Homelessness is No Longer an Issue
explanatory Essay
1285 words
Every night there is one child that gets tucked in a warm, comfortable bed at home by his mother and father and another child waiting for the church to be unlocked for the night because that is his only choice of shelter for the evening. The “Great Recession” isn’t over for so many of America’s youth, though many would disagree considering our President declared its end in 2009. Out of the millions of children living in the Unites States, 1.6 million are homeless. Who or what do we blame for some many children having to live without a home? Do we blame the recent hurricane for kids being on the street? Do we blame the stock market crashing or the young mother who ended up pregnant before she could graduate high school and was kicked out by her parents? No, we do not blame anyone or anything for the homeless of America; we focus solely on fixing the problem. The problems and experiences that the homeless has to face are sometimes more traumatic than most what housed families have gone through in all of their lives, poor kids just cant do anything about it though.
Considered “The Great Recession,” the time period between December of 2007 and June 2009 was hard for almost every American. Once $8 trillion in housing money was lost, those who once provided for themselves could no longer do so. The U.S. labor market lost 8.4 million jobs (or 6.1% of all payroll employment) in 2008 and 2009. When compared to the recession in 1981, the Economic Policy Institute stated, “Job loss was 3.1%, or only about half as severe.” A year and four months after the recession was supposedly over, the economy was still dealing with 5.4% less jobs than it did before the recession even started.
The “Great Recession” caused over 46 million to ...
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...hildren>.
Strauss, Valerie. "Record Number of Homeless Children Enrolled in Public Schools, New Data Show." The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 12 Jan. 2014. .
"The Characteristics and Needs of Families Experiencing Homelessness” American Institutes for Research. The National Center on Family Homelessness, Dec. 2011. PDF file. 11 Jan. 2014. .
"The Great Recession." State of Working America. Economic Policy Institute, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2014. .
“Who is Homeless?” National Coalition for the Homeless. National Coalition for the Homeless, July 2009. Web. .
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the "great recession" isn't over for many of america's youth, though many would disagree considering our president declared its end in 2009.
- Explains that the recession between 2007 and 2009 was hard for almost every american. the u.s. labor market lost 8.4 million jobs in 2008 and 2009.
- Explains that the "great recession" caused over 46 million to have to live in poverty right now. the child poverty rate has increased in over 30 states since the year 2000, with the southern states feeling the repercussions worst than any other region.
- Explains that the u.s. economy catastrophe caused so many families to break up because of the emotional strain that their financial situation had brought upon them.
- Opines that the recession is the only real reason for homelessness. homelessness can be caused by unfortunate personal experiences such as veteran parents who are injured and cant seem to find work or young mothers who don’t have anyone on their side to help them financially.
- Explains that homelessness is a universal issue. a homeless person can come in any shape, size, age, gender, sexuality, and especially color.
- Explains that not everyone is emotionally strong enough to handle a situation as serious as becoming homeless, and that one-third of homeless mothers have had at least one suicide attempt.
- Explains that parents aren't the only ones in the family that have to focus on staying strong. when it comes to health issues, homeless children have the worst.
- Compares the mental/emotional problems of homeless children with those of their parents. homeless children go hungry twice the rate of other children and have high rates of obesity due to nutritional deficiencies.
- Explains that domestic violence is a primary cause of homelessness for women and children. by the age of 12, 83% of homeless children had been exposed to at least one violent event.
- Explains that schooling is another hardship that homeless children have to deal with. some parents aren't able to teach their children the essentials that they need at a young age, causing them to be behind by the time they become adolescents.
- Opines that homelessness is a constantly growing problem in america. putting aside selfish ways to get someone to be happy, healthy, and most importantly, sheltered, can change lives for the better.
- Cites the national center on family homeless, "america's youngest outcasts 2010," and goodyear, sarah.
- Cites statisticbrain.com's "homelessness / poverty stats." national coalition for the homeless, july 2009.
- States strauss, valerie, "record number of homeless children enrolled in public schools, new data show."
- Explains the characteristics and needs of families experiencing homelessness. the national center on family homelessness, dec. 2011.
Related
- explanatory
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- Homeless in The United Statesexplanatory essay"Who Is Homeless?" Nationalhomeless. National Coalition for the Homeless, July 2009. Web. 3 May 2014. .
In this essay, the author
- Explains that homelessness is a problem that happens in many different countries around the world.
