Homeless And Homelessness

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The most severe form of poverty is homelessness, living without a permanent residence. The “homeless” refers to people who are using emergency/transitional housing and people who live in unsheltered homes, living on the streets or in parks, abandoned buildings, cars, subway tunnels or other places that are not meant for human habitation. The homeless population has always been around in the United States. It is a social phenomenon that can be traced back from the colonial era through the present day.
In the 1800s, homeless people went to almshouses or “alms”, meaning charity that is given to the poor. The only help for the poor back then, came from concerned individuals, churches, private organizations, charities or local communities. In the mid-1800s, social reformer Jane Addams co-founded the Hull House in Chicago with Ellen Gates Starr. It was the first settlement house where the poor could get food, medical care and a place to stay. After the Hull House, many other settlement houses were opened in many cities. In the 1930’s, the United States faced the Great Depression and many lost their jobs, life savings and their homes. During those difficult times, the state and federal governments set up social service programs to help the poor. To this day the government is primarily responsible for taking care of poor and the homeless (Ayer, Eleanor H., 1997).
Definition of Homeless
According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a "homeless" person is described as being:
• Someone who lacks a permanent, regular, and adequate nighttime dwelling;
• An individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for a regular sleeping accommodation for hum...

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...2011) Current Statistics on the Prevalence and Characteristics of People Experiencing Homelessness in the United States. SAMHSA. Retrieved April 2, 2012, from http://homeless.samhsa.gov/ResourceFiles/hrc_factsheet.pdf

The City of New York Office of the Mayor, April 2014. "The CEO Poverty Measure, 2005 - 2012: An Annual Report from the Office of the Mayor." NYC Office of the Mayor. Web. 20 June 2014.

The Human Rights Project. (2007). Race Realities in New York City. Urban Justice Center. Retrieved May 20, 2012, from www.urbanjustice.org/pdf/

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2010). The 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, (6th report). Retrieved from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development website: https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/2010homelessassessmentreport.pdf

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