Observation Paper On Homelessness

Topics for a final paper: I know other students are thinking the same thing, what am I going to write about to cover that many pages? Where am I going to find the information to support the subject? Will people be interested in the subject? The last question is what I am asking you, my fellow students.

Homeless in America is the most shameful problem that we try to ignore.Such as Arnold Abbot, a 90 year old man who went around making good for the homeless; and the couple Brenda Knokrl and her boyfriend Robert Bloch letting homeless people sleep on their porch. Getting fined for their effort to help. Homelessness continues to be a major issue in our country because we as people look down upon them and do not treat them as equals, we assume that they are in situations based on the addiction and dependency of drugs and alcohol. Not all homeless people are drug addicts or alcoholics, most of these homeless people are young adults with children and most people don't understand that homelessness goes

“Homeless is more than being without a home. It is tied into education needs, food, security; health issues both mental and physical, employment issues, etc. Don’t forget the whole picture.” (“Boxed In” 2005 pg. 108)

Steve Berg is the Vice President for Programs and Policy at the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The Alliance is one of the leading advocates which seeks to find solutions to the issue of homelessness. It works collaboratively with public, private and non-profit organizations with similar goals to analyze and develop policy, and offer sensible, cost-effective solutions that help communities end homelessness. Its data driven research gives policymakers and elected officials the information they need to inform debate and educate the public. Mr. Berg’s background in economic development, human services, and housing and where those issues intersect. He has also worked on welfare reform and employment issues. I will be using data and information papers published on their website to substantiate my thesis statement.

Many women become homeless either by choice or fate. Majority being irresponsible and concieve a baby that they can't afford to raise or provide essentials a baby needs. Being homeless is not a suitable environment for a developing child, who needs a lot of room to grow, learn, and play. For example, if there are in a bad neighborhood, that is not safe for a kid to be raised in, especially with gangs in them. Women in poverty should be allowed to get an abortion if in the wrong place in life. Sometimes even pregnancies become complicated and harmful to

How do people view homeless people in public places like the park? Do they run away? Do they stare? Do they walk up to them and offer them a hot meal or money? What faces do they give them? Is it a frown or a smile? Unfortunately, there are millions who go without a proper place to sleep every night (1 pg 5). You will find these people sleeping in abandon cars, on the street, on park beaches, and even in hallway buildings. Anywhere they are able to find a place to sleep they will. I decided to do my observation study on how people react when they see homeless people in public places like the park. Why are they looked down on so negatively? These people that we are throwing to the side like yesterday trash is someone’s mother, father, brother, sister, or friend. We are simply ignoring them.

Addressing homelessness, regardless of its cause, requires creativity, empathy and dedication. Oftentimes, the factors that lead to homelessness are complicated and intertwined, with no clear origin. Medical catastrophes, job loss, and foreclosure or eviction can be the catalyst into a life of insecurity and chronic homelessness. Once secure, stable housing is lost, a person faces a slippery slope. In Kansas City, like many other substantial cities, efforts to combat homelessness must be creative and comprehensive in order to succeed. Social programs that focus on stable housing and address the complicated causes of homelessness prove to be the most successful.

For a start, as my social and human capital assignment, I will be focusing on homelessness and the associations it entails. Through exploratory research, via peer reviewed journal articles and one in-person interview, I have collected data to see what social disparities and/or oppression the homeless population face from day-to-day. Furthermore, I had the pleasure of conducting my interview with a 62 year old chronically homeless male originally from Nigeria. The location of the interview took place at a homeless shelter in Dallas, TX. Through the duration of this assignment, my participating interviewee will be identified as Bingo for confidentiality purposes. Equally important, as the interviewer – I was sensitive to the participant’s responses

I decided to do homeless as a research because at a young age at the Philippines I would see children on the street close by my grandma house in Manila. When I was six years old my grandma would tell me, “you better not play with them.” But I never listen. As a child, I love to ask questions because I am curious about everything and even today. As I remember the child nicknamed was Cat-cat. Cat-cat would tell me that he slept in all kinds of places but mainly on trees or top of the roof when he was 10 years old. Sometimes he had hop fences into primary school and sleep in their playgrounds. As he remembers at the first time being homeless was when he wandering the streets for hours. He tried to find a place to sleep in the close trash where

Homelessness is a serious problem in our society. Every night in our nation thousands of people are on the streets. This type of behavior is considered deviant because it does not reflect the norms and values of our society. In many cases the homeless people in our country are treated as total outcasts. Many of these people have severe mental disorders. Some are victims of an economy that has failed them. One may ask how such harsh situations exist in such an advanced society. With all the money and programs created to help people it seems ridiculous that this behavior exists. In a society where people have so much how is it possible that there are still people that have so little. The homeless are humans, no different than anyone else.

When we were first introduced to this assignment, I was both excited and nervous. I was excited because it gave me the opportunity to step of my comfort zone. I was also excited to be able to get out into the community and practice some of the social work skills that we have learned in class. I was nervous because I knew it would be hard to hear the struggles of a single-parent experiencing homelessness. As someone who was raised by a single-parent, I also know how easy it can be to fall into homelessness. Overall, I think I was more excited about doing this assignment because I truly did want to hear the stories that single-parents experiencing homelessness wanted to tell.

Affordable Housing is the social problem and the social issue addressed by the social problem is homelessness. Homelessness is “an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g., shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing” (HHS, 2016).

The purpose of this study is to identify areas where the use of data, algorithms, and comprehensive need assessments could reduce costs while increasing access to services by those in need. This research has the potential to reduce duplication of processes involved in administration and services to more efficiently prevent or resolve homelessness. I have reviewed recent literature identifying many structural barriers to services faced by homeless individuals. Each of the research papers I reviewed identified areas where lack of communication between agencies, unclear criteria or unstated criteria, and poor communication with clients increased difficulty in obtaining services for eligible clients.

     Homelessness as an issue in today's society is largely ignored. To many, the problem of homelessness is invisible or barely noticed. When these people do see the homeless it is found in the form of beggars who need to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” or mentally ill people who “just can't help themselves”. In either case the central point remains; the homeless must be people who are incapable or unwilling to help themselves. After all, wouldn't they stop being homeless if they just tried? These sorts of rationalizations cover a more disturbing truth; that for many in today's society, the spectre of homelessness is more pressing of a problem than helping those who are already on the

One time, I noted Jack’s anxiety of becoming homeless because of the lack of appropriate after-care programs. One day, I noticed Jacob’s gloominess because of his hopeless perspective of perceiving that people stopped being ingenuous and compassionate. One evening, I detected James’s helplessness because of his fear of the stigma of being labeled as mentally ill. At McLean Hospital, I learned numerous concerns of patients’ from different walks of life. At times, I sensed their suffering and agony because I once had these concerns.