice S. Baum and Daniel W. Burnes estimated that 65-80% of all homeless adults suffer from chronic alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, or some combination of the three often complicated by a serious medical problem. The lack of a uniform definition for alcohol, drug, and mental problems make it difficult to generalize findings on the prevalence of homeless substance abusers. Based on an estimate of homeless adults that are substance abusers there may be 2,900 to 3,000 of them who are currently abusing or withdrawing from alcohol, drugs or both. The profile of a homeless person is usually mirrors a drunk guy asking for money who has in the past been married and has now no family or friend now. This type of homeless person is generally identified as “chronically homeless.” Yet a more diverse group of homeless that are suffering from alcoholism and drug abuse such as women, minorities, poly-drug users, mentally ill persons and people with few vocational skills as well. More of the homeless that are being seen drunk and behaving in an intoxicated manner then the ones that ison drugs. The homeless that are on drugs are often not seen in the public eye to much. The communities reactions are harsh to the alcoholic homeless people not knowing this is there way of coping with the problem they have that put them on the streets and made them homeless to begin with.
Some help in the U.S. for the homeless is available although not enough to keep up with the need of shelters and places to go to prevent being homeless. Due to the economy suffering in jobs and affordable homes a big rise in the homeless population has occurred. All sorts of homeless from children to older men and women who have turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with there need for a shelter, job and a home need assistance. The U.S. needs to focus on a resolution to prevent homelessness before it happens in order to control the growing population that is happening today. There needs to be more affordable housing for the low income workers. With no where to go after wanting to be out of an abusive relationship the streets are the only place that some women have to go to get them and there children out of a bad situation. There should be more attention on this matter to prevent homelessness from happening.

References
Hurley, Jennifer A. (2002) Substance Abuse Is a Cause of Homelessness. San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless
Hurley, Jennifer A. (2002) Domestic Violence Contributes to Homelessness. National Coalition For The Homeless
Hurley, Jennifer A. (2002) Homelessness Is a Problem In Cities. The Homeless
Hurley, Jennifer A. and Burleson, Bruce (2002) Lack of Affordable Housing Causes Homelessness. The Homeless
Gerdes, Louise. (2007) Homelessness is a Widespread Problem, National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness

References: Hurley, Jennifer A. (2002) Substance Abuse Is a Cause of Homelessness. San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless Hurley, Jennifer A. (2002) Domestic Violence Contributes to Homelessness. National Coalition For The Homeless Hurley, Jennifer A. (2002) Homelessness Is a Problem In Cities. The Homeless Hurley, Jennifer A. and Burleson, Bruce (2002) Lack of Affordable Housing Causes Homelessness. The Homeless Gerdes, Louise. (2007) Homelessness is a Widespread Problem, National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness