Houston Homeless Research Paper

RUNNING HEAD: HOUSTON 'S HOMELESS

Hope for Houston 's Homeless
Heather Tollerson
University of Houston- Clear Lake

Tollerson 1

Houston 's Homeless

Tollerson 2

Based on the 2013 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Report, “On a single night in January 2013, there were 610,042 people experiencing homelessness in the United
States, including 394,698 people who were homeless in sheltered locations and 215,344 people who were living in unsheltered locations.” (1) Out of those numbers, 12 in every 10,000 people residing in
Texas are homeless equaling an astonishing number of 29,615. In Houston alone, there are over 6,300 men, women, and children that are without their own residence on a given night. (HUD,
People who suffer from mental illness tend to self medicate with both prescription and illegal drugs, as well as alcohol. This behavior can perpetuate bad behaviors that lead to a cycle of addiction.
This is the sub population that you will find your largest number of veterans suffering from PTSD and depression. b. Drug addicts- A high percentage of homeless people struggle with substance abuse. Due to the overwhelming stress of poverty, near homelessness, and homelessness itself, substance abuse can be both a cause and a result of homelessness. the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (2003) estimates, 38% of homeless people were dependent on alcohol and 26% abused other drugs. While young people tend to be the largest contributors to the substance abuse percentage, older generations tend to more commonly suffer from alcohol abuse.
Addiction can cause a strain on both personal and professional relationships. Their dependency may cause them to distance themselves from family and friends and it may also affect their work attendance

Houston 's
By age
8, one third of them have at least one major mental health disorder along with delayed developmental milestones such as speech, language, social cognitive, and motor development. They fall behind in school because of excessive absences, switching schools, and the parent 's inability to navigate the education system and provide the resources and attention needed to be successful in school. Homeless children score below average on national achievement tests and have 75% change of graduating high school. Violence plays a significant role in the lives of homeless children. 83% of these children had exposure to a serious violent event before the age of 12. One quarter of them have witnessed violence within the home. The most common being their father or another male figure hitting their mother.
“Children who witness violence are more likely than those who have not to exhibit frequent aggressive and antisocial behavior, increased fearfulness, higher levels of depression and anxiety, and have a greater acceptance of violence as a means of resolving conflict.” (Greendoors, Facts) This in