The Epidemic Of Homelessness
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 “an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle; or in any other unstable or non-permanent situations.” In some cases being a part of the homeless population in a temporary situation but for many homeless people this lifestyle will be a permanent way of living. There are some resources for the homeless populations to assist them with both their current need for shelter and resources to assisting them with more permanent solutions to their complications. The problem is that these resources are often underfunded and overwhelm with the amount of people the need to help. According to The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2013) there is on average 610,042 homeless people in the United States in the year 2013. All though, from the data, this number is declining from previous year but there are still a great number of United State citizens that are currently without shelter. What this number also doesn’t include at the citizen who are on the verge of becoming homeless daily.
The homeless population can causes great strain on the United States and affect its citizens in many ways. There is direct relationship between the homeless population and its strain that places on healthcare and criminal justice systems (Homeless Cause and Effect, 2001). Members of the homeless population tend to be in fair to poor heath conditions and more susceptible to diseases related to poor nutrient, lack of shelter resulting in being more exposed to the environment, poor hygiene, lack of resources for preventative care
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 “an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle; or in any other unstable or non-permanent situations.” In some cases being a part of the homeless population in a temporary situation but for many homeless people this lifestyle will be a permanent way of living. There are some resources for the homeless populations to assist them with both their current need for shelter and resources to assisting them with more permanent solutions to their complications. The problem is that these resources are often underfunded and overwhelm with the amount of people the need to help. According to The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2013) there is on average 610,042 homeless people in the United States in the year 2013. All though, from the data, this number is declining from previous year but there are still a great number of United State citizens that are currently without shelter. What this number also doesn’t include at the citizen who are on the verge of becoming homeless daily.
The homeless population can causes great strain on the United States and affect its citizens in many ways. There is direct relationship between the homeless population and its strain that places on healthcare and criminal justice systems (Homeless Cause and Effect, 2001). Members of the homeless population tend to be in fair to poor heath conditions and more susceptible to diseases related to poor nutrient, lack of shelter resulting in being more exposed to the environment, poor hygiene, lack of resources for preventative care
References: National Health Care for the Homeless Council (2014). What is the official definition of homelessness? Retrieved from http://www.nhchc.org/faq/official-definition-homelessness/ The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2013). The 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. Retrieved from https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/ahar-2013-part1.pdf British Columbia (2001). Homelessness Cause and Effect. Retrieved from http://www.housing.gov.bc.ca/pub/Vol1.pdf The Nation’s Voice on Metal Illness (2013). Homelessness. Retrieved form http://www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/Policy/Fact_Sheets/homelessnessPFS.pdf