Homeless in America Research Paper Essay

We agnize them all the time. Homeless heap wee at channel corners, holding signs, and asking for money or food. We whitethorn look at them, choose to ignore, or choose to give, but for numerous an different(prenominal) of the roofless, this has begin their way of life. The reason I chose this topic was because of my recent unpaid worker work with the redemption Army and Thrift Store in empyrean Forks. I have seen people in desperate situations and heard whatever stories while working with community service members during my time at the buyback Army. I also personally worked with a unsettled creation every day at the Salvation Army. He was in his 50s, tall, fair-haired(a) hair and a large build. He everlastingly wore layers of clothes which appe argond plaguy and worn. He never mentioned to me that he was dispossessed, but it was told to me by one of the a nonher(prenominal) workers. I was also told that he often slept in the truck that was smashed daily with clothes to be sent over to Minneapolis. He always had such a positive attitude ab come to the fore his job, working for the Salvation Army. race in his situation argon another reason I wanted to do research on the history and current epizootic of roofless in the States. Locally there is not nearly copious shelter for the homeless. The cost of rent, even in this town, has increased dramatically. In govern to afford an apartment, you must save much than a thousand dollars such(prenominal) of time. It is not an easy cycle to get egress off, as legion(predicate) people think. As we have learned in class, women and children stay in different locations than the men, which means that families jakesnot stay together. Often, this fact leads families to sleep in their vehicles in order to stay together. There atomic number 18 some(prenominal) different reasons and causes for homelessness in America. Drug use is one of the earliest factors in homelessness. After the well-behaved W ar, morphine and heroin could be purchased from Sears and Roebucks catalogs. Hundreds of thousands of war veterans became addicted, and the addiction spread end-to-end America. The drugs were finally criminalized,but the damage had been done.The three common terms, hobo, throw off, and bum came out of this era. Racial divides also still occur in the areas of healthcare, education, access to mortgages, and access to equal paying jobs among mevery others. Unless some emblem of intervention occurs, generational issues are often the rule and not the exception. supporting in destitution creates depression, which can lead to drug use, alcoholic drinkism, and neglect of egotism and others. Poverty was a well-known issue during the Civil War and many children ended up homeless and in orphanages only if because their parents, or rest parent, could not afford to take care of them. War often leads to passing play of life, and therefore loss of income in families, especially during t his time. Our country was still impudently formed and there were no social welfare programs as of yet. elevate along in history, during the Great Depression, jobs were lost, and the rates of homeless again, increased end-to-end America. Natural Disasters are another factor in the homelessness hassle. The Great dough Fire, The San Francisco earthquake, the massive flooding of the Mississippi in the mid-twenties from Ohio through invigorated Orleans displaced over 1.3 million people. The Drought of the 30s in Oklahoma and Texas, Hurricane Katrina, are just a few examples of disasters that affected millions of peoples households. The sweet sand verbena effect of unemployment and exiguity attribute to homelessness. People active in generational poverty, for example, may not have the knowledge or resources to become enlightened and bowel movement out of poverty. People living in generational poverty do not have the resources and support to become educated and move out of povert y. In 2011, the official rate of poverty in America was 15.0%, which is 46.2 million.Another category of homeless is the very people who fought for our country Veterans. star in three homeless people are veterans. The vast majority is champion men (97%). In fact, 40% of the male homeless tribe is war veterans. A large per centumage of these veterans (76%) experience alcohol, drug or affable health problems.3 Poverty was a well-known issue at this time and many children ended up homeless and in orphanages simply because their parents could not afford to take care of them. During the Great Depression, jobs were lost, and the rates of homeless again, increased throughout America. Natural Disasters are another factor in the homelessness problem. The Great Chicago Fire, The San Francisco earthquake, the massiveflooding of the Mississippi in the 1920s from Ohio through New Orleans displaced over 1.3 million people. The Drought of the 30s in Oklahoma and Texas, Hurricane Katrina, are just a few examples of disasters that affected millions of peoples households. The snowball effect of unemployment and poverty attribute to homelessness. People living in generational poverty, for example, may not have the knowledge or resources to become educated and move out of poverty. People living in generational poverty do not have the resources and support to become educated and move out of poverty. In 2011, the official rate of poverty in America was 15.0%, which is 46.2 million. Many of the homelessness are those we do not see on street corners, asking for help. Locally, the North Dakota Coalition for Homeless People reports information regarding the homeless in North Dakota. A statewide January 25, 2012 Point-in-Time measure of 972 Homeless People indicated 6% stayed outside, in cars, in abandoned buildings the night of the survey 66% stayed in emergency shelters or transitional verificatory housing 16% were precariously housed in motels or doubled up with family or fr iends and at imminent risk of being on the street 65% (635) were unaccompanied individuals35% (337) were families, including 189 children under the age of 18 59% cannot afford rent, even if they have some income48% were unemployed36% had alcohol or drug abuse problems35% had a genial illnessWho are the homeless in America? More than 42% of those accessing emergency shelter are families, and, on average these families