Summary: The Problem Of Homelessness

According to the National Alliance of Homelessness, over half a million American citizens are homeless. To be homeless means to not have a permanent place for residence, and typically living on the streets (“Think” 2). Homelessness has been an existing problem for a very long time. There are many organizations that focus on helping this problem. These organizations have looked at the history of homelessness, the causes, the effects on the community, and the solutions to help end this problem. Homelessness has been a problem dating back as early as the 1640s (“Homelessness” 1). If a person was homeless they were thought of to have a “moral deficiency, or a character flaw.” Christians believed that they would have their needs met as long as …show more content…
Natural disasters, wars, and being born into poverty are main causes to why people are homeless. In some areas there are not many job opportunities, and the jobs that are available, in most cases, are low paying jobs. Many of the people in America that are homeless have jobs, but the jobs have a low pay rate. Also when businesses close down The cost to own a home, in most cases, is more expensive than the amount of money a person makes at their job (“Homelessness Defined” 8). “The 1850s brought the first documented cases of homelessness. Youth, many of whom were kicked out of their homes because their providers could no longer afford to raise them” (“The History” 6). Many war veterans after the Civil War were unemployed and lost their homes because of natural disasters while they were gone. The government did not try the help prevent the problem of homelessness due to insufficient needs. (“Homelessness” 3). Drug addictions also caused people to lose their homes. They would use their money give into the addiction instead of paying for their house notes (“The History” 7). People that can help the homeless turn a blind eye, and they still belittle those in the streets instead of helping (“Homelessness” …show more content…
Many homeless people suffer from medical issues. Some diseases they suffer from include: cold injury, sleep deprivation, mental illness, or even mortality. “Their health gets worse and worse because they lack attention from people such as doctors” (“Homelessness” 3). People that are homeless have problems internally in their mind. A few of the internal problems they face might include: low self-esteem, behavioral problems, or increased danger or abuse and violence. Sometimes they make attacks on the citizens passing by (“Homelessness” 6). In some cases, homelessness can tear families apart. This factor can cause depression in the parents, but it mostly causes depression in the children (“How” 5). Homelessness does not only affect the people that are homeless, but it has a big impact on the community as well. “Homelessness can have a negative impact of local communities” (“Impact” 4). The taxpayer has to help pay for certain programs that are homeless. The homeless can spread diseases to people of the community. Citizens are often scared of the homeless so people of the community attack them. More than 600 attacks have been made against homeless people over the past ten years (“How”

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