Summary: Jo Ensign Bowlder, in the article “Health problems of the homeless in America” suggest that homelessness during this decade has become a social and political issue. Bowlder indicates that the increase of population in homeless brings more health problems. They are more at risk than the general population. He adds on how primary care providers can help improve this situation. Primary care providers can advocate for the homeless.
Social impacts on the homeless person tend to be issues such as a lack of friends and family support, isolation from the local community due to the stigma attached to homelessness and a deterioration in morals, as they are more likely to be exploited by criminals. A report into youth homelessness (Crisis, 2012) states that 34% of youth homeless, ages 18-25, have committed a minor crime such as shop lifting in the hope of spending a night in police custody. A further 17% had skipped bail or committed a serious crime to receive a prison sentence to get them off the streets for a while. It also reported that 11% of females had engaged in an unwanted sexual encounter to spend a night inside in a bed. This is worrying as it is showing that homeless people are not just resorting to crime to maintain basic needs such as shoplifting food, but they are also engaging in crime and risky behaviour to have a night in a bed.
Homeless Children One of the biggest problems that affect the world every day is Homeless children. "Homelessness influences every facet of a child’s life, from conception to young adulthood. The experience of homelessness inhibits the physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and behavioral development of children" (Hart-Shegos, 1999). "The education law defines homeless children and youth as those who do not have a stable, consistent place to stay at night" (Aratani, 2009). Every day the number of homeless children increases.
Also many homeless people have a mental illness or disability making them unable to have a job. Even those with a job are unable to make a sustainable living off it. Wages are so low that one must work at least two jobs but with housing prices being so high, it makes find a place to live extremely hard. Washington and California have some of the highest minimum wage standards but even that is not a livable wage. We as a society have simplified a solution because many of us do not understand the complex issues that these circumstances
Before we can get into the details of the things that can be done to help the homeless, first we must understand the scope of people affected by homelessness and the magnitude of homelessness in our country. On a single night in 2016, 549,928
By adapting social roles that do not demand high levels of personal functioning, they have adjusted to periodic homelessness. For them trust is difficult to establish and maintain. Those working with the homeless need to understand this behavior is an adaption to endemic stress4. Finally, “chronically homeless”, those homeless for more than year, are least likely to be found in shelters, most likely to be assessed as mentally ill and do not use private or public charity4. Their support network tends to be limited to 1-2 other street people who have developed a routine for living on the street.
Homelessness is a complex social issue with a variety of economic and social factors such as poverty, lack of affordable housing, physical and mental health, addictions, and community/family breakdowns. Homelessness has increased its number by at least a 1% since last year, reached nearly 554,000 people who are living in harsh conditions. The government and its policies/bans only harm the homeless instead of being beneficial to them. With the “City wide bans on camping in public have increased [along with the]… city wide bans on sleeping in public…, sitting or lying down in particular places…[and,] bands on sleeping in vehicles have [all] increased”(Wiltz). Instead of
No home, not much food, just surviving. These numbers are just in America. There is over 7 billion people on this planet and almost half of a billion are homeless, only in America. These numbers astonish me every time I read them. People become homeless for a variety of reasons but the main cause is lack of money or employment.
That’s where a non-profit organization like Home Aid. Home Aid help build and renovate shelters for America’s temporarily homeless while they rebuild their lives. The major cause of homelessness in America right now it that after someone has had a traumatic injury and can’t pay for the bills they turn to the streets. Other reasons of homelessness would be loss of loved ones, mental illnesses, job losses, and domestic violence’s. After all of these reasons
Death in a family can also be a cause of homelessness as the person may not be able to afford accommodation on one income. Personal Causes: This can include mental illness, learning difficulties, problematic alcohol or/and drug use. If a person has one or more of these problems, they may find it difficult to manage the home they are in or it may lead to other problems such as losing job and inability to pay mortgage/rent or relationship breakdown and have to leave the home. Generally it is a combination of these factors that result in a person becoming homeless. For example, if someone lost their job and their relationship broke down, they may have to leave the family home but not be able to afford to rent alternative