Letter to Prime Minister Regarding the Homeless Mr Tony Blair, Prime minister, The House of Commons, London, Dear Mr Blair, I am writing in order to bring to your attention the harrowing numbers of young homeless people being practically pushed out onto the life on the streets. In my opinion with your help I feel that the figures can and will be dramatically decreased and better help will be provided all around. Im sure that somebody in your position would not be oblivious to the rough numbers of homeless people on the streets, but I also understand that facts and figures must be part of your daily routine so it cant be as easy to remember in detail, I can tell you that 40% of homeless people are under eighteen years of age! In 2000 in England, there were 172,760 households accepted as homeless. Of these; * 110,790 were classified as unintentionally homeless and in priority need; * 8,140 intentionally homeless and in priority need and; * 52,830 homeless and not in priority need. * In 1999 30% lost their home because friends or relatives could no longer accommodate them, 23% because of relationship breakdown, and 3% because of mortgage arrears. * It is estimated that the 172,760 households represents over 415,000 people. The governments answer? Temporary accommodation, but this can never be a solution, only a aid to buy more time to solve the problem, yet there doesn't seem to be any real progress in permanently solving the problem. So many lives are destroyed on a problem that could so easily be prevented yet is currently vast. People's reasons for living on the streets vary, whether forced or there because they do not feel safe in their current accommodation, no case should be ignored, obviously there are priorities yet because someone has a home they could return to it doesn't mean they'll be
I am writing to inform you of the current homeless situation in Australia and how we solve fix it.
According to Lee Tunstall, homelessness is a social problem that “has been growing since the 1970’s” (2009, para.1) and has caught the attention of both the Canadian government and the general public (Tunstall, 2009) . Predominantly, the homeless are individuals or families with no permanent residence who also lack the resources or abilities necessary to arrange for their own adequate housing and living (Stearman, 2010). This matter affects a diverse demographic of the Canadian public. In 2003, the Toronto report card on housing and homelessness reported that out of 32,000 people who used homeless shelters, 15% were families, 22% were youths between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four, 18% were single women and 48% were single men (2003).
Not only do we need to find homes for the homeless. We need to help
Over half a million people are homeless in the United States. A quarter of these homeless people are under the age of eighteen, or also known as children. 50 percent of the homeless that are over eighteen years, are fifty and older with health and injury prone problems. One in five homeless people suffers from untreated severe mental illness, and half of these people self medicate themselves. Eight percent of the homeless population are veterans, and forty-five percent of that number is blacks or Hispanics. Most people think that being homeless means begging for money on the streets with a sign, or sleeping on the sidewalk with your dog or cat and maybe even a bag to store some things in; but what does “being homeless” actually mean? Homelessness in the United States and is a bigger problem than most people think.
"Overview of Homelessness In America." Homelessness In America. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. .
Many believe that a common thread among the homeless is a lack of permanent and stable housing. But beyond that, the factors leading to homelessness and the services that are needed are unique according to the individual. To put them into one general category ? the homeless- suggests that people are homeless for similar reasons and therefore a single solution is the answer. Every homeless person shares the basic needs of affordable housing, adequate incomes and attainable healthcare. But a wide range of other unmet needs cause some people to become or remain homeless which include drug treatment, employment training, transportation, childcare and mental health services (Center 8.)
Many people debate on weather homeless people should receive guidance or just be abandoned. Do homeless people deserve our service and to be supported, or are they just lazy individuals trying to take advantage of people? Homelessness is a growing dispute in cities. It has became an extensive problem for the community. Homelessness can not and should not be ignored. The number of homeless people in the United States is quickly growing. It seems like no one cares to help them. Even our heroes like police officers show no sympathy towards the homeless. “Homeless people appeared on the streets of Bucharest in 1990. Since then, their number and the problems created by this phenomenon have steadily increased in all major
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.
There are too many connecting issues that have caused homelessness to escalate from a lifestyle that was really only lived by middle aged individuals with a substance abuse problem, to a condition that is endured everyday by a diverse number of people. The 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress reveals that 36 percent of the homeless population consisted of individuals in families--over half of which were children--17.8 percent was made up by the chronically homeless, and an estimated 10 percent was comprised of veterans.
There are many other cases of why the homeless are homeless like domestic violence, mental illness, addictions, and unaffordable health care. Homelessness is a problem which has been caused by many different aspects but mainly money because of massive unemployment rates. A hidden aspect to homelessness that we may not think of is ...
“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)
of the Census has survey who has been homeless, employed individuals ranked the must high of the homeless. Even through they had a job their wages weren’t sufficient to enough to meet their rent, utilities, and car payment. Half of the homeless adult’s
Some examples of the circumstances that lead to homelessness and poverty are victims of domestic violence, veterans and people with mental illness or the chemically dependent. Homelessness affects adult males more than females, 51% of adult males are known to be homeless compared to 17% of adult women. There are more than 226,000 homeless children in California alone. California ranks #1 in the nation in child homelessness, nationally there are 1.6 million children homeless. Homelessness affects everyone, even students like us. It’s estimated that 58,158 student applicants indicated they were homeless on their financial aid application. Our society has demonized homeless people so much over the years. Bystanders or passersby’s do not t think they can ever end up on the street because they’re not crazy, they 're not drug dealers or addicted or they 're not alcoholics. Society does not realize that operating and maintaining homeless support sources such as, homeless shelters, day centers and homeless medical services are costly ventures for our cities to commit to improving which our government must apply more solutions to. Often the homeless are faced with many disadvantages which force them to turn to indecent acts to take care of natural human bodily functions. As a result, cities are forced to pay for the cleanup and maintenance in
It’s shown satirically on television, made fun of in music, and joked about in day-to-day activities: being homeless. I don’t understand what’s so funny about being homeless. The struggle to stay alive in an uninviting climate with nothing but the clothes on your back, doesn’t seem very fun. Yet in the media, being homeless is still treated like a joke. In the essay “Homeless” by Anna Quindlen, the reader is shown what it truly means to be without a home. My view on the struggles that homeless people have to endure is very similar to that of Quindlen’s in her essay, which perfectly captured the reality of what it is like to be without a home, and what it truly means to be homeless; while simultaneously demonstrating to me the negative effect
Today there is a lot of sympathy for the homeless, which is a good thing, but we should also have sympathy for the serfs who had it even worse, because they had not learned what was healthy and they had no rights and no one who wanted to stand up for them. This is the opposite of what homeless people get today. Presently, the homeless have changes in clothes, a balanced meal offered, shelters for them and lawyers and police that can help them get the legal help they need.