...addresses the crisis of homelessness in Seattle. Mayor Schell attempts to tackle the problem and makes a pledge to end the epidemic that he may or may not be able to keep. Specifically, the mayor pledges in June that by Christmas 1998 there will not be homeless women or children living on the streets of his cities (Electronic Hallway). This pledge garnered mass attention as it was run on both local newspapers and televised. Homelessness is robust in nature and scope and takes more than a pledge and good will to eliminate. It may not be within his realm of possibility either fiscally or logistically to accomplish what he pledges. Listening in the audience is the Director of the Community Services Division of the Department of Housing and Human Services, Alan Painter. Painter has over ten years of experience in planning and putting into action a variety of programs targeted at helping the of homeless. He agrees with the mayor’s assessment of the homeless situation, the need to eliminate the problem and applauds the mayor’s fervor. He is however, skeptical that such a feat can be accomplished and wonders how this pledge will mess or clash with the cities standard procedures for handling the homeless. The mayor’s pledge in effect puts Painter on the hot seat, so to speak in that he must devise a strategic plan to essentially make the mayor’s pledge a reality or as close to it as possible. Painter fears the cities current approached to homelessness are not capable of meeting...
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...During the past decade, our society seem to believe that homelessness is a new Phenomenon caused by various reasons to include, lack of governmental aid, downward spiral of the economy, loss of jobs, and increase in substance abuse. However history proves homelessness is not a new era, society just failed to give the issue the needed attention. There are over 2 million men, women, and children that are currently homeless in America. Yearly 1 in 30 children in Kentucky experience homelessness, according to an article by Cholkshi, which explains a notable increases in the number of homeless families as well. Though it maybe unknown to others but there are a number of homeless persons in the Radcliff and Elizabethtown area. Kentucky Interagency Council on Homelessness home page states “People are considered homeless if they do not have access to safe, affordable and permanent places to live. People become homeless for a variety of reasons. Health problems, family conflicts, limited life choices and the lack of a support system are frequent causes of homelessness, lack of affordable housing and...
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...The Effects of Homelessness in Children on Their Ability to be Successful in Their Adult Life Much research has been done in the past two decades analyzing homelessness among children, as well as homeless women expecting children. These studies show that there are many factors of homelessness that affect children ranging from the earliest stages of development to their later teen years into adulthood. This study will focus on the direct effects being a child without a home might have on the ability of those children to be successful in their adult lives. Literature Review: When considering reasons for developmental delays in skills among homeless children, there are many areas that should be reviewed. First of all, let us talk about what might constitute as a “developmental delay in skills”. According the Molnar, Rath, and Klein, when they studied the impact of homelessness on children they focused on issues dealing with homeless mothers in their prenatal state dividing the pregnant women into groups of three: women in homeless shelters, women in housing projects, and all other women (all residing in New York City)(1990, p.110). Of these three groups, the women who were in homeless shelters received the least amount of prenatal care, if any at all, as well as the highest amount of babies that were born at weights lower than average which is proven to increase the likelihood of developing a handicap condition, hearing and or visual impairments, mental retardations, and...
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...concerning homelessness in Australia. ‘Polices and programmes to end homelessness in Australia: Learning from international practice’ by Cameron Parsell in the International Journal of Social Welfare will be compared against ‘There’s more to homelessness than ‘rooflessness’’ by James Farrel found in The Conversation. The following essay will go in-depth in what these articles share in similar along with their contrasting views. Within International Journal of Social Welfare’s article it states Australia’s current homelessness policy is adapted from the USA and UK policy through interventions that seek to permanently end homelessness. In the text...
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...Homelessness and how it affects children Lewana Streeter Introduction Homelessness and poverty are ongoing issues that have existed for many years. Poverty has always been with us. But in the United States, poverty emerged as a political issues about 50 years ago (Dinitto, 2011). Along with poverty come many issues such as homelessness and going without food and clothing. These are basic necessities that everyone needs to survive. Also with poverty comes poor education. Usually the poorer the education the more likely an individual is to fall into poverty. One of the main issues with poverty is defining it. How do we know who are faced with poverty and homelessness, if poverty is not able to be defined? History of Poverty Many think that poverty will diminish over time (Dinittto, 2011). However, if there is a continued decline of education for women it is safe to believe that poverty and homelessness will continue to be a social policy issue. Poverty affects men women and children. Unfortunately, children are affected the most because they are the most vulnerable. Families are left without homes, jobs or the means to support their families. These same children are left without food or adequate clothing. And this has been the issue for years and years. Poverty as a political issue only came to light in the last 50 years (Dinitto, 2011). More Education Educating more women seems like a reliable alternative to homelessness and poverty. Is it reasonable to say the more...
