Homelessness in the United States

(vii). Agencies responsible for helping the Homeless

a. Solutions undertaken by agencies to help the Homeless

(viii). Conclusion

Homelessness in America

Byrne, T., Munley, E. A., Fargo, J. D., Montgomery, A. E., " Culhane, D. P. (2013). New perspectives on community‐level determinants of homelessness. Journal of Urban Affairs, 35(5), 607-625.

In our current days, various kinds of depressive prosperity typically affect several residents residing in the United States of America (Alastair, 2017). Many people tend to enjoy their vast wealth, joyful lives, and health; even though, there still exist some group of persons who always remain unnoticed. These people have no permanent residential areas to rest and sleep. Besides, they have to endure hunger upon returning to their homes (Byrne et al., 2013). Some of them cannot engage in a set productive working schedule and because they need to combat the routine practices associated with either continuous alcohol consumption or drug addiction. Homelessness makes the affected persons sleep in any possible place, for example, huddle under stairs, park benches, subway entrances or even anywhere.

Homelessness Counts research conducted in 2007 by the National Alliance to End Homelessness proposed significant recommendations. Its 2005 baseline would help in the overall establishment of unique measuring progress whose effects would combat homelessness. The released statistics had a substantial proof about how the United States subjected to severe events associated with the challenge of homelessness in various regions of the nation (Endhomelessness.org, 2018). People may always wonder about the factors responsible for enhancing the severe problem of homelessness. At the same time, Americans figure out about what needs to get done to provide better solutions deemed necessary in solving the deadly effects bound to homelessness. Preventing futuristic homelessness and its challenges requires prime consideration.

Analyses released by experts notes how it does not become challenging to identify the two distinct types of homelessness. Therefore, homelessness may get defined from the perspective of being either periodic or chronic. The chronic nature of homelessness gets predicted to unleash repercussions whose effects are naturally long term within the entire society. Besides, the periodic type of homelessness has adverse results as well. According to recent years, about 500,000 individuals identify with chronic homelessness within one month only (Eric, 2015). When such a number subjects to comparison with the current population residing in the U.S., the recorded statistics seem to relate to a smaller portion of persons within the American community. However, the above-noted figures provide an essential warning that despite the fact that America has the pride of associating with the rank of developed counties’ category bound to a capitalistic type of an advanced economy, the U.S. still affords to record homelessness within its people.

Most individuals associated with chronic homelessness have a significant association with alcoholism, severe mental illnesses, or even drug addiction among other challenges. Some group of persons may blame the homeless individuals because of their bad life-related habits. However, can humanity fathom that the affected persons ever reflect on the reasons surrounding such harmful habits (Markos " Lima, 2003)? Nowadays, extreme competition seems to become fierce as time lapses. Those people determined to survive living better lives have to understand how to make the human life experiences subject to effectiveness through the adoption of different methodologies.

Even though, not everyone can forge towards successful living. Hence, the persons bound to homelessness may succumb to a lot of unnecessary pressure directed from matters associated with successful living. Like they may consider either feed an entire family or engaging in constant struggles while aiming for better conditions in life, then there would exist extremity of invisible pressure affecting their hearts (Miller‐Smith, 2016). Eventually, life presses them, and the cruel circumstances such as psychological aspirations would force them to find out some of the new techniques that would work out.

The reason why individuals subject to joblessness resort to alcoholism is that makes them release some mix of tiredness and pressure. Alcohol addiction helps them forfeit some of the unhappy encounters affecting them and then acquire enough confidence which makes them move forward while working hard at the same time. Although, such individuals operate just like standard humans and therefore, they may not have the capacity to handle extreme pressure. Hence, when life becomes demanding, these individuals will crash eventually, and the habitual alcoholism would not come to their rescue, they would now opt to use hard drugs. Such drugs are ordinarily powerful and stronger as they tend to control one’s body by exploring their potential energy thus leading to devastating effects. Continuous drug abuse would lead to catastrophic drug effects responsible for addiction.

