Causes Of Homelessness

Words: 1845
Pages: 8
Open Document
Homelessness and Substance Abuse
Throughout history, there has always been a portion of society living in disadvantaged conditions. With the current high cost of living, global issues, unemployment rate, and low wages, many Americans are finding themselves not only homeless but addicts. One would think that in this advanced century, there would not be individuals living without the basic necessities such as food, water, and shelter. Unfortunately, there are millions of people with nowhere to sleep. Besides the many problems homeless people face daily, one of the leading problems is alcohol and drug abuse. Being homeless with limited access to healthcare or shelter in conjunction with mental illness or exposure to harmful substances can lead …show more content…
With the economy being the main reason, other factors that contribute are substance abuse, political, and social factors. Within the past years, some individuals have found it difficult to parallel their low income with the increase in living cost. For some individuals 50% of their income goes towards housing, the increasing price of housing and the low-wage families receive make it difficult to afford a sustainable living (Bassuk, 2010). Since 2001-2007 the affordable housing stock decreased by 6.3% (Bassuk, 2010). The dramatic increase in health care is also another burden added to a low-income family struggling to maintain a living leading to individuals not only becoming homeless but severely ill (Bassuk, 2010). Individuals working in a demanding job and suffering from a health condition can quickly become unemployed due to not being able to perform the job or too many absences. Now that individual is left with no income or health care. With each new day brings forth a new survival challenge. Besides being helpless, and hungry, struggling with addictions and homelessness are two issues that are difficult to overcome. Chronicity of substance abuse can either lead to homelessness or eventually become a learned habit while living on the streets for a long period of …show more content…
Much discussion is being focused on needle exchange programs and their effectiveness. The purpose of the program is geared towards providing drug users with clean needles at little to no cost. The philosophy behind that idea is to reduce risk factors for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. However, a number of syringes being use are more frequently reported by younger and homeless injectors (Aidala, 2005). While efforts to continually improve the program is being done, the federal government should play a more active role in making sure needle exchange programs are not increasing the substance use behavior among drug
Show More

Related Documents: Causes Of Homelessness

Cause Of Homelessness In America

Homelessness in America. What are the causes? Over 3.5 million people are homeless each year (“Top Causes of Homelessness”), but why is this happening? One of these reasons, mostly among women, is domestic violence. Another reason people having an insufficient income to support themselves and sometimes a family. A final reason that causes homeless is substance use. But these are only three of the many reasons. One of the major causes of homelessness for women is domestic violence. A “study in Massachusetts…

Words 521 - Pages 3

The Homeless: The Cause Of Homelessness

Over 3.5 million americans are homeless each year. There are many reasons why people are homeless. Most of the time homelessness is caused by major traumatic events or physical and mental disabilities. In fact it is caused by tragic life occurrences. For example, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, domestic violence, and family disputes. Some other causes are depression, an untreated mental illness, post traumatic stress disorder, and physical disabilities. Physical disabilities is a large…

Words 347 - Pages 2

Cause Of Homelessness In The United States

Homelessness is a major issue in the United States of America. There are many more causes of homelessness than the effects of homelessness. The causes of homelessness are very complex and multiple. A teenage escaping an abusive environment, to an elderly citizen on a fixed income that cannot cover a rent or tax increase, to a child whose parents lose their job all of sudden and become unemployed could lead to homelessness. Minimum wage being one of the main factors leading to homelessness, put…

Words 625 - Pages 3

Causes And Consequences Of Homelessness

how does parental abuse and neglect youth that makes them feel obligated to leave the family unit. This study will analyze family communication as a whole, violence that is present in the household, consequences to society that come from juvenile homelessness, and previous studies that may help answer some questions to the mystery why this is becoming an epidemic in our country. Introduction Homeless juveniles are most likely to come from dysfunctional or abusive households. Both parental violence…

Words 1332 - Pages 6

Causes of Homelessness Essay examples

Causes of Homelessness Bentley Martin BSHS/302 July 16, 2011 Joey Schumacher Causes of Homelessness There are many factors that lead to poverty and homelessness. People often jump to conclusions and form stereotypes to look down upon those who are poor. Stereotypes include poor people who are viewed as lazy, jobless, criminals, or un-educated. When I think of a homeless individual, I would agree with most of the stereotypes and find within the reading and researching that there is more to…

Words 1310 - Pages 6

Causes Of Homelessness In Canada

income on housing costs and low incomes, leaving them defenseless to homelessness. For an example, in Toronto, a survey was done where it was found that 32% of over 1,500 renting families in low-income neighbourhoods were paying more than half their income on rent; due to combining problems with overcrowding, poor unit and building conditions, affordability, safety concerns, and risk of eviction, one in three were at risk of homelessness.…

Words 89 - Pages 1

Cause Of Homelessness Research Paper

Homelessness has taken a toll in many people’s lives in the world. Whether you are a child or an adult you may experience these gruesome situations. Homelessness is having no home. These people who do not have nowhere to live, have been considered as a group. Homelessness is no permanent address. There are some things such as a missed paycheck, a health crisis, or an unpaid bill can push the poor over the edge into homelessness. These problems have many causes to homelessness, some extremely sad…

Words 484 - Pages 2

The Leading Cause Of Homelessness In The United States

Homelessness is a very devastating situation that families can go through. Becoming homeless disrupts the families life, can damage physical and emotional health, and can interfere with children’s education and development. This tends to lead to the separation of family members and spouses. There are many consequences and causes that lead to homeless women. Although when we think of the word “homeless”, we tend to think of men, but that is not always the case. There are many homeless women that are…

Words 1007 - Pages 5

Top Causes of Homelessness in America Essay

Top Causes of Homelessness in America As many as 3.5 million Americans are homeless each year. Of these, more than 1 million are children and on any given night, more than 300,000 children are homeless. While the general impression is that the homeless are primarily the chronic and episodic, those unfortunate individuals often seen living on the streets in the downtown areas of our cities, the fact is that more than half the homeless are families with children. The vast majority of these have…

Words 541 - Pages 3

Cause Of Homelessness In The United States

institute more than 23,000 children will age out of the foster system every year. This is a problem because then the children have nowhere to go leaving them alone and often with no place to leave if their foster parents don't want them anymore. Another cause of children being homeless is that they run away from an abusive parent and they cant stay there anymore. This could be bad because these s homeless kids can get pulled into child slavery. Someone of the homeless kids had parents who died and have…

Words 157 - Pages 1