Increasing Homelessness in the US - Coursework Example

Economy and Homelessness Introduction Introduction The number of homelessness keeps on increasing in the US. Current statistics show that about 3.5 million Americans become homeless every year with more than 1 million being children (Walther, 2014). Similarly, over 300,000 children spend their nights in unsheltered places daily in the US (Walther, 2014). Similarly, it is a shock that the majority of the homeless individuals are families with children. Contrary that homelessness is caused by significant traumatic events or physical and mental disabilities, there are a number of factors that contributes. Economic aspects causing homelessness Low income The declining wages in the American workforce are putting housing out of reach for many workers. For instance, affording a one or two bedroomed apartment at a fair market price require one to earn more than the minimum wage (Walther, 2014). The tough economic condition experienced in the US and other parts of the world is pushing people to spend more on their daily upkeep leaving non-to pay a house. Similarly, the low wages paid to many workers, skilled and non-skilled makes them concentrate on feeding themselves, leaving no money to afford a better housing unit. This makes people in this class to resort to being homeless since their wage earn cannot allow them get a decent house to live. They give priority to food and clothing, making them survives on the street, as well as other shanty houses. High rents/Higher housing cost Most Americans are homeless because of their inability to pay rent (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). The high cost of housing is making or pushing many people to shelter in the open streets because they are unable to raise the large amount needed to guarantee accommodation. This is particularly occurring in the metropolitan areas where there is a high demand for housing, hence affecting the supply leading to higher rents (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). The US has had a long shortage of affordable and available housing units, and the economic boom of the 1990s did very little to improve the mismatch (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). There is a mismatch between the renters earning a household income of $16,000 and the affordable and available rentals. Moreover, the number of affordable and available houses has remained unchanged in terms of its fall, hence putting millions of Americas to become homeless. Because of these developments, many Americans are increasingly being unable to afford the rent or buy houses due to their scarcity and the high rent demanded. Many homeless are also unable to pay rent because there are no low-income houses that suit their budgets. Over the past decades, the government slashed or reduced the budget of HUD by 50%, resulting in a reduction of 10,000 subsidized units yearly for low-income individuals (Walther, 2014). Joblessness/Loss of Job Loss of Job or Joblessness contributes marginally to the number of homeless in the streets (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). Working people can afford better houses since they are financially secure in case of any eventuality. Similarly, working populations can pay their rent from the income they earn. However, the increasing number of homeless is because of the loss of job owing to the changing economy of the American Society (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). The recession is making many to lose their jobs, hence unable to pay their rent. Loss of income is contributing too as they have to pay the rent, feed themselves and buy one or two things which is impossible. Therefore, living or sheltering in the streets becomes the perfect solution to them. Poverty Poverty is a major contributor of homelessness. This is because of the structural changes, which has taken place in the late twentieth century such as capitalism economic predicament (Walther, 2014). The movement of the American economy towards post-industrialized and global economy has affected the bottom segment of the society hence influencing homelessness. It has made the nation shift from a relatively well-paying manufacturing jobs to minimum wage service jobs as well as temporary or part-time jobs (Walther, 2014). Moreover, the Americas integration into the world economy through a multi-lateral trade agreements and regional trades has lost jobs by 7% in the manufacturing sector (Walther, 2014). In turn, the new jobs created are in the service industries that do not pay much to the population more so those in the lower segment. The adjustments for inflation have led to job loss, hence increasing the level of poverty. Thus, has led to more people becoming homeless since they are unable to fend for themselves. Social Factors Divorce and family disputes Divorce contributes largely to the high population of homeless individual living on the streets (Walther, 2014). Divorce commonly affects one spouse who may be forced to leave the house and resort accommodation elsewhere. In many cases, the divorced individual normally has no place since one was used to free housing and sometimes unable to find a better house to live. This makes them vulnerable to being homeless. There is a dented picture painted when