Consequently, the abused drugs may provide its users with extra short-time energies, but people would remain considerably sick from financial worries and all the load of works to get accomplished. Additionally, they would have to incur some expenses while initiating purchases for drugs and alcohol. Then these individuals would then run out of money; working hard may not even help them. Still, it would also become difficult to afford the shelter or a nice housing unit plus all the extra expenses attached to an accomplished living. Hence, due to such circumstances, chronic homelessness would continue to become repeatable and naturally long-term. Although, such homelessness may also become periodic when living habits bound to specific persons subject to better control (Endhomelessness.org, 2018). When homelessness fails to subject to appropriate control measures, it may morph to assume a vicious circle; it would continue developing to worse conditions with time.

Periodic homelessness may result from the effects of severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Typically, it may become challenging to envision a more distressing or dangerous combination of difficulties to befall someone than to make anyone homeless instead. The severity of mental illness may become hazardous. Those mentally ill patients may become vulnerable to freezing during the winter seasons while engaging in their illusion-related activities. During such times, death may become inevitable. Meanwhile, there exist many patients affected mentally; these patients wonder in various regions in America, and they do not receive proper treatment and medication.

The extension of either voluntary or involuntary mental illness treatment to the affected homeless person posts controversial concerns. Most of the homeless persons usually suffer from physical and mental health because they dwell on pathetic streets and shelters. The conditions which need constant treatment, for example, tuberculosis, diabetes, AIDS, and cardiovascular infections makes it difficult to extend treatment services to the homeless individuals. Besides, it is sometimes challenging for the people bound to homelessness to access preventive care.

Homeless individuals would wait until their health conditions call for the need to seek emergency health service which is only a matter of either subjecting self to life or death. During such circumstances, the prevailing conditions will continue to worsen unless proper care gets considered. Then people would have the thought about the genesis of poverty affecting the current boom in the American economy. Besides, people will wonder about some of the approaches the government will consider in a bid to save the most people from the homelessness challenge (Roleff, 1996). In the process, the question of what other American citizens will do to protect the embarrassing homeless situation would also get consideration.

The most significant approach which the American government needs to consider is the overall improvement of the efficiency of the mental health system. This system should help extend occasional and involuntary treatment and diagnosis of mental illness affecting the homeless persons. Treatment needs to get conducted involuntarily and in time. However, such treatment should not associate with the forcible behavioral aspects. On the contrary, it should get noted that the adopted procedures aim at helping the homeless who cannot support themselves.

Adopting permanent supportive housing together with stringent policies would help combat homelessness within the American population. Such an approach provides one of the most significant solutions to the challenge subject to chronic homelessness. Proper housing acts as a direct healthcare motivator as it requires immediate attention from the world’s humanity. Besides, shelters always get regarded as one of the primary needs of humans, and everyone needs a sensible place for peaceful living (Panell, 2017). Therefore, with better housing, the homeless people could easily meet some of the requirements necessary in effectuating better livelihood.

Currently, the American government provides sustainable housing units required by some of the homeless individuals. Public housing may get considered for an extension under various circumstances. Another approach which may get regarded is the appreciation of private rent subsidies for individuals living in rented apartments or rooms. Even though, the above-noted assistance offered by the government always tends to become quite limited as it does not reach out to all homeless people in need of constant help. Therefore, for the government to offer more affordable housing help to its homeless citizens, the government should assist by implementing and effectuating substantial housing policies. Other housing welfares need to get considered as well.

All in all, the challenge of homelessness seems contagious as it posts adverse social problems. Therefore, as long as there still exist substantial numbers of people bound to the homelessness challenge within America, the need to offer continuous assistance is essential. Since homelessness is a nationwide challenge, it should get noted that an individual’s effort and strength is typically limited (Neiditch, 2017). Calling for considerable assistance from the extended society will help in the overall provision of the desired help needed to end homelessness. Offering a fantastic kind of support is possible through the whole amalgamation of active and able group efforts. Such an approach when adopted will help provide long-term solutions. However, with the external assistance received from other parties, the assisted individuals would still have to support themselves.

