Homelessness as a Social Problem - Research Paper Example

Homelessness as a Social Problem In the movie Pursuit of Happyness (the spelling of happiness was actually intentionally misspelled according to the sign that was painted just beside the main character’s son’s daycare), there were different social and family problems that were presented. There was the problem between Chris Gardner and his wife as they struggled to make ends meet; the work problems (where Chis Gardner struggled to sell the bone density scanners they invested their life savings in and where his wife had to take two jobs to support their expenses); and the problem of losing his home when he was eventually unable to pay after his wife left him for greener pastures. For the purpose of complying with the requirements of this essay, the social problem of homelessness would be the main thrust of the discourse. The paper would hereby delve into a more in-depth examination of homelessness as a social problem in America, using some intermittent insights from the movie, as applicable. A brief overview of the problem would be explored; prior to providing statistical details on its current status. Likewise, its effect on society would be examined, in conjunction with a possible solution to homelessness. In addition, a theoretical perspective would be selected that best lends itself to the examination of its continued existence and to the proposed solution. Overview of Homelessness In the movie, Chris Gardner was subjected to being homeless, together with his son, Christopher Jr. due to circumstances that included his inability to effectively provide enough income for his family as a salesman. Inspired from a true story of Chris Gardner, the character was portrayed effectively by Will Smith, and his son in the movie was portrayed by his real son, Jaden Smith (Muccino). The part that clearly depicted this social problem was when father and son had to approach a social worker to seek assistance in finding a shelter for them. They were apparently referred to a local church that provides shelter to men but where people had to line up early due to limited accommodations. The terms ““homelessness” or “homeless” refers to the definition set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and generally considers an individual homeless if he or she lives in an emergency shelter, transitional housing, or in a place not intended for human habitation (e.g. a car, abandoned building, or the streets)” (National Alliance to End Homelessness 7). In Chris Gardner’s scenario, both father and son went through diverse homelessness situations ranging from seeking temporary shelter in a subway’s men’s room, in a moving bus, or in the local church shelter. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (2012), homelessness is “basically caused by the inability of people to pay for housing; thus it is impacted by both income and the affordability of available housing” (4). As evident from the movie, this fact was corroborated by Chris Garnder’s experience where his inability to pay for the apartment that they are renting caused their landlord to drive them out, either through openly advising them and giving identified dates for eviction (the first experience), or through forced eviction (the second experience where their belongings were packed and placed outside of the rented space and the space was apparently subsequently locked). From the information provided by the National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness (NPACH) that traced the historical evolution of this social dilemma, the organization distinctly identified that the root of homelessness in American could be identified at the end of the Civil War, when, as disclosed: “many people were left without homes and this started a new counterculture in the country that was given the name of hobohemia. This counterculture reached epic proportions during the Great Depression of the 1930s when many families were no longer able to afford their homes and traveled along a migrant worker trail to where they could find work. It is thought that over two million people were homeless at this time and suffered severely from hunger and extreme poverty. Although this situation did improve somewhat as the country came out of the recession, laws that were passed in the 1960s and 1970s brought more homeless people into the streets as they were removed from psychiatric hospitals” (NPACH par. 1 & 2). As observed and announced in current events, the problem of homelessness continues until contemporary times. Current Statistics The information revealed by the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) indicated that there were as much as 636,017 homeless people in America in 2011. There was actually an improvement in the level as the year 2009 reports disclosed that the number of homeless individuals total 643,067, reflecting a one percent decline (NAEH 3). The discourse noted that there were identified people or population at risk, to wit: “people living in “doubled up” situations, people discharged from prison, young adults leaving foster care, and people without health insurance” (NAEH 5). The doubled up population was expressly defined as people who were supposedly living with other members of society such as a friend,family membes, or even people they are not related to primarily due to economic reasons. Effects of Homelessness to Society In a study conducted by Aragon (2011), the author revealed the homelessness have diverse effects to society that ranges from cost of living, cost of subsidizing health care, cost of serving temporary jail terms, and potentially endangering public safety. From the experiences of the local community in Pinellas County, Florida, the author revealed that there were an estimated “6,235 homeless individuals living in Pinellas County in 2009 (PCCH, 2010). This same survey is conducted throughout Pinellas County every year, on the same day. Comparing the 2009 numbers of homeless to the 2007 survey results, there was a 20% increase in Pinellas County’s homeless population in just two years (PCCH, 2010)” (Aragon 6). The identified number of homeless people was approximately 10% of the total number of homeless people in America in 2009. Cost of living effects reportedly included tax dollars allegedly being earmarked for programs and overnight shelters for homeless communities and ultimately spending more on medical and health care due to lack of hygiene and access to permanent shelter. As emphasized, “according to The National Alliance to End Homelessness, a homeless individual’s hospital stay averages about four days longer than the housed population’s hospitalizations” (Aragon 7). Likewise, the author disclosed that “according to The End Homelessness Organization, homeless individuals do spend more time in jails when compared to the housed population. Some of these jail stays can be attributed to petty offences such as loitering, panhandling, and public drunkenness” (Aragon 8). Theoretical Perspective on Homelessness According to Crossman (2012), one of the social theories that aim to explain the problem of homelessness could be deduced from the structural strain theory proposed by Robert Merton. It was explicitly indicated that “this theory traces the origins of deviance to the tensions that are caused by the gap between cultural goals and the means people have available to achieve those goals” (Crossman par. 1). From the definition of homelessness, it was evident that the inability of people to afford permanent shelter (lack of income as resources) contributed to the incident of homelessness. It was likewise explained that there are catogories of people who could increase the propensities for this social pattern. As revealed, homeless people could be categorized as retreatists which were defined as :” individuals who reject both the cultural goals and the accepted means of attaining those goals. They simply avoid both the goals and means established by society without replacing those norms with their own counter-cultural forces” (Crossman par. 8). These are generalizations of the theoretical perspectives related to homelessness. In the movie, it was apparent that Chris Garnder did not fall into the category of a retreatist. To the contrary, the phase of being homeless provided him with the impetus to strive harder and relieve him and his son from this social dilemma. It was clearly emphasized in NAEH that “the loss of a job or prolonged inability to find employment typifies the kind of economic conditions that can cause a housing crisis” (30). As such government regulators and agencies tasked to address this social problem should work in conjunction with economists do look into employment indicators. Likewise, one of the legislations looked into to address the problem is reported as the “Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), (which), when fully implemented in 2014, will make virtually all homeless and at-risk citizens eligible for Medicaid, the state-administered health care program for low-income people” (NAEH 45). Also, as emphasized by Aragon, the federal government has earmarked a program that ultimately aims to end homelessness, to wit: “the federal government has provided funding to several local governments to implement a program known as Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing” (14). According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the “Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program will provide financial assistance and services to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless and help those who are experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized” (US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development 1). Like Chris Garnder, the aim of every individual is to be able to address the basis needs: food, clothing and shelter. By inspiring people to seek education and personal drive as a means to alleviate themselves from poverty and homelessness, in conjunction with the assistance of programs from the government, it is optimistic that this social dilemma would ultimately be effectively addressed. Works Cited Aragon, J. "The Socio-Economic Effects of Homelessness in Pinellas County." 2011. University of South Florida. 7 November 2012 Crossman, A. "Structural Strain Theory." 2012. Web. 7 November 2012 . National Alliance to End Homelessness. "The State of Homelessness in American 2012." 2012. Web. 7 November 2012 . NPACH. "American History of Homelessness." 2011. Web. 9 November 2012 . Pursuit of Happyness. Dir. Gabriel Muccino. 2006. US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. "Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program." n.d. Web. 7 November 2012 . Read More