- Explains that homeless people come from many different backgrounds, including gender, age, race, and veteran status.
- Explains that there are many common causes of homelessness, such as episodic, situational, and chronic. seasonal/minimum wage income and lack of affordable housing can leave people at risk of becoming homeless.
- Explains that situational is a type of homelessness including poverty and domestic violence.
- Explains that every cause of homelessness has an equivalent effect. homelessness is a part of criminal offending in the society.
- Cites the national coalition for the homeless' "employment and homelessness" and "homeless youth."
1319 wordsRead More - Homelessness in The United Statesexplanatory essayHomelessness is a vast predicament in America and around the world. It is severely overlooked as people don’t really think of homelessness as real world problem. However, there have been ways that people have tried to fix the problem. They have come up with homeless shelters, emergency shelters, food banks and soup kitchens. These solutions have limitations though, which will hopefully come to an end.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that homelessness is a vast predicament in america and around the world. people don't really think of it as real world problem.
- Explains that soup kitchens are a way to feed the poor or homeless, but they do help the unsheltered homeless population.
- Explains that it is difficult to keep track of all of the homeless individuals because there is a large proportion of them that live in vehicles abandoned houses or buildings, park areas.
- Explains that homeless shelters are temporary residences to protect vulnerable populations. they are a one-size-fits-all model and have ridiculous curfews throughout the united states.
- Explains that emergency shelters specialize in people trying to escape certain situations like domestic violence, victims of sex abuse, or natural or manmade disasters.
- Explains how atlanta came up with a system that would allow people to donate money instead of handing it to the homeless. the idea failed, but the city is encouraged to make the program work.
- Explains that raising awareness for homelessness isn't as easy as raising sympathy for the cancer patients at saint jude's research hospital or abused animals.
- Opines that homelessness is a real world problem even if people don't think of it as one. if the population of homeless people is reduced, the economy will improve and the unemployment rate will decrease.
- Explains that atlanta homeless effort fails. solution: throw more money at it!
- Cites soup kitchens, food pantries, emergency food programs assisted through food banks.
- Explains emergency shelter law & legal definition, homelessness in america, and coalition for the homeless.
883 wordsRead More - Homelessness in the United Statesexplanatory essayThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of poverty on young children and their families. The focus will be on homelessness and how the child is affected in two major settings: the home, or lack of, and school. In both of these settings, children are impacted by different social forces and must push through barriers that are set before them given their circumstance. “Living without permanent, long-term housing creates a number of stressors for children and families, but being homeless can be particularly detrimental to the healthy development of young children” (McCoy-Roth, Mackintosh, & Murphey, 2012). “Homeless families with very young children are one of the fastest growing segments of homelessness. This period in the life cycle is recognized as the most formative and fragile time for children and families” (Swick, 2010).
In this essay, the author
- Explains the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of poverty on young children and their families. the focus will be on homelessness and how the child is affected in two major settings.
- Explains that the federal poverty guideline for a family of four in 2012 was $23,550, which makes it impossible for families to climb out of poverty.
- Explains that the number one stressor that can cause a family to arrive on the path of homelessness is an unexpected financial obstacle.
- Explains that domestic abuse and environmental violence affect families, and that children who live in poverty, especially those who are homeless, witness acts of violence in their environment.
- Explains that a study of homeless families with young children found that 54 percent of preschoolers had major developmental delays compared to only 16 percent. this lends itself to an ever-continuous cycle of poverty, violence, and low education.
- Opines that early educators and advocates for young children need to be available to families in our area and play integral roles that can make a difference in their lives.
- Cites the centers for medicare & medicaid services' website keeping american healthy.
- Explains that powell, t. (2012), the impact of being homeless on young children and families, nhsa dialog: a research-to-practice journal for the early intervention field.
946 wordsRead More - Homelessness in the United Statesexplanatory essayHomelessness in the United States During the 1980’s the number of "homeless" people, those without a house in which to reside, increased at an alarming rate. Many analysts have given much time and thought as to the reasons that this phenomenon occurred. They cite economic instability and government policies with facts and figures to support their work. Beyond the research and cold statistics that explain this event, are the victims, and those that worked to help relieve their hardship.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the number of "homeless" people in the united states increased at an alarming rate during the 1980's. philip guerrieri gives us insight into the personal lives of these individuals.