Meanwhile, private agencies often succumb to the challenge of inconsistency in raising substantial financial contributions. Their limited funding prevents their ability to provide all the clients in need of urgent assistance. Most of the non-profit private agencies have to seek a selective group to operate as their direct targeted recipients. In the process, ideologies pioneered by specific contributors and volunteers may fuel discrimination. Continuous discriminatory cycles may lead to the extreme victimization of the families bound to vulnerability. More significantly, such families may not receive the possible help they may need. Therefore, most of the homeless people may always face obstacles as they try to appropriate shelters which help to protect them from adverse environmental effects.

Repudiation of some homeless clients because of their criminal history typically sidelines most people from getting residential assistance. Hence, without intervention and continuous regulation from the United States government, most of the private agencies will continue observing the practice of dismissing significant aid to the unworthy persons bound to the challenge of homelessness (Williams, 2017). Undesirable forfeiture of considering the need to extend help to the individuals who need it needs to get cornered. Overall, the American government intervention into the difficulties faced by the homeless persons would become essential to enhance protection of the weak and the voiceless individuals living in America’s society.

In conclusion, both religious charities and the American government are obliged to consider the need nurturing and ensuring peaceful coexistence of one another. The weaknesses exhibited by most public social programs need to subject to reimbursements effectuated by the benefits directed by private sectors. The consideration of the above-raised concerns should also get regarded. Meanwhile, the social organizations pioneered by the government’s influence may lack the desired focus on enhancing the achievement of suitable and acceptable standards necessary in effectuating better living standards among the homeless. Besides, the government may fail to motivate its extensive network of workers. At the same time, may fail to exercise consistency and fairness in funding the homeless individuals living in America. Therefore, funding channeled from the American government should get diverted into both the public and private agencies to assist the homeless and the needy families living in America.

References

Alastair Gee (December 6, 2017). America’s homeless population rises for the first time since the Great Recession. Retrieved on April 22, 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/us- news/2017/dec/05/america-homeless-population-2017-official-count-crisis

Byrne, T., Munley, E. A., Fargo, J. D., Montgomery, A. E., " Culhane, D. P. (2013). New perspectives on community‐level determinants of homelessness. Journal of Urban Affairs, 35(5), 607-625.

Daniel Neiditch (November 3, 2017). How bad is Homelessness in America? Retrieved on April 22, 2017, from, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-bad-is-homelessness-in- america-really_us_58f6916de4b0c892a4fb736f

Endhomelessness.org (2018). National Alliance to End Homelessness: Homelessness in America. Retrieved on 22, 2017 from, https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in- america/

Eric M. Johnson (November 20, 2015). More than 500,000 people homeless in the United States: report. Retrieved on April 22, 2018, from, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- homelessness/more-than-500000-people-homeless-in-the-united-states-report- idUSKCN0T908720151120

Hurley, J. A. (Ed.). (2002). The homeless: Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press Incorporated.

Ian Panell (December 6, 2017). US homeless people numbers rise for the first time in seven years. Retrieved on April 22, 2018, from, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada- 42248999

Markos, P. A., " Lima, N. R. (2003). Homelessness in the United States and its effect on children. Guidance and Counseling, 18(3), 118-124.

Miller‐Smith, M. (2016). Homelessness in the United States. The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Family Studies.

O'Flaherty, B. Homelessness in the United States. In The Oxford Handbook of Urban Economics and Planning.

Orr, L. (1990). The homeless: Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Pr.

Roleff, T. L. (1996). The Homeless. Opposing Viewpoints Series. Greenhaven Press, Inc., PO Box 289009, San Diego, CA 92198-9009.

Williams, J. (2017). The politics of homelessness in the United States. Oxford Handbooks Online, 1. Retrieved on April 22, 2018, from, http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935307.001.0001/oxf ordhb-9780199935307-e-153 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935307.013.153