Top Causes of Homelessness in America Essay

Submitted By ZOU807935774
Words: 541
Pages: 3
Open Document
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 been thrust into homelessness by a life altering event or series of events that were unexpected and unplanned for. Contrary to the belief that homelessness is primarily the result of major traumatic events or physical and mental disabilities, there are many top causes of homelessness in America.

Homelessness is, in fact, caused by tragic life occurrences like the loss of loved ones, job loss, domestic violence, divorce and family disputes. Other impairments such as depression, untreated mental illness, post traumatic stress disorder, and physical disabilities are also responsible for a large portion of the homeless. Many factors push people into living on the street. Acknowledging these can help facilitate the end of homelessness in America.

For those living in poverty or close to the poverty line, an "everyday" life issue that may be manageable for individuals with a higher income can be the final factor in placing them on the street. A broken down vehicle, a lack of vehicle insurance, or even unpaid tickets might be just enough to render someone homeless.

Divorce costs and the associated lowering of a family's total income can cause one or more family members to become homeless. For families that can hardly pay their bills, a serious illness or disabling accident may deplete their funds and push them out onto the street. Today, the rapid, unexpected loss of jobs and resultant foreclosures has caused great dislocation among families and has dramatically added to the number of people without a roof over their heads.

Natural disasters often cause current housing situations to become untenable and costly repairs are often simply not possible. The results of Hurricane Katrina stand in bleak testimony to the power of nature to displace people.

The
Show More

Related Documents: Top Causes of Homelessness in America Essay

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

Homelessness In America Research Paper

root of the housing problem in America, we researched the basic causes of homelessness. We found that the decrease in affordable housing plays an extremely large factor in the increase in homelessness. In America, there is a shortage of about 7.3 million housing units. Another major issue is family conflict: 41% of all first marriages will end in divorce, which leaves many who separate without a place to live. Job loss is a huge factor in the increase in homelessness. Without a flow of income from…

Words 191 - Pages 1

Essay about Homlessness in Amerika

Homlessness In America The United States of America is often referred to as “the land of the free” or “the greatest country in the world.” But for people who actually live here and see tens of thousands of men, women, and children walking the streets everyday with no home to go to, it is hard to believe that people could even categorized this country with a name so impressive. I agree that homelessness is not a problem just of the United States it is one of the world and we must work together…

Words 1869 - Pages 8

Homelessness In The United States

considering the United States has such an economic advantage. Homelessness is such a commonality that people have become insensitive to it. Most cannot visualize themselves in that situation. People rarely consider what exactly causes homelessness. Three prevailing causes of homelessness are drug abuse, illness, and lack of economic opportunity as a result of race. Drug abuse oftentimes leads to poverty, ultimately resulting in homelessness. Drug abuse is a major issue in the United States. People who…

Words 826 - Pages 4

Oppression Of Homelessness In America

But on a national level the issue needs to be addressed, not only in those places did the numbers of unsheltered people increase, but instead in all of America homelessness has increased. In total, the number of unsheltered people has increased by roughly 12 percent in just the last year, which is nearly 50 percent since…

Words 2170 - Pages 9

Hunger And Poverty In America

Roughly 44 million people are living in poverty globally, meaning they survive on less than $6.85 a day. More than 3 million children die from hunger every year. 45% of children under five are lost to hunger and hunger-related causes. The number of undernourished people has climbed from 572 million to 735 million today. We all know there is pain and suffering in the world, but we prefer not to see it. It’s easier to ignore it, going about our day saying how thankful we are that we are not one of…

Words 1123 - Pages 5

The Stewart B Mckinney Homeless Assistance Act: a Policy Analysis Essay

Running head: MCKINNEY ACT The Stewart McKinney Homeless Assistance Act: A Policy Analysis Janelle Horton & Amy Lakin Cornerstone University Introduction Homelessness has always been a problem for the United States. Since its birth as a nation, there have consistently been individuals who find themselves without a place to live, looking for shelter with family, friends, or simply anywhere they can find it. These individuals have been targeted as candidates for social aid, but this was…

Words 4162 - Pages 17

Causes Of Homelessness

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…

Words 1845 - Pages 8

Essay On Effects Of Homelessness

Effects of Homelessness Waking up without somewhere to sleep is nothing new for over a hundred million people in the U.S. Most people are homeless due to lack of access to health care and are made worse by harsh living conditions: sleeping outside, eating cheap starchy food, and being around unhealthy people (“Administrator” 1). Being homeless is very harsh and can impact your future. When you are homeless, you have less resources and a smaller chance of being successful when you grow up. Due to…

Words 2295 - Pages 10

Final Research Paper

neglect the needs of certain subpopulations. History of Homelessness in Chicago Prior to the early 1980’s, communities would primarily associate homelessness with the Great Depression, viewing these people as victims of financial crisis but not much different from themselves. However, following a rush of major media coverage in the 1980’s when congressman Ron Dellums held the first contemporary congressional hearing on homelessness, the community’s view of the health of the homeless became much less sympathetic…

Words 2816 - Pages 12