Exploring the Complex Issue of Homelessness in America: Unveiling the Shadows

Rising Homelessness Rates

Homelessness in America is snowballing for the first time in over a decade. The rate of homelessness is continuously growing by 0.7 percent, leaving roughly 553,742 Americans homeless. Conferring to the January Point-in-Time tally, the major subset of this latest statistic is of unaided children, accounting for roughly 15 percent of those who are displaced.

Underlying Causes and Solutions

There are numerous common reasons for homelessness, such as encumbering chronic health circumstances and domestic violence conditions. Nonetheless, the most noticeable cause of homelessness in America is, by far, that individuals cannot access housing that they can pay for. The National Alliance to End Homelessness acknowledges this circumstance and suggests numerous methods in which this prevalent issue can be deciphered. The most operative way out is a community effort to gather data on local regions and use that data to select the most valuable techniques in which to apportion funds, programs, and amenities.

Being homeless is not just a dearth of shelter; it is also living in perilous circumstances. The high cost of housing has put pressure on Americans fiscally; most families are repaying just about half of their salaries for housing. With the augmented amenities and programs such as Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, these programs have moved their emphasis to more lasting housing resolutions for the homeless. With the $4.5 billion of federal subsidy allocated to homelessness, it will not answer the homeless subject in America because of a dearth of reasonable housing; it will aid in increasing assistance programs that are obtainable for those who require affordable housing.

Impact and Personal Stories

Homelessness is a severe problem that, as a nation, we ought to always be conscious of. Homelessness has no identity; it could affect an individual at any point and time in life. It is more than just not being in possession of shelter; those who are sheltered still face possible homelessness at some time in life. In order to drop the homeless population, homeless persons ought to be offered a place to live to have a healthier life. By having a safe place to call home, the homeless can feel protected and recognize they will not be in any sort of vulnerability.

Along with that, underprivileged persons can start to adjust to a new lifestyle that will hearten them to be sober from drugs or hunt for a job. These shelters can comprise small bed-sitters, like studio-size, a kitchen for the homeless to learn how to prepare meals for themselves, and a free clinic for drug testing to ensure the homeless keep on sober or get recommended medication. If homeless individuals live in a shelter, their lives will advance. By staying in a safe shelter, the homeless will increase their health and get themselves organized to hunt for a job.

Homelessness was at a record high from 2012 -2013; reports designate that families doubled and grew to about 7.7 million persons; this was an upsurge of 3.7 percent. With employment cuts and increased cost of medical insurance, a lot of individuals fiscally could not afford to sustain their rent or monthly premiums. According to an editorial authored by Magtalas, “3.5 million people experience homelessness in America each year, 610,042 people were homeless on a single night in January 2013, and 6,197 children are under the age of 18, homeless, and have no parent looking after them.”

The Homeless population continues to grow; the state of California, for instance, they have the highest number of homeless persons, 22 percent of its entire population is homeless, and that translates to 136,824 persons on the street with nowhere to stay. As shown from all this data, homelessness is very real, and it can affect anybody at any time during their lifetime. For some individuals, homelessness is a choice, but for a lot of individuals, homelessness is not.

Controversies Surrounding Homelessness

Numerous aspects bring about being homeless, such as job cuts, physical and mental incapacity, and different hardships, which could be subjective, and drug addiction can hasten people’s slide into poverty. The Homelessness in America website offers the statistics that are required to be acquainted with homelessness in America. The website displays how the homeless are susceptible to health dangers, violence, and aggravation by the police, and it takes up for the homeless by affirming, “homeless is not an intrinsic excellence of trait, and it is not connected with and precise identity.”

Even though some people may be opposed to supporting the homeless population, they contend it is not one’s obligation to aid individuals who may elect this way of life of being homeless. A number of homeless individuals elect to be poor and throw away assistance from good-intended persons and organizations. An individual holds liability if he or she chooses to use drugs and substances. At some point, these happenings may lead an individual to not having any money and resources due to drug usage or being unprepared to take care of a kid.

In supposition, the earnestness to shrivel the homeless population is great. Once the shelters are existent, the homeless persons will keep off the streets and enhance their lives. While living in the homeless accommodations, these individuals will obligate to achieve employment and continue living free from any dependence they may have. Not only will it advantage the lives of the homeless, but as well the community as a whole.

Works Cited

1. ‘Addiction: Homelessness linked to previous health problems.’ The Practitioner 28 May 2007: 27. General OneFile. Web. 30 January 2019.
2. Brinkerhoff, David B., Rose Weitz, and Suzanne T. Ortega. Essentials of Sociology. 9th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011. 160. Print.
3. Holden, Constance. “Homelessness: Experts Differ on Root Causes.” Science 232 (2012): 569. Gale Power Research. Web. 30 January 2019.
4. “Homelessness.” Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 30 January 2019.
5. The State Of Homelessness in America (2015) from National Alliance to End Homeless: http://endhomelessness.org/library/entry/the-state-of-homelessness-in-america-2015. Web. 30 January 2019.
6. Quigley, J. M., & Raphael, S., Magtalas M. Homelessness in America http://www.homelessnessinamerica.us/ Web. 30 January 2019.