- Quotes martha r. burt, author of over the edge: the growth of homelessness in the 1980's, as saying "homelessness" has been with us in america since the great depression of the 1930’s.
- Describes philip guerrieri's experience as an emergency psychiatric response care division agent in liaison with the district of columbia’s mental health services outreach.
- Describes philip's personal experiences working with the individuals who found themselves living on the streets during the years of 1986-1996. philip relives the moment that he first realized that houseless people were not in their current situation because they were lazy or criminal.
- Narrates how they saw a man at the back of the line that looked like their grandpa, who had worked on the railroad for thirty-six years. they realized that it could be anyone.
- Analyzes how philip's pivotal event led him to a more compassionate outlook toward houseless people as individuals, rather than as "faceless mass" as ronald reagan once described them.
- Explains that the standing in line to receive a handout everyday can severely damage the integrity of the human spirit.
- Describes how the 1980s were hard on the increase of mentally ill in the streets because of the reagan cutbacks.
- Explains that people who should have been in controlled, supervised environments fell victim to the weather or ended up in jail.
- Opines that burt states that to confront the problem of homelessness, we will need to institute new policy to support those who are not able to sustain themselves, such as the mentally and physically disabled, and those chronically dependent.
- Describes philip's efforts to reach the most reclusive people in society. they were seeking a more sincere relationship between the giving and receiving process.
- Opines that philip's personal experiences create a bridge of understanding that leads us to see the houseless in different light and incite within us the desire to share our precious commodity, our time.
- Explains why there are houseless people in our society of such affluence and ingenuity is baffling. there is much that individuals can do to significantly alter their realities of these unfortunate souls from nightmarish, to at least bearable.
1510 wordsRead More - Persuasive Essay On Homelessness In Americaexplanatory essayThe National Alliance to End Homelessness identified under 600,000 people who are homeless in the nation, in the past year. “This translates to a national rate of homelessness of fewer than 18 homeless persons out of every 10,000 persons in the general public on a single night “(National Alliance,
In this essay, the author
- Explains that homelessness in america has grown for the past decades and the public/private responses have grown with it. with awareness of the types of people that are homeless, they will have the help they need to transition to a home and off the streets.
- Explains that the national alliance to end homelessness identified under 600,000 people who are homeless in the nation. in the past two years there have been a decrease in homeless people.
- Explains that virtue ethics is knowing what is good and in effect doing good. in regards to the homelessness, people and non-profits see the need of the homeless and try to help as much as they can.
- Explains that the homeless are in danger of being too cold during winter, sleeping outside and hypothermia. volunteers hand out blankets and coats to those who are without. shelters provide food and shelter during harsh months.
- Explains the dangers of overheating and dehydration for the homeless in the summer.
- Explains that distribution is important to the homeless because without the items and help there would be more homeless that will eventually die in the streets.
- Explains that there are food pantry's and clothes pantry’s that the homeless can utilize for food and clothing. non-profits are working towards a health care program.
- Explains that there are homeless who are mentally ill, who have been abused or have ran away from home to escape, and those that are families. they could be families with children.
- Explains that there are programs and bills to help the homeless, such as the homeless children and youth act of 2015, which would make it easier for homeless families to receive hud homeless assistance.
- Explains that homelessness is not a safe way to live. they are prey to many types of criminals. killings and being harmed are daily when there are groups of homeless.
- Opines that police have to come on scene to address homelessness and related issues, such as mental illness and substance abuse, which causes problems and widespread frustration within the criminal justice system.
- Opines that there is not a day that goes by that they do not see homeless people with signs asking for ‘anything’. some of the signs say will work for food or money.
- Describes how they asked a homeless person if they would work for food or money, or is it ploy to get money without working?
- Describes how they went back on the streets and asked homeless people who lived with their families if they would like to work for our business and make a day's pay. they worked hard and earned the money fully.
- Opines that people who see the homeless ignore them and embrace that they need help. during national hunger and homelessness awareness week, student and community groups organize local events designed to educate the public and promote community service.
- Opines that people are working towards helping the homeless out of the rut and into a home and part of society. if the numbers continue to decrease, so will the need.
- Explains that homelessness in america has grown for the past decades and the public/private responses have grown with it. with awareness of the types of people that are homeless, the numbers will continue to decrease.
