Solutions to Homelessness - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages... The second definition was constructed based on the three conceptual frameworks that include adequacy, security of tenure and control to space. In essence, homelessness poses a serious health, social and psychological risk to an individual and the society (Kennett & Marsh 2010).
The beginning of homelessness can be traced back to the era of colonial rule in America. In 1640, the English vagrants were considered as outcasts people and the police were looking for them. These homeless individuals were often called sturdy beggars, and they were found everywhere in the colonial towns. A pointing example that existed was in towns like Philadelphia and Baltimore that had several homeless people than any other town in America. The main cause of homelessness at that time was the war of King Philip, which was against the native people. Currently, several people are still homeless due to various reasons. Some of the major causes of homelessness include poverty, war, natural disasters (floods, tornados), prisoners who have been released and re-entry to society is hard and forced eviction of people out of their residential areas.
The effects of homelessness are devastating to an individual as well as the society, the effects range from health, social to economic impacts. Regarding the effects on health, homeless people often encounter several problems with their health in that their health get worse daily because of exposure to cold and other dangers. The dangers predispose them to develop diseases such as skin diseases, cardiopulmonary diseases, malnutrition, mental illness and drug abuse among others. When the homeless are taken to hospital, they often stay for a long time and they occasionally do not pay that ultimately translate to the government increasing health expenditure to cover them. The social problem associated with homelessness is crime. The homeless individuals have been seen to engage more in criminal activities thus ...Download file to see next pagesRead More