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...to… food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services” (Donohoe, 2004). Although it is everyone’s right to have access to those necessities, it is not always the case for many, who for whatever reasons, have no means to afford them. Here in the United States, the current unemployment situation as well as record foreclosures has forced many people to become homeless. “The term homelessness refers to the condition of individuals without a regular dwelling and that term is used to describe people who do not have a home and whom sleep on the street but it is also commonly used to refer to individuals whose primary night-time residence is a homeless shelter, a warming center or another ad hoc type of housing” (NPACH, 2011). The homeless face many problems in day-to-day living and this paper will focus on this group as a vulnerable population will discuss the history of the homeless, the nature of homelessness as a social problem, what issues they experience, their demographic, their common clinical issues, intervention strategies used for this particular group, and finally, what interventions are planned for the future. History of the Homeless Population For years, homelessness has been an ongoing problem in countries around the world, including developed countries like the United States of America. Although many community programs have existed for years, the very first known rescue mission for the homeless was established in 1872 in New York City (NPACH,...
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...Homelessness is abundant in any community, more so in some communities than others. Regardless of what kind of community you live in, homelessness is a growing issue especially with the current economy situation. Most define a homeless person as someone who is uneducated, dirty or mentally ill, that shows how uneducated those who have a roof over their head can be. Many of the current homeless are families where the main supporter has lost their job because of cutbacks. They are educated, healthy and as normal as the individual living next door. Many homeless and in the predicament they are in because there is lack of employment, Existing public funding streams often define their programs in ways that restrict participant eligibility, leaving those least capable of addressing their own needs to fall through the cracks. Individuals who are homeless and have a certain diagnoses may not be eligible for services, as well as persons who are ex-offenders or who don’t meet sobriety requirements. Public Awareness, Inadequate information and efforts to increase public awareness of the negative financial and social impacts of homelessness often result in perpetuation of myths about homelessness and homeless persons and lead to intolerance and NIMBY-ism (“Not In My Backyard”) where neighborhoods vigorously oppose siting projects within their geography. The public needs to have the opportunity to learn about the issues of homelessness and how public resources are being utilized to address...
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...Why is homelessness an issue in a country as wealthy as the United States? When we as a country send billions overseas to other countries. We have over one million homeless people in our own country. Being a person that recently has had a debilitating physical issues that has left me without income for two years I have faced this issue. Homelessness effects everyone. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness US government spent a little over 4 billion dollars in 2012 on programs for medical treatment, housing grants, emergency housing, and even hotel vouchers for mothers that where victims of domestic violence. Here is a breakdown where some of that money went “HUD received 108 million dollars in 2012 for rental assistance, long-term housing, and rehabilitation programs that lead to permanent housing. The emergency solutions grant program was given 1.901 billion dollars for rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention programs”. So I found proof that our government is spending sufficient amounts of money on this problem. Still more intervention, prevention, and treatment need to be directed in the right areas to irradiate this problem. According to our fact sheet the Current statistics on the prevalence and characteristics of people expiring homelessness in the United States over fifty percent of the people who have experienced homelessness have a substance abuse problem or mental health disorder (2011). So are we properly screening the homeless at the...
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...homeless population in the United States is at a staggering high, and many individuals are suffering because many lack employment/financial resources, housing resources, support from family and friends, and others negligence; such as natural disasters or fires. Homeless individuals may have no other choice than to live on the streets, trains, and alley ways to name a few places where homeless people seek shelter. The history of homelessness, social problems, demographics, common clinical issues, and intervention/future interventions will be explored to determinate how homelessness is caused and how it can diminish with time. Homelessness has been around for some time and is increasing with time. Homelessness was noticed soon after the Great Depression, which caused many people to lose his or hers home. “During the Great Depression in the 1930, many families were no longer able to afford their homes and It is thought that over two million people were homeless at this time and suffered severely from hunger and extreme poverty” (American History Of Homelessness, 2011). The Great Depression was an era of life where the stock market crashed and many where out of jobs and many lost their home. “The Great Depression began in October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. Consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and rising levels of unemployment” (The Great Depression, 2013). When the Great Depression occurred...
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...questions, you are not immune to homelessness. These questions are not meant to create alarm, but rather to spread awareness that people experiencing homelessness are people just like us. They desire financial stability and a secure home, but have confronted difficult circumstances without sufficient resources to overcome the situation and remain housed. Unfortunately, that is the reality of homelessness today. Typically, families become homeless as a result of some unforeseen financial crisis - a medical emergency, a car accident, a death in the family - that prevents them from being able to hold on to housing. Most homeless families are able to bounce back from homelessness quickly, with relatively little public assistance. Usually, homeless families require rent assistance, housing placement services, job assistance, and other short-term, one-time services before being able to return to independence and stability. In the case study, "Mayor Schell's Zero Homeless Family Pledge", Norton discusses the challenges facing a policy manager in a large city (Seattle) government agency who is expected to implement a bold new policy to reduce homelessness that may exceed the local government's capacity to address the issue. In the case, the mayor of Seattle pledges in June that there will be no homeless families with children or homeless women by Christmas. The manager in the case, Alan Painter, shares the mayor's commitment and enthusiasm for reducing homelessness in the city, but has many...
