Challenges Of Homelessness

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“3.5 million people will experience homelessness in a given year,”(Los Angeles Homeless Services). This shocking number is one of the sad truths in today’s society. Homelessness is caused by a wide range of things including financial issues. The life of a homeless person is hard and comes with set-backs and the constant need to overcome them. Homeless people go through many challenges in surviving without a home. They can suffer from health issues, hunger, and poor emotional well-being. Homeless people suffer from health issues in surviving without a home. When the weather is cold, they are in risk of hypothermia. “In Des Moines, as the National Coalition for the homeless pointed out, temperatures have to drop all the way to 20 degrees, …show more content…

Hypothermia is a cause for concern when temperatures are in the 32 degrees to 50 degrees range. Since winter shelters are only available once temperatures drop way under, those without homes have to suffer in the cold winter weather. This shows how homeless people must be strong enough to endure the harsh weather and only those with stronger immune systems will be able to survive. The cold winter weather affects everyone and only the fittest survive. “While some called her a thorn in their side, others called her their friend and a ‘special soul.’ At the end of December, she died from exposure on a bench outside of a coffee shop,” (Lives of the Homeless). The harsh conditions made it hard for this lady to survive. She, like many others, had a life and a story to tell but the weather was unsuitable to be homeless in. Many like her die because of the weather. The …show more content…

“Surveys of people experiencing homelessness show that about 25% of the homeless population suffers from some form of mental illness... ,” (Homelessness in America). The homeless peoples’ mental illness can be thought as a result of their loneliness, past experiences, or unhappiness. There may be something haunting he/she that makes them have to struggle with their thoughts and endure the emotional stress. A homeless girl named Rebecca tells her story. “I slash myself to turn emotional pain into controllable physical pain. It's not usually to kill myself, just to help cope with the pain of the past,” (Rebecca’s Story). Rebecca is an example of a young girl who was being abused by her parents and eventually kicked out of the house. She dealt with her troubles by giving herself physical pain and coping with the past. She later on meets volunteers who cared about her and was one of those who

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