Homelessness has been on a constant rise in America since 2016 with chronic homelessness rising at a much more rapid rate over these past years. With things getting more expensive it is becoming a bigger issue and it needs to be addressed. There are celery major problems in our system if we are having this many people living out on the streets. Modern homelessness originated around the 1970s when single-room housing began to become regulated and made it nearly impossible to build new or keep existing complexes running. Homelessness has been an issue in America since the beginning but to let it get this bad is unacceptable and changes clearly need to be made in order to help these people since it is not right to have people living out in the …show more content…
For example some homeless people will suffer with schizophrenia, depression or post traumatic stress disorder from serving in the army and this is just a few of the things they could be going through. In the Article published by Dr. E. Fuller “Homeless Mentally Ill Facts and Figures” Fuller address the issue of the amount of homeless people in America who suffer from some sort of mental illness and provides this qutoe “25 percent of the American homeless—140,000 individuals—were seriously mentally ill at any given point in time. Forty-five percent of the homeless—250,000 individuals—had any mental illness. More would be labeled homeless if these were annual counts rather than point-in-time counts'' (Fuller 1). This quote shows how bad the problem is with nearly half of the entire homeless population suffering from a mental illness with a decent amount of these people suffering from a serious mental illness. There is simply not enough support in place to help out all the hundreds and thousands of homeless people suffering from a mental illness. It is already hard enough for a homeless person to be able to support themselves and be able to find a way to afford a place to stay and for a vast of amount of them it is made even more difficult with them having to go through these mental illness while already being homeless and not being able to purchase medicine or …show more content…
They believe that they should be able to help themselves and should not require help from others. While some homeless people are able to lift themselves up, not all homeless people go through the same struggles and some may have just been lucky and given better opportunities to escape the poverty they are in. Due to certain policies and the way some cities were built most of the land used for housing is for single family homes. We can see examples of this from an article written by Lopez, German named “Homeless in America.” he discuss the reasons why its so bad and how it got to this point and states that “California. Los Angeles County allocates 76 percent of its residential land to single-family housing, while the San Francisco Bay Area allocates 85 percent. Historically, this has made it difficult to build more housing: Most plots are reserved for only one family, instead of duplexes or apartment buildings that can house many more” (German 1). With so much of the residential land being used for single family homing it is made difficult to find a complex to stay in and with not enough complexes it is made more expensive to afford one and to live in
The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates the homeless population to be at, “a low of 250,000 to 350,000 nationwide” (Fogel 386). The Community for Creative Non-Violence however claims it’s at, “a high of 2 to 3 million” (Fogel 386). Even if the homeless population is around 250,000, that is a lot of people who need somewhere to stay. The lack of attention from the government on this problem is disappointing. With such a large homeless population the government can't just keep ignoring this problem.
This is one of those problems that instead of finding solutions for, most people are “sweeping this problem under the rug” and finding “quick fixes”. The homeless population will continue to be victimized unless we change our attitude towards homeless people. We need to view them as fellow human beings who deserve a place in society. I think you made a great point by saying that “understanding the reasons behind them being homeless” because, in my opinion, that is one the biggest problems. We do not care enough or understand their situation; it is a lot simpler to blame poverty and homelessness on poor people.
There are lengthy waiting lists for programs that provide cheap housing since the demand for affordable housing far exceeds the availability. Many people struggle to locate cheap solutions or secure long-term home support, which leaves them stuck in a cycle of insecure housing. Homelessness in California is greatly impacted by structural problems such as mental illness and drug abuse in addition to economic factors. According to the California Budget & Policy Center (n.d.), a sizable share of the homeless population suffers from mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Their vulnerability to homelessness is made worse by a lack of access to quality healthcare and treatment.
