Homelessness Rising

Homelessness Is Rising
In The United States

Prepared for
Dr. Guzman-Trevino

Prepared by
Summer Loerakker

May 6, 2014

Summer R. Loerakker

11861 State Hwy 53
[e-mail]
Temple, TX 76501
[phone]

May 6, 2014

Dr. Guzman-Trevino
Temple College
2600 South First Street
Temple, TX 76504-7435
Dear Dr. Guzman-Trevino:
: in the main three areas contributing to the rising numbers of the homeless in the United States.
This research was conducted to examine the main three contributing factors:
The lack of supportive services for mental illness.
The scarcity of affordable housing.
The shortage of jobs that pay enough to cover housing costs.

Sincerely,
Summer Loerakker
Student
SRL
Attachment

Table of Contents
Letter of Transmittal ii
Executive Summary iv
Problem 1
Discussion and Findings 1
Conclusions and Recommendations 2
Works Cited
List of Figures
Figure
1 Eliminated Jobs
2

Executive Summary The homeless of the United States would benefit from improvement in mental health programs, expansion of affordable housing, and an increase in available jobs that pay enough to cover housing costs. My conclusion that the homeless would benefit from these changes is based on information obtained from professional reports, academic journals, and news articles that I have researched for this report. Examination of this information exposed three issues that have caused homelessness to rise:
Income.
The shortage of jobs and those that pay enough to help to cover housing costs have caused a great increase to the number of people being forced into homelessness.
Housing. The scarcity of affordable housing has left many to either move in with friends, or relatives, to shelters, or succumb to living on the streets.
Mental Illness. The lack of supportive services for mental illness is growing especially in part to our current economic issues. States have been forced to cut spending leaving many without the treatment or medication they need to remain productive. On the basis of these discoveries, it is suggested that the government focus more of its budget to the issues the homeless truly face to promote action in the areas necessary to alleviate these problems. The United States would fire up the economy by bringing about affordable housing, fostering more jobs and increased income, and allowing our population to also receive the mental healthcare it needs. This will stimulate a great reduction in
homelessness.

Homelessness Is Rising In
The United States
Introduction
This research was completed to analyze the homeless and the impact that the availability of affordable housing, job accessibility or income, and mental health resources has on their current living situations. This research investigates solutions to these questions:
What limitations are there to finding affordable housing for the homeless or those who are soon to be? What other options are available?
How is the current economic situation with unemployment burdening the homeless in finding jobs that pay well enough to cover housing costs?
What limitations are forcing people with mental health issues to go without the necessary treatment or medications needed to remain healthy and productive?
What other options do they have?
Discussion and Findings This study of the homeless is to examine the issues surrounding their economic status and the negative limitations these issues cause. Many of these issues either keep the homeless in their current situations or forcefully place them into these positions. Homelessness is not confined to those who are labeled the chronic homeless. The chronic homeless are defined as those who have been without shelter over one year or become homeless at least 4 times within a year. Even though this is the more visable and apparent form of homelessness, there are actually several types of homelessness when living situations are examined more closely and the causes surrounding them. The non-chronic homeless are among those who have come upon hard times and have been forced to move in with family, friends, or into temporary shelters. Some are not even that fortunate; without a support network to fall back on they are likely to live on the streets.
Figure
1

First, homelessness increased due to the effects of the economic slowdown starting in 2007. There was an immediate rise in unemployment leaving many in our society jobless unable to afford neccessities. Many companies started eliminating jobs instead of hiring new workers, and dispersing the workload to other employees. By January of 2008 20,000 jobs were eliminated within the US workforce, and within just two more months the number of eliminated jobs had already risen to 63,000. Unemployment more than doubled over the next few years from below 5 percent to 10 percent by the year 2010, and over 1 million jobs have been eliminated from the workforce since the beginning of the 21st century shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2

Second, by this time the economy was struggling so badly that there was a significant difference between affordable housing and income. Wage increases became very stagnant along with rises in food and housing costs. Landlords were forced to raise rent due to economic hardships. Others were not able to afford housing costs. Both situations pushed many families to double up, live in hotels, or lose their homes. By 2012 when it came to shelters over 52 percent of families with children were turned away due to overcrowding. The percentage of increase in homeless families between 2007 and 2010 was 20 percent; although some argue that the calculated numbers are incorrect. Those numbers reflect only those who lack housing, not people who are living with others or in temporary situations. The limitations of affordable housing due to unit closures because of age and dilapidation, sale of other units, and cuts in social programs with rental assistance for needy families have also downsized the amount readily available affordable homes. Third, homelessness rising is effected by individuals that are unable to receive prompt mental health treatment. According to the Treatment Advocacy Center nearly one third of the homeless suffer severe mental illness. Many times the homeless have personal limitations due to mental health issues. The homeless themselves cannot afford treatment, and many times tax dollars are misplaced on expensive inpatient programs instead of community services that help with recovery and prevention. On top of that, with the economic downturn government and state expenditures are outpacing revenues. This has caused cuts to funding within programs for the needy including mental health services. Within the last three years $3.4 billion has been removed from aid for mental health services. At the same time, over 400,000 additional people sought help. The homeless are also causing an influx of visitors to many of our emergency rooms. This is driving up hospital expenses and taking up beds for those who need them. “Often you have patients strapped to a gourney in a hallway outside the ER department where social workers desperately try to find an inpatient bed,” said Randal Hagar, Director of Government Affairs California Psychiatric Association. For those who are not already homeless, economic hardships can impose an array of mental issues due to the stress and weight it brings. Sadly many of these sufferers are unable to afford the treatments or medication they need to remain productive, to keep holding it together, and thus lose their jobs and become homeless.
Conclusions and Recommendations This analysis of professional reports, journals, and news articles has guided the following conclusions and recommendations about the rise of homelessness in the United States:
1. Jobs need to be created and proper wages paid to spur financial empowerment and the possibilities of obtaining a permenant residence.
2. Affordable housing projects need to be properly funded so that they are useable and more readily available.
3. Rental assistance could also receive more funding so that more people can keep their current residences.
4. Community services for mental health should be safeguarded and expanded to help meet the higher demands of people in need to combat homelessness.
For the homeless there are already so many personal limitation to overcome, and yet it is becoming a greater threat to those in our society living near the poverty line. Homelessness can almost be described as a cripiling affliction that many cannot escape. On the basis of these research findings the homeless epidemic could lower significantly if the proper measures are taken for improving the job market, mental health treatment, and housing availability.

Works Cited
"Testimony on Homelessness Before House Committee (Excerpt) (sidebar)." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 8 May 2014.<http://www.2facts.com/article/ib190043>
"Recent Key Events in the History of Homelessness (sidebar)." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 8 May 2014. <http://www.2facts.com/article/ib190041>
"Homelessness." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 8 May 2014. <http://www.2facts.com/article/i1900040>.
"Counting the Homeless (sidebar)." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 14 Nov. 2008. Web. 8 May 2014. <http://www.2facts.com/article/ib130632>.