Cause And Effect Essay On Homelessness

Mental health in relation to homelessness has become a prolific epidemic that has infiltrated the social construct of the United States. “When the conditions of high rent, diminished housing subsidies, and poor economic indicators exist at a specific place and time (e.g., New York City in 2009), rates of homelessness witll increase (O’Flaherty 2004). Many view homelessness as a complex social problem that has directly to do with an individuals choices, or lack of an individuals work ethic. However, it is not that simple, nor at all accurate. “Individual risk factors associated with homelessness include a history of foster care, social isolation, forensic history, poor familial relationships, mental illness, and substance abuse” (Allgood and

With that being said the not all states deal with the issue of hemelessness to the magnitude that others do. The states which have the highes rates of homelessness are “Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington State, and Washington, D.C. According to a study released in 2007 by The National Allliance to End Homelessness,” with 66% reporting mental health problems and/or substance abuse (PBS, 2009). The reporting shows that in the United States the homeless population has grown to 1,750,000 people, and of those individuals 1,155,000 people are suffering the effects of mental health, drug abuse, and alcohol problems. To understand the dilema, one must look to the source of the issue. Homelessness and mental illness affect all facets of the human population. Young adults trying to transfer from childhood to adulthood, people who have had lifelong issues with mental illness and have been cast away from society and even vets who have returned from service only to be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are but a few problems that proliferate the homeless