Essay about The United States Homeless Population - 879 Words

Introduction In the United States the homeless population continues to grow rapidly. Homelessness has been a public health issue for many decades. Often times these individuals feel as though society has turned a blind eye to them. This at risk population is seen by society as lazy or chose to live a life on the streets, but if one would examine this population closely would see that there is more to this at risk population than what society has labeled them as. The forces, which affect homelessness, are multifaceted. Social forces such as family breakdown, addictions, and mental illnesses are in combined with structural forces such as lack of low-cost housing, insufficient health services, and poor economic conditions. Many would†¦show more content†¦Homelessness is often accompanied by many other problems such as mental disorders, substance abuse issues, isolation from family and friends, and poor general health. Often time’s people that suffer from homelessness experience a lower quality of life than those who have a place to call home. While there are many reasons why the homeless population continues to increase social and economic factors have contributed to this epidemic. The global financial crisis has contributed to the prevalence of homelessness in the United States. The social factors that contribute to homelessness include living in poverty and not enough affordable housing. The widespread of the crack cocaine in the 1980 also increased homelessness. Many individuals suffering from homelessness also suffer from many different type of drug addictions. It is estimated that 40 % of homeless people are dependent on alcohol and 25% on other drugs. Alcoholism is increasingly being recognized as the most pervasive health problem for homeless. In addition homeless alcohol dependent individuals have a higher prevalence of other psychiatric disorders and more impaired in their social and vocational functioning. Alcoholism and the behaviors cou pled with it have a huge influence on physical health. Majority of studies conducted on homelessness and drugsShow MoreRelatedThe Homeless Population Of The United States1393 Words   |  6 Pages The homeless populations are among the most vulnerable populations in the United States. In today’s society, the homeless population consists of every age group, sex, religion, family type, and ethnic group. Families, children, and adults who are homeless suffer many adverse effects from living in shelters and on the streets, and approximately twenty six percent of homeless individuals suffer from severe mental illness (Stanhope, 2014). This paper focuses on the homeless population of all ageRead MoreVeterans : The Homeless Veterans1245 Words   |  5 PagesVeterans Homelessness United States veterans have risked their lives in order to give us all the freedom we have today, yet they are struggling in the society we have today and are forced to live on the streets. One major issue in our world today is the increasing number of how many veterans are homeless. After researching I have found the five most commonly discussed topics in this subject are; the number of homeless veterans in the whole United States, the different causes of veterans homelessnessRead MoreThe United Way Of Champaign County1427 Words   |  6 PagesChampaign and Urbana we see homeless people on the streets II. Relate topic: When we think of the homeless we often think of the corner of Green Sixth, the viaduct on Springfield Avenue, or the entrance to any of the three local Wal-marts. III. Thesis: The United Way of Champaign County utilizes their resources to provide aid to the local homeless population. IV. Preview: To begin we will see how homelessness is a local issue, then I will talk about the homeless programs that were eliminatedRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Homelessness Essay1053 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ The Epidemic Of Homelessness And The Impact It Has On The United States Jeff Damitz One of the sociologic problems that have always faced society is the presence of homelessness population in a percentage of societies’ citizens. The National Health Care of the Homeless Council (2014) describes the official definition of homeless at â€Å"an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned buildingRead MoreVulnerable Populations1503 Words   |  7 PagesVulnerable Populations BSHS/320 The United States of America is the place known to many as the land of the free, home of the brave, and the place to start a better life. With any place that has good qualities, some have not so good qualities. The 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 disastersRead MoreSociological Perspective on Homelessness1248 Words   |  5 Pagesperspective. The paper will additionally reference sociological theory as a means of explanation for homelessness, such its causes, the demographics/populations, and other prominent known characteristics of homeless people. There are individuals and groups who choose to be, from a normative societal perspective, homeless, but for a great deal of the homeless population, it can be a treacherous and tragic lifestyle that is a result of a distinct set of social, societal, and individual factors. Due to theRead MoreHomeless Veterans Are Becoming More Prevalent Of The United States886 Words   |  4 PagesINTRODUCTION American homeless veterans are becoming more prevalent in the United States. Research will show that American veterans are an overrepresented population among the homeless in the U.S. A homeless veteran is an individual who lives on the streets, in abandoned buildings, vehicles, encampments, shelters, or transitional housing (Veterans Today, 2013). As a matter of fact, homeless veterans do not have a permanent residence under their control. Homelessness in general includes thoseRead MoreThe McKinney-Vento as amended by S. 896 the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to1500 Words   |  6 Pages896 the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009 also known as McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, signed into law in 1987, covers many aspects of homelessness. The National Coalition for the Homeless states that the â€Å"McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was the first—and remains the only—major federal legis lative response to homelessness† (NCH). Originally, this act contained fifteen different programs that were included to aid the homeless populationRead MoreHomelessness Intervention Paper : Homelessness1134 Words   |  5 Pagespublic assistance† (nationalcoalitionforthehomeless.org). The United States official definition of homelessness is: A homeless individual is defined as â€Å"an individual who lacks housing, including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g., shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing.† A homeless person is an individual without permanent housing who may live onRead MoreVulnerable Population and Self Awareness Paper1620 Words   |  7 PagesRunning head: VULNERABLE POPULATION AND SELF Vulnerable Population and Self-Awareness Paper: Substance Abuse Lesley Pyron University of Phoenix Vulnerable Population and Self-Awareness Paper Effective healthcare is dependent on understanding vulnerable individuals and populations with respect to biases and prejudices of healthcare providers. According to de Chesnay (2008), â€Å"Vulnerability is a general concept meaning susceptibility, and its specific connotation in terms of healthcare is at risk