Homelessness in America.
Homelessness is a situation where an individual, a given family, or the entire community has no permanent, stable residence for security and shelter and has no means of getting one. In America, the most vulnerable portions of Americans living in poverty represent the country’s homeless (Morton et al., np). According to the USA government, homelessness indicates a state of secularism that results in over-reliance on the government’s most vulnerable people. The USA’s homeless situation has rendered most markets unable to provide effectively to the country’s citizens. The case has also affected the country’s citizens mentally, socially, and psychologically to the point of developing some health-related complications. In this study, I will examine the homelessness situation in America, analyze the approximate number of people that end up being homeless, and discuss the possible solution to fix this problem.
According to Erickson and Charles, America’s homeless situation is becoming critical day after another (pg. 131). This situation is due to the increased pressure and challenges that are emerging in the country. According to my studies, this condition’s worsening has been contributed by the state’s government policies intended to curb the situation. For instance, in some cities of the country such as Boston, Washington, and New York City, the government has a policy that dictates that only houses of a given high quality should be constructed in the region. Quality housing implies an increase in the cost of rent and the overall living standard of the people. The expensive nature of life has rendered financially unstable homeless as they cannot afford to pay the rent. Government regulations on housing, such as taxing policy, have discouraged reinvestment in the county as people fear the high government taxes (Erickson & Charles, pg. 132). According to the research, the USA’s homeless condition resulted in an increased substance abuse rate and increased mental illness cases. Four of our often homeless people have mental illness as well as being alcoholic. Most such people spend most of their time in jail if not in the country’s correctional facilities.
The statistics in America show that half a million of the Americans are homeless.35% of the half a million homeless people are unsheltered, thus just living in the street, while the remaining 65% have a shelter that is just temporary (Trawver et al., pg. 15). Approximately 45% of the homeless people are found in California, a city in America that holds the country’s overall population. The leading ethnic group in America that is homeless are the natives Americans and the pacific islanders. Within the two ethnic groups, 160 out of 10000 people are homeless people. According to the statistics, 60% of homeless people are the male .out of the overall population of people who are homeless in America, 70% of them are the individual who is not married and so living on their own. In comparison, the remaining 30% is the married individual and has families to take care of. About 200,000 people in America spend the night outside or on-premises they don’t possess (Kull et al., np). 5.4% of the people who are homeless are school-aged children. The situation has resulted in mental health problems among the children, thus interfering with their learning abilities (Terry, np).
Homelessness statistics basing on ethnicity
| white | App.280,000 |
| black | 230,000 |
| Latinx | 124,700 |
| multiracial | 36,900 |
| Native American | 18000 |
| Pacific islander | 9900 |
The American government can come up with strategies to control the increased rate of homeless in the country. It can be made possible by implementing some measures in the country. These measures can be much effective if they are well planned and enforced by the government. The following are the possible remedies to mitigate the homeless situation in America.
Increasing employment and income
Financial constrain is the primary cause of increased cases of homeless in American. The situation has led to an increase in cases of poverty in the country. The government can reduce the situation by creating more job opportunities for the citizens to accommodate more human personnel in the job. The government can also increase the salary for employed personnel with very low income to stabilize and get their permanent homes. Employment creation and income increment programs are the key initiatives in supporting housing stability (Trawver et al., pg. 12).
Government support to the vulnerable
The government can develop effective plans to support the most disadvantaged people in the country to get permanent homes. The government can set up some finances to construct permanent homes to the disadvantages, hence reducing homelessness. Long-term rental support by the government can also help citizens get stability and thus solve the homelessness situation (Erickson & Charles, pg.137).
Housing program initiative
The government’s rapid re-housing is a very convenient and effective program that can connect people to reliable housing services (Trawver et al., pg. 10). Increased construction of more affordable housing for renting can reduce the homeless situation in the counties, resulting in an improved standard of living for the most homeless people in the country.
Enhancing education connection
Schools can be used as a setup for reducing the homelessness situation in America construction of more boarding schools can help youth and homeless children get at least a safer place to settle and spend part of their life until they get stability. From the school, the student can get connections to the community hence stabilize and thus mitigate homelessness (Erickson & Charles, pg. 136).
Enforcing a partnership initiative
The American government can reduce the homelessness situation in its country by putting up the cross board partnership initiative. Partnership initiatives imply corporation between the state and federal and the jurisdiction in terms of financial support and ideas to reduce homelessness in the country (Erickson, & Charles, pg. 137). This cross-sector approach is very fundamental and effective in preventing and ending the homelessness situation in the county.
Homelessness is, therefore, a very critical problem that the country of America is facing. The situation has continued to be serious for a long time and has affected the country’s general economy. The increases in cases of insecurity and the drug above have increased rapidly in the country due to the situation. Cases of increased mental health illnesses have also been increasing at an alarming rate. However, despite the current situation, possible remedies can be enforced effectively by the American government, hence reducing or controlling this big homelessness problem in the country.
Works cited
Erickson, Jon, and Charles Wilhelm. “The Extent of Homelessness in America.” Housing the Homeless. Routledge, 2017. 125-143.
Kull, M. A., et al. “Missed Opportunities: Education among Youth Experiencing Homelessness in America.” Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago (2019).
Morton, Matthew H., Amy Dworsky, and Gina Miranda Samuels. “Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America. National Estimates.” Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago (2017).
Terry, Yvette Renee. “Homelessness in America: Heading Home Homeless Agency.” (2018).
Trawler, Kathi R., et al. “Homelessness in America: An Overview.” Homelessness Prevention and Intervention in Social Work. Springer, Cham, 2019. 3-39.