- Opines that with programs to help the homelessness in america there will be changes ahead.
1744 wordsRead More - Comparing The Great Depression and The Great Recessionanalytical essay"Treatment and Prevention: Ending the Great Recession and Ensuring that It Doesn’t Happen Again." The White House. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. .
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the great recession brought back the 1930s.
- Opines that herbert hoover on the great depression and new deal, 1931–1933. the guilder lehrman institute of american history.
- Analyzes the white house's "treatment and prevention: ending the great recession and ensuring that it doesn't happen again."
- Compares the great depression and great recession. both were preceded by good economic times, and the federal reserve was highly valued.
- Explains that herbert hoover worked tirelessly to fix the economy during the great depression, but he didn't re-run for the 1936 presidency.
824 wordsRead More - Homeless Families in Americaexplanatory essayFamily homelessness is a fairly new social problem in America. Beginning in the early 1980’s, families with children have become the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the paper will examine the multiple causes of family homelessness and the consequences it has on family life.
- Explains that the stewart b mckinney homeless assistance act of 1987 defines a homeless person as an individual who lacks an adequate night-time residence.
- Explains that the study shows that requests for emergency shelter increased in the survey cities by an average of 13 percent, with 88 percent of the cities reporting an increase.
- Lists the main causes of homelessness in america, including lack of affordable housing, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, unemployment, poverty, prison release, downturn in the economy, limited life skills, and cuts in public assistance programs.
- Explains that the shrinking supply of affordable housing in the united states is causing an increase in homeless families and making it more difficult for them to find a place to live.
- Explains that the lack of affordable housing and insufficient incomes of low-wage jobs make up 55 percent of the reasons families have to leave their homes.
- Explains that the government needs to provide additional support for families with inadequate wages in order for them to be successful.
- Explains that massachusetts' department of transitional assistance is making massive cuts in homeless programs that are planned to go into effect in january 2003. these changes to state and national welfare funds only further decrease the already insufficient financial aid.
- Explains that the traumatizing experience of homelessness has a severe impact on the health and security of families.
- Explains that even with an improving economy, city officials believe that there will be an increasing number of problems with homelessness in american cities.
- Opines that the plight of homeless families in america is a tragedy that has long lasting effects on families, our communities, and our future.
- Cites echegaray, chris. cuts in aid to homeless loom; families to suffer, say social workers.
- Explains shinn, marybeth, and beth weitzman's "homeless families are different" in homelessness in america.
- Describes vissing, yvonne, out of sight out of mind: homeless children and families in small-town america.
- Explains that family homelessness is a relatively new social problem in america. families with children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.
- Explains that individual homelessness can also be caused by substance abuse and mental health problems.
- Analyzes the traumatic impact of homelessness on families, stating that homeless children are traumatized by violence and abuse. they are more likely to be hospitalized, delayed immunizations, and elevated blood lead levels.
- Cites the city of phoenix's housing and homeless needs assessment and the national low income housing coalition.
- Cites the u.s. bureau of the census. poverty in the united states: 1999. current population reports.
3762 wordsRead More - With nearly 3.18 million people in the United States, there are 610.042 individuals who are homeless which calculates to about nearly one in five individuals (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014 and HUD/US, 2013). At any time situations can change that can render an individual’s homeless. There are no qualities that exempt individuals from the chances of becoming homeless. However, there are certain predispositions and characteristics that can predict the likelihood of becoming homeless. Homelessness can be contributed to a number of situations such as occupational stress, financial stress, mental health issues, substance use, gender, age, race, disabilities, incarceration, chronic illness, and family stress.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that co-occurring disorders often treat the primary disorder to allow the secondary to work through its own healing process. the same can be argued for battling homelessness.
- Explains that housing first is a consumer-based approach that allows for clients to reclaim what they have lost through homelessness, mental health, and substance use.
- Explains that the four components of co-occurring disorders incorporate different treatment modalities that best benefit homelessness, mental health, and substance use disorders in an integrated treatment program.
- Explains that the need for treatment for individuals who are homeless and co-occurring needs to be integrated just as mental health and substance use disorder treatment has been integrated.
- Explains the official definition of homelessness by the national health care for the homeless council (nhchc).
- Explains that there are certain predispositions and characteristics that can predict the likelihood of becoming homeless.
- Explains that individuals have their own perceptions and definitions of homelessness, which are over-exaggerated by movies, tv shows, internet, and even books.
