The social issue of homelessness in NC

1222 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Mental illness causing homelessness a peer reviewed study

The Social Issue of Homelessness in North Carolina

People drive or walk past a homeless person almost every day without thinking twice about the plight of that person or they may even unconsciously turn their heads the other way in disgust. Homelessness simply put, means without a home - therefore homelessness is an equal opportunity state that can happen to anyone. Even though we have seen some economic prosperity over the years, statistics show that the number of homeless remains very high. With this in mind, communities need to come together at the state, city, and individual level to come up with solutions to mitigate the spreading of this problem.

The definition of homelessness varies depending on which organization you ask. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act under section 11302 defines homeless as an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate residence or someone who resides in a shelter, welfare hotel or a place not ordinarily used for sleeping accommodations. HUD expands that definition to include individuals who are at risk of being evicted within a week (Homeless Law & Legal Definition, 2001-2012) but what remains constant is that the root cause of homelessness is the increase in poverty and the shortage of affordable rental housing (National Coalition of Homeless, 2009). In 2004, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty found that 25% of homeless were ages 25 to 34 and the percentages of homeless persons aged 55 to 64 at 6%. Most studies show that single homeless adults are more likely to be male than female - 67.5% of the single homeless population is male, and it is this single population that makes up 76% of the homeless populations surveyed (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2007). ...

... middle of paper ...

...we would certainly be heading in the right direction towards mitigating the spread of homelessness and that should the ultimate benefit to all involved.

References

Cassady, L (2011, July). Effects of homelessness in Society. Retrieved from:

http://www.Ehow.com/info

Mecklenburg County NC. Community Support Services. (2012). Retrieved from:

http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/CommunitySupportServices/HomelessSupportS

National alliance to end homelessness. Retrieved from: http://www.endhomelessness.org

NC Department of Health and Human Services. Emergency shelter grants. Retrieved from: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/homeless/esg.html.

Homeless Law and Legal Definition. http://definitions.uslegal.com/h/homeless

National Coalition for the Homeless ( 2009, July). Who is homeless. Retrieved from: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/who.html

Show More
Related

  • Homelessness: A Community Problem

    1709 Words  | 4 Pages

    As per the State Housing Authority, the issue and trend of homelessness has changed particularly throughout the most recent three decades. Public homelessness first turned into an issue in the 1970's and now it is normal to see individuals congregating before sanctuaries and thinking about park seats. Soup kitchens are generally stuffed to limit. Safe houses have multiplied their ability since 1993 and they dismiss individuals consistently because of absence of cots (Kenyon 1991). During 1987, Congress passed the Stewart B. Mckinney Homeless Ass...

    Read More

  • A SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS IN CANADA

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tunstall, 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

    Read More

  • Unaffordable Housing: A Root Cause Of Homelessness

    1350 Words  | 3 Pages

    The (I would add like “term” right here so it sounds a little better)term homeless means a person that does not have a permanent place of shelter, such as a house or apartment. Homelessness affects 3.5 million people in the United States

    Read More

  • Chronic Homelessness in the United States: An Unaddressed Crisis

    1682 Words  | 4 Pages

    Homelessness in the United States has been an important subject that the government needs to turn its attention to. There has been announced in the news that the number of the homeless people in many major cities in the United States has been increasing enormously. According to United States Interagency Council on Homelessness reported that there was an estimation of 83,170 individuals have experienced chronic homelessness on the streets of the United States’ streets and shelters on only a single night of January 2015, which is a small decrease of only 1% from the previous year (People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, n.d.). The United States must consider this subject that most of the people underestimate it and not pay attention

    Read More

  • Homeless Families in America

    3762 Words  | 8 Pages

    Although most people know what homelessness is and it occurs in most societies, it is important to define because the forces of displacement vary greatly, along with the arrangement and meaning of the resulting transient state. The Stewart B McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 defined a homeless person as “an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence or a person who resides in a shelter, welfare hotel, transitional program or place not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, such as streets, cars, movie theaters, abandoned buildings, etc.” Resent surveys conducted in the U.S. have confirmed that the homeless population in America is extremely diverse and includes representatives from all segments of society, including: the old and young, men and women, single people and families, city dwellers and rural residents, whites and people of color, employed and unemployed, able workers and people with serious health problems. The diversity among people that are homeless reflects how difficult it is to generalize the causes of homelessness and the needs of homeless people. Robert Rosenheck M.D., the author of Special Populations of Homeless Americans, explains the importance of studying homelessness based on subgroups, “each subgroup [of homeless people] has unique service needs and identifying these needs is critical for program planning and design.” Despite these diversities, homelessness is a devastating situation for all that experience it. Not only have homeless people lost their dwelling, but they have also lost their safety, privacy, control, and domestic comfort.