remain in emergency shelters for 70 days, longer than either single women or single men. The primary reason for family homelessness is the omit of affordable housing, though poverty, unemployment, rugged-paying jobs, family disputes, substance abuse, and other factors all play significant roles in family homelessness. Recent statistics indicate that 26% of those suffering from homelessness are considered severely mentally ill 19% are employed 15% are victims of domestic violence 13% are physically disabled 13 are veterans and 2% are human immunodeficiency virus positi ve. tykeren are also not exempt from the issue of homelessness. We may not see them on the streets, but families with children are the largest growing segment of the homeless population. The education of thesechildren is also affected by this lack of stability. Many times, because of the lack of a permanent residence, children miss or change schools, disrupting their education. According to the represent for Children and Poverty, homeless children are nine times more likely to reprise a grade, four times more likely to drop out of school, and three times more likely to be placed in special education programs than their housed peers. Runaway young are also at a high level of risk for homelessness. Homeless and runaway youth had been interviewed after getting into trouble with the law while out on the streets. It was found that some young people felt like they had to realise mistakes before they realized they pauperisationed help. Rather than learning from seeing their friends g et into trouble, they had to try out risky behavior themselves and see the consequences first hand.1 The trust to self-help is key to helping homeless of any age, especially the teenager who often feels like he/she is old enough to take care of his/her self. In this same study, there were three main things that were key to helping out these youth. The first was that the programs designed for runaway and homeless youth need to be flexible and person-centered. The second is that people are more valuable than programs and that march is more important than outcomes. The third is the importance of family and friends. Even after these kids yield or abandon their homes, these relationships often need healing.Homelessness is a national problem and is not exclusive to cities. Rural areas make up 7 percent of the population. Catastrophic life events can trigger homelessness. There is a mention from a publication called Starting Point Community Analysis that states We are all one life even t away from homelessness. For many of low income families, this is a true statement. Single moms in America have freehanded dramatically over the past 50 years. This has created an epidemic of poverty in our country. So many factors contribute to homelessness, many of which are unavoidable. Personal accounts of the homeless in America stated the intense loneliness of being homeless. Because of this loneliness, many single homeless people turn to drugs or alcohol for console and a way to escape their current situation. One homeless man stated that once an employer found out he had no phone, no vehicle, and no residence, his application was thrown away. Withoutassistance, many of these people give up hope on anything better for themselves. It is not as easy as getting a job, as many people are quick to say when seeing a homeless person mendicancy on the street. It is an epidemic of the young, the old, the educated, and the uneducated. Many of these homeless stay out of sight. As so cial workers, we can provide information on assistance and programs that are functional through the state and government. Many of these people simply need a hand up and do not know where to start. By working with these organizations, we can get started on helping via drug/alcohol programs, psychiatric care, financial resources, career and housing assistance. On a micro level, we may need to start with the basic needs of the homeless person. render is the first need to be addressed, but the reasons behind being homeless also have to be addressed. There is usually a germ of the problem when it comes to homelessness. Some examples may be a recent divorce, addiction, mental illness, or loss of employment. Even the smallest factor can change individuals life and create a chain of events that they never intend for or saw coming. Also on the micro level we can work as counselors or referrals to health care professionals such as psychiatrists. For those homeless with mental illness, a facility and/or medication may be something that will help them to function in society. Also, introducing the homeless to any programs or help that is available in their local area would be an example of micro level social work. There are a vast array of concerns and reasons for homeless that need to be addressed. On a mezzo level, we may work with organizations such as http//www.endhomelessness.org, http//nationalhomeless.org , or more locally, www.ndhomelesscoalition.org to help raise money to help homeless people in need and further the current help of these organizations. On a large level, we could work to campaign to raise government funding and policy changes for the homeless in America. An example would be shelter for families to go to together. This is not available locally right now.Homelessness is a country-wide issue. It does not discriminate. From the wealthiest, to those who have lost everything callable to the failing economy, to the poorest who grew up having nothin g, homelessness is an epidemic that spans the history of our nation.References1. Kurtz, P. D. P. D., Lindsey, E. P. D., Jarvis, S. M. E. ,. S., & Nackerud, L. P. D. (2000). How runaway and homeless youth navigate troubled waters The role of formal and informal helpers. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 17(5), 381-402. Retrieved from http//link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A1007507131236 2. Heidi, M. (2011, November 16). The history of homelessness in america 1640s to present. Retrieved from http//www.dceh.org/the-history-of-homelessness-in-america-1640s-to-present/ 3. http//www.supporthomelessveterans.org/statistics.html4. http//www.ndhomelesscoalition.org/what_we_do/facts.html5. http//nationalhomeless.org/about-homelessness/http//www.supporthomelessveterans.org/statistics.html