- Explains that the 2013 annual homeless assessment report (ahar) has not been updated, but samhsa has created a fact sheet with the breakdown of homeless demographics.
- Explains that mental health disorders are prevalent in the homeless population. they include schizophrenia, manic-depression, bipolar, and major depression.
- Explains that treatment first is a traditional approach to combat substance abuse and mental health disorders. it stipulated independent housing or services only if treatment regiments were met.
- Cites the u.s. department of housing and urban development's 2013 annual homeless assessment report to congress.
2511 wordsRead More - Child Hunger in the USAexplanatory essay"Overview of Homelessness In America." Homelessness In America. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. .
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the united states is the wealthiest country in the world, but many people can't afford to buy food for their families, many are also homeless.
- Explains that poverty is one of the main causes of child hunger.
- Explains that kids may experience violence in poverty because they live in poorer neighborhoods, and that health care is expensive for kids that don't get to eat.
- Explains that for the first time in 40 years, the majority of public school students in 13 southern and four western states are living at poverty levels.
- Explains that kids can't get good education because they're hungry. they can’t pay attention and learn, which leads to rising child poverty and unemployment.
- Explains that food insecurity is the next cause of child hunger. it causes kids to become obese by eating unhealthy food all the time.
- Explains that food insecurity affects teens and the babies of pregnant women. undernourished women are more likely to have low-birthweight babies.
- Explains that food insecurity affects physical and mental health, as well as emotional and developmental health.
- Explains that food shortages occur because of natural disasters like hurricanes and tornados. mothers can't take care of their children and work at the same time.
- Explains that there are many causes of child hunger in the united states, but there is also many solutions. frac is trying to make more nutrition programs accessible to more kids and help families get out of poverty.
- Explains that strengthening child nutrition programs reduces child hunger and improves health and educational outcomes. summer feeding programs give kids food during the summer that would otherwise go hungry.
- Opines that there needs to be more programs like these in more communities to improve the number of hungry children in the united states.
- Explains the causes of child hunger are poverty and many are homeless, unemployment, food insecurity, and food shortages.
- Cites "10 ways you can help end child hunger." second harvest food bank.
- Explains the effects of poverty, hunger, and homelessness on children and youth.
- Cites felling, christy. "hungry kids: the solvable crisis." educational leadership. may 2013.
- Analyzes how rising child poverty pushes american dream out of reach for many.
- Explains that rising poverty, widespread unemployment, and america's economic plan bring hunger pangs.
1436 wordsRead More - A SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS IN CANADAexplanatory essayTunstall, L. (2009). Homelessness: an overview. EBSCO Publishing Service Selection Page. Retrieved February 5, 2011, from http://web.ebscohost.com/pov/detail?hid=119&sid=d5f751fa-0d0d-4ed1-8deb-483e701af50c%40sessionmgr111&vid=3&bdata=Jmxhbmc9ZW4tY2Emc2l0ZT1wb3YtY2Fu#db=p3h&AN=28674966
In this essay, the author
- Opines that homelessness can be reduced and resolved with the right funding tactics and efforts. the government must assert a successful balance between the duties of the individual and those of society.
- Explains that bacquie, s. (2007). homeless women in canada :. section15.
- Explains that bradford, d. w. (2009), assessing trauma, substance abuse, and mental health, gale canada in context.
- Explains that echenberg, jensen, and parliament of canada (2005), defining and enumerating homelessness in canada.
- Explains that hwang, s. w. (2006). homelessness and harm reduction. gale canada in context.
- Explains that homelessness in canada is a topic covered by gale canada in context.
- Explains that homelessness is a social problem that has been growing since the 1970's and has caught the attention of both the canadian government and the general public.
- Explains the three interconnected risk factors that contribute to homelessness, such as social selection, socioeconomic adversity, traumatic experiences, and lack of effective long-term solutions.
- Opines that it is absolutely necessary to rescue those in need and break the cycle of homelessness that many canadians face.
- Argues that canada must strengthen the safety net to aid those with the greatest needs. sheltering homeless individuals has been a part of canada's strategy to end homelessness.
- Explains that laird, g. (2008). homelessness in a growth economy. canadian council on social development.
- Explains that solving homelessness requires more than housing. tunstall, l., and wells, e.
1323 wordsRead More