...Homelessness is a major problem in our society today. No one can get around homelessness; it is a problem that needs a lot of attention. I have seen the stereotype that others believe that those who do not have a home or a job are not regular people. The reason I choose homelessness is because I know of someone with a child that lost her job and is about to be evicted from her apartment. The purpose of this paper is to examine different groups of homeless people and different neighborhood characteristics. We examined the complexities of physical and social environment surrounding people living on the street and in shelters. A better way to understand these environment is to use census data as indicators of social, economic, and housing conditions...
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...conclude that the psychological health of the homeless is negatively impacted by societal perceptions and lack of resources dedicated to helping the homeless. The perpetuated negative view of the homeless hinders their ability to heal from psychological diseases, and may lead to deteriorating mental health. In the paper, Discrimination and Economic Profiling among the Homeless of Washington, DC by the National Coalition for the Homeless, a national network of people who have personal experience and expertise in homelessness, a study was conducted and it concluded that “roughly two thirds of homeless...
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...intended to have, and shall have the same validity as my handwritten signature. Student's signature (name typed here is equivalent to a signature): Christopher Holland Introduction The purpose of this paper is to explore the homeless population in the United States while thinking critically. The research for this paper shall detail the history of homeless from its first noticeable conception. The paper will examine the time line of homelessness stating contributing factors as well as detailing the homeless struggle. This paper shall research the nature of the social problems or issues experienced by homeless people meanwhile showing the stereotyping and discrimination of homeless people. This paper will explore the different demographic groups along with common clinical issues and intervention strategies. After the research has explored the many aspects of homelessness then this paper will detail the future intervention to alleviate the the struggle of homelessness. The History of Homelessness The history of homelessness teaches us the epidemic dating back as far as the Middle Ages where most emphasis was put...
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...There are many factors that result in poverty and homelessness. humans regularly bounce to conclusions and form stereotypes to appearance down upon those who are poor. stereotypes include negative people who are viewed as lazy, jobless, criminals, or uneducated. whilst we think of a homeless character, we could trust most of the stereotypes and discover inside the studying and researching that there is greater to simply the intellectual perceived mind. one massive cause of being in poverty or being homeless is by using the selections humans make. the selections being mentioned is the way that humans select to spend their money. a price range is tough for lots on this form of life-style to adapt to. that is a problem due to the fact by way...
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...Intervention and |Prevention Homelessness and being poor go hand in hand. Lack of having enough money to live comfortably is becoming a real problem in the United States. Poor people are continually unable to pay for housing, utilities, food, childcare and when this happens some very tough choices must be made. When the bills are more than the paycheck often it is the housing they must drop. When you are low-income-or below the government’s poverty level a family is literally one paycheck away from being homeless. Many low-income people in the United States cannot afford even basic housing (Macionis, 2002). Two facts that increase poverty are: 1. Lack of employment or loss of job. Jobs are hard to find. Even when a person is working it is not enough to cover the bills. 2. 2. Diminished availability of public assistance leave many families homeless even though many states have set up an alternative system that lets families and individuals obtain employment and sustain themselves between jobs. There are other factors that contribute and make homelessness increase that is lack of affordable healthcare, domestic violence, mental illness (16% of the homeless population have a diagnosis mental illness). Addiction to alcohol and/or drugs are also a problem (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005). The typical stereotype of a homeless person, women with shopping cart, man sleeping on park bench, have been replaced by the production worker that is...
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...breaking night Mijanou Marretta-Lewis Chamberlain College Professor D January 27, 2014 Board Meeting As chair of this board, I feel it is important to address some of the issues brought forth by a few members of the board. I am in support of having a shelter built for the homeless, predominately mothers and children of the underserved population. Times are tough right now and at any given moment any one of us may be only one humiliating step away from homelessness. A job loss, serious illness or any other everyday occurrence of life could cause us all to be on the streets. The concept that the working poor are lazy, did not earn high school degrees, are not using birth control, and lack responsibility for their actions is uninformed thinking. These stereotypes hinder us looking at the big picture. Every day we walk past people in the streets who do not fit the stereotype of homelessness (Voices, 2014). There are people who you admire like Cary Grant, David Letterman, Daniel Craig, Sylvester Stallone, Ben Franklin, Tyler Perry, and Samuel L. Jackson, Col. Harland Sanders, of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, who were all homeless(Voices, 2014). William Shatner, who after Star Trek was cancelled in 1970, lived out of his truck for a while working in summer stock plays across the country. These people made great contributions to society. You don’t know what contributions others may be capable of making in the future if it weren’t for homeless shelters. Our country has...