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...Australia should introduce specialist courts to address social issues such as homelessness. In the current modern society, there are more social issues and problems that the courts have to deal with, and introducing specialist courts can help lower the number of cases that mainstream courts resolve. Specialist courts for homelessness would also mean that judges and magistrates could specialise in resolving such disputes, in a manner which is more appropriate and takes into account the persons involved. By analysing The Vagrants, Gaming & Other Offences Act 1931 and other academic articles, it will be shown the current court system doesn’t adequately punish homeless persons in a way which considers all of the facets of their life. In Queensland, the Vagrants, Gaming & Other Offences Act 1931 has come under scrutiny for it being “archaic and ill-adapted to our modern society”1. The...
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...homeless population in the United States is at a staggering high, and many individuals are suffering because many lack employment/financial resources, housing resources, support from family and friends, and others negligence; such as natural disasters or fires. Homeless individuals may have no other choice than to live on the streets, trains, and alley ways to name a few places where homeless people seek shelter. The history of homelessness, social problems, demographics, common clinical issues, and intervention/future interventions will be explored to determinate how homelessness is caused and how it can diminish with time. Homelessness has been around for some time and is increasing with time. Homelessness was noticed soon after the Great Depression, which caused many people to lose his or hers home. “During the Great Depression in the 1930, many families were no longer able to afford their homes and It is thought that over two million people were homeless at this time and suffered severely from hunger and extreme poverty” (American History Of Homelessness, 2011). The Great Depression was an era of life where the stock market crashed and many where out of jobs and many lost their home. “The Great Depression began in October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. Consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and rising levels of unemployment” (The Great Depression, 2013). When the Great Depression occurred...
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...Professor Ortiz Homelessness and Deviance Homelessness is something that is widespread throughout the United States as well as many other parts of the world, some places being more severe than others. Regardless of where the place is, a stigma is placed on those who are homeless, often being labeled as deviant. Those who are homeless, unemployed, or those receiving welfare are often viewed as lazy, reluctant to work, and possibly a drug addict. Also, assumptions are often made that those who are homeless are where they’re at as a result of their own actions. As a result of being homeless, individuals are left to fend for themselves in the streets, and ultimately these individuals are more vulnerable to using drugs, alcohol, committing crimes, and even prostitution. This only makes the people who already label these homeless individuals deviant as even more deviant. I argue that homelessness is not a form of deviance, that it is not a personal choice to be homeless but that there are conditions that are out of those individuals control that can lead to homelessness. It is more of an economic and lack of information issue than it is an issue of whether it is deviant or not. Homelessness itself isn’t deviant, but under certain circumstances it can lead to deviant behavior. As Jeffery Chaichana Peterson states on his article on homelessness (2012), “As a result of urban deprivation, economic decline, a rise in housing costs, and a decline in blue-collar wages, homelessness remains a...
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...Homelessness and Its effects on the Community A common social concern talked about often in the United States is homelessness. 610,042 young adults, adolescents, and families can be found living without a place to call their home. The amount of homelessness is increasing at an alarming rate; this resulted fundamentally from America’s present-day economy system and the lack of prevention help. Homelessness has an effect on the community economically, socially, and politically; specifically taking an impact on public safety, local governments, and living costs. Anyone can become homeless; nobody chooses to be put in such position. According to Fargo et al., as stated in their article about the variations of homelessness, “as of a single night...
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...Advocacy and Homelessness BSHS 441 Joann Wherry 6/6/2013 Advocacy and Homelessness What is advocacy? The classic definition is simply “The act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support. “(Free Dictionary, 2013). To brand this definition more explicit to advocacy inside the Human Services field we need to add just a little more information. A more exact, directed to human services, definition of advocacy could be: to provide assistance to a certain population by supporting or communicating for them to attain the services in which they require. The amount of homeless individuals in America is disturbing. The need for advocacy amongst the homeless populace is in extreme igh demand today. “The recession will force 1.5 million more people into homelessness over the next two years, according to estimates by The National Alliance to End Homelessness.” (PBS, 2013). People find themselves homeless for a multitude of reasons. A lack of affordable housing and the limited scale of housing assistance programs have been the main driving force contributing to the current housing crisis. Homelessness and poverty have always been intricately interconnected. Poor individuals are regularly unable to pay for shelter, food, daycare, health care, and schooling. The main reasons why homelessness continues consist of stagnant or dropping incomes and less secure occupations which offer little to no benefits. Other less underlying...
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