They give minor demographic information and provide a background on the homeless, and then discuss their claims on the reasons behind the issue. The author’s main argument was the issue with the housing market, stating that the wealth gap and lack of affordable housing was causing the homeless to remain without housing, while most of the new housing continues to be built for the rich. Other arguments he had were the issues revolving around mental health, drugs, and family issues. This report synthesizes off several different sources, including government censuses, economic reports, demographic data, and other related
Los Angeles county has it very bad with “about 25% of homeless adults … had a severe mental illness such as schizophrenia” (Bluth). When people aren't treated for their illnesses they spiral into a cycle of poor quality of life. Most of these people don't even know they need help and
Approximately 70% of people experiencing homelessness in California are unsheltered and are out on the streets. The longer people don’t stay in shelters, the more their mental and physical health worsens. By letting the barriers go under for people experiencing homelessness with mental illness to attempt treatment. We could have psychiatric beds at community residential levels to prevent mental health patients from being discharged too soon. The crime rate in Skid Row is 63% higher than average.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 20 to 25% of the homeless population in United States suffers from a form of severe mental illness (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). Mental illness is the third largest cause of homelessness for single adults. (National Coalition for the Homeless). People with mental illness who become homeless lack both proper medications for the illness and suffer from extreme psychological problems. It is often a challenge hosting and caring for individuals with mental illness because they suffer from mental issues such as delusions and bizarre conduct.
There are many reasons why mentally ill people go homeless. Mental illness can disturb anyone’s everyday life as it can prevent you from carrying out normal activities and thinking rationally. Mental illness is one of the largest reasons people go homeless. In Florida there are tens of thousands of homeless people on any given night.
Homelessness has become a widespread issue throughout the United States, yet California is taking the cake regarding homelessness per capita. As of 2022, 30% of all people in the United States experiencing homelessness resided in California, including half of all unsheltered people reaching numbers as high as 115,491 individuals in California (Herrera and Paaluch). Despite California's reputation as a prosperous and thriving state, the persistent issue of homelessness continues to plague the region due to a combination of economic factors, a lack of affordable housing, and inadequate mental health care. Within the past four years, the sheltered homeless population in California has skyrocketed, experiencing a 33% increase in sheltered individuals,
The increasing numbers of jobless people in California are the greatest cause of homelessness. Whereas there are several other factors that need consideration regarding this situation, it is empirical to point this situation to unemployment. Most of those who lack means of livelihood consider the cheapest methods of survival and this involves sleeping in the streets and making their own homes there. Those people have other social factors that take them into such situations. Most of them live under the pressure of circumstances and keep uncertain of what the future holds for them.
Many homeless experience isolation in part due to suffering from abuse or neglect during their childhood. Children with limited social skills are more likely to get arrested, suffer substance abuse, and apply for public housing. The more adverse experiences in childhood, the greater the likelihood of developmental delays and other problems. In recent studies it has been found that one out of every three homeless people suffers from some sort of mental illness. The mental illness may have been the reason the person became homeless or they may have acquired the illness from living on the streets.
Many Americans have extremely easy access to healthcare; nevertheless, the homeless population does not. Because of the discrimination they face and the lack of rights they are given, they do not have as easy access to health care. The homeless population has a wide range of physical and mental health issues. Affective disorders like depression and bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse disorders are all common in the homeless population (Tarr). Many researchers find that homelessness and mental illness are directly related, Homelessness is closely connected to declines in physical and mental health; homeless persons experience high rates of health problems such as HIV infection, alcohol and drug abuse, mental illness, tuberculosis, and other conditions (“Homelessness Human”).
According to The Atlantic Press, homelessness has increased by 55% since 2020. That's an insane increase and homelessness is already one of the biggest issues in today's society. When you think about homelessness, you attend to think what they are living like, not what we can do as a society to help. Homelessness is can be caused by stagnant wages, mental health crisis, substance abuse, and a lot of other things. All of these can be changed easily, it's just in our power as people in society and the government to help.
Many individuals who are homeless struggle with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can make it difficult for them to maintain stable housing, and employment. Lack of access to mental health services, and support can exacerbate these issues, leading to a cycle of homelessness, and poor mental health. Substance abuse is also a major issue among the homeless population, with many individuals turning to drugs, or alcohol as a way to cope with the stress, and trauma of homelessness. Substance abuse can lead to a range of physical, and mental health issues, as well as legal, and financial problems, which can make it difficult for individuals to access housing and other
No specific gender, race, socioeconomic status, or occupation is exempt from the stigma associated with mental health issues. It has an impact on every person, both directly and indirectly. Women who have been victimized often suffer from mental illnesses that lead to additional victimization, such as homelessness. The main goal of this thesis is to inform and raise awareness of homelessness and mental illness. I hope that by sharing the information and data I will be collecting through my work, people will be inspired to help those in need in our neighborhoods and, in the long run, will contribute to the eradication of the stigmas and misinformation associated with these two subjects.