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...Homelessness is defined as a lack of a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and is associated with poor health and subsequent morbidity (Gordon, Haas, Luther, Hilton, & Goldstein, 2010). Veterans make up about 11% of the adult population; they make up 26% of the homeless population (Weidman, Executive Director, & Vietnam Veterans of America, n.d). An estimated 47% of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era, more than 67% served the nation for at least three years, and 33% were stationed in a war zone (Boone, Executive Director, & National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, n.d). Biases and Stereotypes Individuals label the homeless with stereotypes and personal biases due to lack of knowledge. These same stereotypes label the men and women who have served our country in WWII, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Some individuals believe that all homeless are lazy and do not want to work; they would rather sit alongside a road and beg for money, so they can buy their alcohol or drugs. Homeless are thought of as individuals who have made poor choices in their lives. Many veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are thought of as crazy and not able to function in society any more. Individuals may think that veterans have it made with benefits provided for themselves and their families including better health care than most of the working population in America. Demographics Numerous reasons...
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...The Empathy Project: The Homeless Introduction We see it every day yet it is so easy for us to ignore it: homelessness. It is more common and a larger problem than we realize but we have accepted it into our society and that it is not easily preventable. Certain people under difficult financial circumstances can easily fall below the poverty level with our highly competitive capitalistic system. A social stigma, as defined by Dalton Conley, author of You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist, is “a negative social label that not only changes others’ behavior toward a person but also alters that person’s own self-concept and social identity” (Dalton 211). Homeless stigmas are so overtly present in our society that we overlook the actual problem and possible solution. It has been ingrained into our society that wealth defines “good” and poverty defines “bad.” Characteristics associated with this understanding of “bad” include deviance, laziness, and lack of capability. Our system has shaped us to believe that everyone has an equal chance at wealth and success, ignoring the underlying cases of the struggling individuals in our society born into their socioeconomic status that prevents them from this “American” opportunity. We have these preconceived notions of homeless people that have been proven to be untrue yet we only pay attention to the fewer examples that support it and pre-judge based on these mere instances. The situation of being homeless...
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...Vulnerable Populations BSHS/301 October 29, 2013 Vulnerable Populations Introduction Have you ever looked at a panhandler on a street corner and thought to yourself “get a job” or “druggie.” If you have, you are not alone. There is a negative stigma surrounding the homeless is hard pressed to be changed. Each year between 2 to 3 million people in the United States experience a period of homelessness (Families with Children & Homelessness, 2013). There are many reasons for one to become homeless and there are many different people who through unpreventable circumstances find themselves losing their grip on the very foundation of their lives. This can a be a terrifying time and may eventually lead to mental illnesses such as depression and substance abuse as a means to cope with losing all one has known. To fully understand this vulnerable population one needs to know the history, the root causes of homelessness, social issues, the different demographics, and intervention strategies (Martin, 2007). History During the fourteenth century to the seventieth century the poor were taken care of by the church. During this time period the church and monasteries believed the poor to be blessed and it was a blessing to provide for them. The English Poor Laws throughout the Middle Ages added a negative stigma with the poor. The undeserving poor and the homeless were sent to almshouses or work camps were they were made to do demeaning work for long hours. This treatment stripped...
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...Close your eyes, and picture this. When you hear the word homelessness, what comes to mind? Homelessness is defined as not having a permanent home, or residence. The problem of Homelessness in America, needs to be stopped. There are so many different causes, that make homelessness a serious problem, and people need to stand up and speak up. Homelessness is one of the most death causing problems we have today in America. Therefore, if America decides to stand up, and speak up, millions of lives a year can be saved. So, the question is, what causes homelessness? What can be done in order to fix this? Continue to read this, and find out. If homelessness continues in America, then more people will end up dead, and or on the streets begging for...
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...Homelessness Throughout the largest cities such as Los Angeles down to the smallest as in Des Moines homelessness is on a constant rise. Natural disasters happen all too often. These natural disasters cause many people to be without homes, thus they end up on the streets. Because of many people not being able to pay their bills, because of loss of jobs, whole families are getting laid off. A final cause of homelessness is untreated mental illnesses particularly PTSD. In 2014 there were 49,993 veterans living on the streets in the US alone. When someone is homeless their health suffers. They are at a higher risk of catching diseases such as respiratory. The children and teenagers that are homeless do not receive any sort of education or job training. This makes it so much harder to find work, especially in today’s economy. Another effect homeless has is on crime. Many people will turn to stealing food and other things needed for survival. Homelessness is a problem that can be helped through providing financial aid to...