    Read More

  • Domestic Violence: A Cause of Homelessness in Women

    967 Words  | 2 Pages

    Homelessness is defined as a person who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night time residence, and has a primary night time residence that is:

    Read More

  • Solutions To Homelessness

    1837 Words  | 4 Pages

    This great nation of awesome power and abundant resources is losing the battle against homelessness. The casualties can be seen on the street corners of every city in American holding an ?I will work for food? sign. Homeless shelters and rescue missions are at full capacity. There is no room at the inn for the nation?s indigent. Anyone who has studied this issue understands that homelessness is a complex problem. Communities continue to struggle with this socio-economic problem while attempting to understand its causes and implement solutions. The public and private sectors of this country are making a difference in the lives of the homeless by addressing the issues of housing, poverty and education.

    Read More

  • Memo

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    Homelessness is one of the biggest issues society (Unites States) faces today. Homelessness is caused by lack of affordable housing, economic situations and decline in federal funding for low income families and the mentally ill. A homeless person is defined as an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family) including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private (shelters) facility that provides temporary living accommodations and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing. This definition of housing is used by the U.S Department of Healt...

    Read More

  • Homeless in The United States

    1319 Words  | 3 Pages

    Homelessness is a problem that happens in many different countries around the world. Definitions of homelessness are defined in different meanings by different people. However, the Stewart B. McKinney Act defines a homeless person as “ one who lacks a fixed permanent nighttime residence or whose nighttime residence is a temporary shelter, welfare hotel, or any public or private place not designed as sleeping accommodations for human beings” (McNamara 1025). It is impossible to find out exactly the number of homeless; however, the researchers can do a study to estimate that number. Based on different statistics from different researchers, the homeless population in America has been increasing as “an alarming rate” (Markos and Lima). Therefore, even though America is one of the most powerful countries in the world, homelessness, which has many common causes, has always been a big problem in society.

    Read More

  • The Trifecta: Homelessness, Mental Health, and Substance Use Disorders

    2511 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay On Affordable Housing

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    .... The homeless community is a growing problem that only worsens with time. If we don’t make an effort now, to help the most vulnerable among us, then we are only contributing to this problem. With our unsure economy, nothing is guaranteed, so just be considerate for others who are in an inferior situation, because who knows when you might need a hand.

    Read More

  • Functional Analysis Of Homelessness In America

    706 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many of the homeless population are not homeless by choice, many have lost the only job in the household, many are military veterans that have not assimilated back to civilian life, and some are homeless due to natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. It can happen to anyone of us. A hurricane, earthquake or wildfire that is out of control can destroy your home within minutes. We must never say never when it comes to the possibility of being homeless, especially when we consider the impact that natural disasters have. Worldwide natural disasters render middle class people near poverty and the poor, homeless.

    Read More

  • The Homelessness Problem Of Homelessness

    2180 Words  | 5 Pages

    The government has the power to help reduce the risk of becoming homeless due to economic reasons. Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, points out that, in order to end homelessness, the government could make housing more affordable to lower income families “or figure out some way to supplement people 's income through vouchers or tax credits" (qtd. in Housing the Homeless). This would mean that even if a person, or an entire family, lost their main source of income, they would still have the me...

    Read More

  • The Homeless in Canada

    2623 Words  | 6 Pages

    Homelessness has different meanings to different people; someone who has never been homeless might think homelessness is a person who lives on the street, in a tent or in a box. Many people don’t realize that there are a number of homeless people, who couch surf with friends, family or the ones who live in motels which are unaccountable in the numbers of homeless people. People including families with children, seniors, single parents, youths and those that are single are living in accommodations that are below standards and consider themselves as homeless.

    Read More

  • Homelessness : Affordable Housing And Homeless Prevention Programs

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    Countless throughout the streets of Jackson, MS there are homeless people asking for food, money, etc. and some people aid them and others walk away. However, does anyone ever see the other side of the equation? Driving down Gallatin St. one night I saw firsthand the “other side”. Because of this, the issue that my research will cover is homelessness. Homelessness is defined as a state in which individuals lack a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence. Poverty, lack of affordable housing, declining wages, lost jobs, the economy, foreclosure, decreased assistance programs, domestic violence, substance abuse, mental illness, single parenthood, etc. are some of the causes of homelessness in America. Some of the proposed solutions are: affordable housing and homeless prevention programs. However, there needs to be less energy focused on providing temporary housing for those who are homeless, and more focus on providing permanent, affordable housing. Homelessness is an issue that should concern all of us. With a decrease in this situation it would clear up the amount of people walking around on the streets and everyone would feel more comfortable traveling at night. If someone is homeless, it is a common belief that they are more inclined to criminal activity; therefore less homelessness could equal less crime. Homelessness is not discriminatory and can happen to anyone at any time.

    Read More

More about The social issue of homelessness in NC

Open Document