Homelessness Causes And Solutions Essay

Homelessness - Causes, Consequences and Solutions People who do not have a regular dwelling place; a fixed place that they can retire to, or call their own; are referred to as ‘homeless’. Almost every city in the world today has to deal with the problem of homelessness. From New York to London to Mumbai, it is not uncommon to find dirty, disorganized people sheltering themselves from the effects of nature under bridges, at railway and bus stations, in abandoned buildings and even in alleys and road corners under tents, covers and even cardboard. Homelessness is a major urban problem. What are the reasons and consequences of this problem and are there any solutions? Current studies point to an amazingly large number of people who are homeless

Gary A. Causes of Homelessness. p 3) There are many subsidizing factors to homelessness but one can conclude that although the homeless population is very diverse, they all suffer from extreme poverty. Compared to the 1950s – 70s, the profile of the homeless today indicate that they are more educated and that there are a larger number of women. “Homelessness is usually the result of the cumulative impact of a number of factors, rather than a single cause … structural factors, systems failure and individual circumstances,” states The Homeless Hub a research site about the homeless in its essay The Causes of Homelessness. Poverty is closely linked to homelessness and the giving of important factors include the individual’s inability to get affordable housing, food or healthcare. The individual can also be a victim of judgment that can prevent his access to employment, housing, justice and social welfare. Systems failures

Primarily it breaks the individual’s self esteem and self-confidence. It damages their skills and the ability to think properly and find a way out of the situation; their health gets affected too. Homeless people are often found to have contracted various diseases like tuberculosis and kin diseases; they suffer from nutritional shortages and lack of sleep. They often turn to drugs or crime. The lack of choices, loneliness and isolation all add to their inability to go back on having a normal life in the future; they very often lose the will or ability to look after themselves.

The effects of homelessness are of particular concern in the case of children. As Yvonne Rafferty states in her essay Developmental and Educational Consequences of Homelessness on Children and Youth “Of particular concern are hunger and poor nutrition, increased health problems and inadequate health care, developmental delays, psychological problems and educational underachievement.” Poverty and anxiety leads homeless youth to turn to crime, expose them to abuse and therefore make them seek protection of drug