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...America is growing. There are four main areas that may cause homelessness; poor families unable to afford rent, substance abusers, deinstitutionalized mental patients and runaways (Rogers, 1990). The current regulations and standards are working to improve homelessness, but surely, as the homeless situation continues to grow these legislative acts will need new acts to be introduced to meet the needs of this population. Affordable housing is becoming a desperate need for this population. According to the United States Census of 2010, about 34% of our population is homeless ("United States Censes 2010", 2011). This is a staggering number. Although some of the people are substance abusers or mentally ill, the larger part of this population is homeless because of low income jobs, unemployment, and the lack of affordable housing. These are families with children to feed and may suddenly find themselves in the street, with nothing. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in which the United States is signatory, states housing, is a fundamental human right (Head, n.d.). Many politicians, unfortunately, look at the homeless person as property value or public image. Many states and cities have created ordinances to work against the homeless. Some of the ordinances make it illegal to panhandle, sleep in a pubic area and even worst, to be homeless in some places is looked at as a crime. Because to the stereotype attached to the homeless they are often victims of violent...
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...Homelessness It is a common desire for many people to have a nice home with the ideal family. While many are able to accomplish this in their lifetime, there are still others who suffer from the inability to achieve such simple joys in life. Homelessness is described as the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are most often unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure, and adequate housing. The legal definition of "homeless" actually varies from country to country, or among different entities or institutions in the same country or region. Homelessness is a prominent social issue within the state of Indiana as well as the rest of the nation that needs to be brought to awareness. In every state, more than minimum wage is required to afford a one or two bedroom apartment. The National Low Income Housing Coalition says nationally a typical family needs wages or combined incomes of $17.84 per hour just to make ends meet. In Indiana, a typical family needs wages or combined incomes of $13.41 per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment. Utilities only exacerbate the problem. With this being the very minimum cost of living, it is no surprise that many people across the country struggle and fail to provide an adequate home for their families. Depending on each family’s lifestyle, homelessness is not a farfetched possibility. Probably the most common stereotype of chronically homeless people is that they are drug and alcohol addicts --...
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...chronically homeless are those with a protracted homeless experience whose stays in the homeless system or on the street are both frequent and long. People that are homeless are reflective of every population demographic. There is no single path to homelessness, and despite stigmatizing images, no single stereotype fits. Individuals that are chronically homeless represent a range of individual vulnerabilities and face a many of systematic barriers that impede accessing adequate housing and services. Current economic climate presents the chance for homelessness to remain high (Coalition for the Homeless, 2002a). According to research, a substantial reduction in the occurrence of chronic homelessness could be achieved by linking affordable housing with treatment and support services. Alcohol and substance abuse is known as both a precipitating factor and consequence of homelessness can effect an individual’s ability to retain housing or limit housing options offered by programs requiring sobriety, and mask underlying or related mental health issues undetected or untreated in addiction treatment programs (Zerger, 2002). Individuals who have co-occurring disorders (COD) are particularly vulnerable to homelessness caused by more severe psychiatric symptoms, self-medication with drugs and alcohol, and frequent contact with the criminal justice system. Typically, once homeless, individuals with COD will have greater problems, need more help and are more...
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...YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN CALIFORNIA Name: Class: Date: Executive summary The United States will endure being an advanced country if the numbers of people holding cardboard on the street do not lessen. 1 out of 7 people in U.S suffer from hunger and are forced to sleep in parks, under bridges, in shelters or cars. Every year, the homeless population grows in the United States. Persons become homeless for many reasons. Because they are destitute, they have been struggling in every way that human likely can have. To get back on their feet, they need help in every way. The homeless population is increasing drastically in society. People who are more fortunate than others should put social status aside and take an action to help homeless people to get back on their feet. Homelessness is a state where an individual or a family does not have a home to live. Along with that, the person is deprived of the legal, and the social dimensions are making him emotionally weak and in the state of isolation. Since the year 1980s, there had been a great shock to the Americans due to the rising homelessness. It led to a burst in the studies and the increasing stories related to the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of July 1987. In this act, there was an interference allowed off the federal government into this policy of homelessness, which had created many issues. For many years after that, this issue of homelessness remained on the top of the line in the political issues face...
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