Homelessness in America

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Sociology

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Feb 20, 2024

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1 Homelessness in America Briana Nelsen SWK:5008 Macro Social Work Practice with Groups Capella University Dr. Rhonda Waddell

2 Homelessness in America Homelessness in America has always been a significant issue and continues to grow with every passing year. There are many reasons why an individual or a family finds themselves homeless. ”Eviction, fire, job loss, work-related injury, or debilitating illness are among the events that mark the tipping point between being domiciled and being without a roof overhead, especially when resources have been exhausted or are hard to come by in the local community”, (Lee, Shinn, & Culhane, 2021). In recent years, it has become harder to find low-cost living options, decently-paid employment opportunities, access to public assistance programs, and even access to quality mental health services. "Experiences of homelessness depend on a complex interplay between individual, interpersonal, and socioeconomic factors. Research has long identified mental illness and addiction as risk factors for homelessness. Personal struggles also strain interpersonal relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners; in a vicious cycle, conflict undermines well-being and erodes potential housing support. However, socioeconomic factors often dictate the likelihood of displacement" (Fowler, Hovmand, Marcal, & Das, 2019). Homeless individuals are often grouped between individuals with no employment, disabilities or mental illnesses, and domestic violence. Every year in January, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development completes a point-in-time (PIT) of the number of homeless individuals. Both out on the street and in shelters, however, it has been argued that this method is flawed and is inaccurate to the actual number of homeless individuals in the United States (Statista Research Department, 2023). The homeless population continues to grow every year without fail, especially as the cost of living continues to increase. The cost of living, food, and grocery prices increase, and unemployment numbers continue to rise as many jobs do not provide enough hourly wages or

3 salary to keep up with the demands of everyday expenses. Bigger states such as California and New York continue to have the largest population of homeless individuals due to the cost of living in those states and the waitlist for government assistance programs. “…the total number of people who experience some form of homelessness over the course of a year is estimated to be 2.5 to 3.5 million individuals, homelessness is a serious problem" (Balasuriya & Buelt, 2020). Individuals, families with young children, veterans, and young individuals with no parents make up the population of homeless individuals in the United States. Veterans make up a significant portion of the homeless population and struggle to find resources to get them to a stable living environment. Most veterans also struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder after being discharged from active duty. In combination with substance abuse problems as a coping mechanism for post-traumatic stress disorder due to lack of access to affordable mental health care. Another significant portion of the homeless population is young adults; "Homeless youth present another problem in the United States. In 2022, there were an estimated 30,090 unaccompanied homeless people under the age of 25 living on the street in the U.S. 97 percent of the homeless youth in Marin County in California lived outside of homeless shelters" (Statista Research Department, 2023). When young individuals are subjected to homelessness so early in their lives, it increases the chances that the cycle will continue to be repeated should they have families or their own. “At the macro scale of analysis, housing affordability, poverty, social exclusion, public policies, and large-scale shocks influence the number of people living at a disadvantage: the larger that number, the higher the homelessness rate" (Lee, Shinn, & Culhane, 2021). Seeing that many individuals find themselves homeless due to substance abuse or mental illness shines a light on the fact that the programs and resources that are meant to be available to

4 these individuals are not getting to everyone. Adjustments need to be made so the number of homeless decreases instead of increasing every year. Being in a constant state of homelessness for any individual can have a detrimental effect on their overall health, not just mentally and emotionally. If an individual is unable to seek shelter due to overcrowding and is forced to sleep and survive in the elements, they put themselves at risk for premature morbidity. Health risks also include any disease, many types of physical injury, worsening mental illnesses, suicide ideation, and even completing suicide. Looking at the causes of homelessness is not black and white, as many individuals continue to perceive when looking at the homeless population. Every individual and situation is unique and should be looked at as such to create solutions to alleviate homelessness. With the constant increase in the number of homeless, the solutions that are currently put in place may be to help a small percentage of the population, but they are not keeping up with the overwhelming number. “Homeless services systems continued to expand the availability of both temporary and permanent beds in 2022, but these resources still fall short of reaching everyone in need" (State of Homelessness: 2023 Edition, 2023). Diving into the housing needs so that those who can find shelter are at a decreased risk of becoming homeless again, as this is a sizeable significant chance for individuals and families who have previously been homeless. From the literature found, the need to help decrease the homeless population is to look deeper into the housing options available. With the rise in housing costs, many people are forced to either live with another family in a single household or to avoid homelessness; this is due to the housing costs amounting to more than 50% of an individual’s paycheck throughout the United States, (State of Homelessness: 2023 Edition, 2023).

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