walking along the city streets; the number of mothers with children signifies that divorce plays a role in increasing the number of homeless in the US. Moreover, males are also in the streets and have no accommodation, hence calling the streets their homes. Therefore, either gender is vulnerable to homelessness because of divorce. It depends on who owns the means of production or has more cash to enable him or her afford a decent a house to live and continue with life. Sometimes, the divorcees may sell their belongings and proceeds might not be enough to pay rent or afford a decent house to live. Lack of child support in case of divorce or separation may sometimes lead a family member or couples to homelessness (Walther, 2014). This occurs particularly in families where child support is ordered but not paid. Under such circumstances, the decrease of one’s income may make him or her unable to pay rent, utilities or both hence being vulnerable to homelessness. Divorce is very costly to parents more so those with low income (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). The increasing cost of raising a family or a child depletes one’s saving making them unable to pay rent. Because of such developments, one may resort to seek shelter. Domestic violence Domestic violence is still experienced in the American society, and its results are very devastating. Women form a large number of domestic violence victims because of their vulnerability and dependence of men who are the breadwinners (McNamara, 2009). Similarly, battered women due to domestic violence and lives in poverty are often forced to choose between staying in the abusive relationship or homeless. The continuation of women battering is making most of them to resort to street families away from their husband (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). Women believe staying on the streets or any other place away from their battering husbands makes them safer. Therefore, domestic violence is largely contributing to homelessness in the American society. Currently, 90% of homeless women are victims of sexual or physical abuse as well as escaping, leading to their situations (Walther, 2014). Sometimes, the majority resorts to seek shelter rather than abused in their families by their husbands. Mental illness The study indicates that 20-25% of the homeless single adults suffer from severe mental illnesses (Walther, 2014). People falling under this segment usually do not participate in economic activities, hence have limited ways of affording better housing. Similarly, their state of the mind renders them unable to acquire a house since they do not know what it takes to have one as well as how to take care of a safe house. Some spend most of their time on the streets, hence needless for them to acquire a decent house; they are better off without a house since they do not feel the difference. To others, the unconscious mind makes them believe that being homeless is the way to go since they are used. However, some mentally ill people are homeless because property owners or house owners refuse to lease houses (McNamara, 2009). Most people in America fear the mentally ill because of their unpredictable behaviors characterized by aggressiveness, dizziness, harsh, scary among others. Therefore, very few people may be willing to accommodate them for the fear that they might turn against them. Moreover, no landlord is willing to lease them a room because of fear of unreliability in paying rent or lack of money to do the same. Because of this, significant numbers of mentally ill people are homeless. They are vulnerable to being homeless because of the societal perception of them as well as well as mental status they pose. Drug/alcohol abuse Drug and alcohol abuse is a major contributor of homeless in America (Walther, 2014). The majority of the homeless are drug and alcohol abusers, and they are out of their senses most of the times. Similarly, they are addicted to alcohol and drugs hence spend the little money they have to buy the commodities. The consequence of their behaviors is that they are unable to save money to pay rent or acquire a decent house (Fargo et al., 2013). Sometimes, they find themselves sleeping on the streets since they are unable to walk to their homes. Moreover, drug and alcohol addicts are irresponsible making many house owners neglect their request and some not willing to accommodate them. Besides, they lack family to take care of hence spend all their earnings on drug and alcohol. Some drug addicts prefer taking drugs to renting a house since they believe taking drugs enables them to withstand the harsh condition at night as well as during winter. Physical disability A large number of homeless cases are because of physical disability (Fargo et al., 2013). Physically disable individual who has no caregiver or guardian tend to be homeless since nobody cares for them and have no means of paying the house rent. Similarly, the physically disabled individual may be unable to work or find appropriate to make them earn a source of livelihood. This makes them homeless because their condition cannot allow them to live in decent houses. Moreover, disabled persons receiving SSI often struggle to obtain and maintain a stable housing (Walther, 2014). However, they are sometimes overwhelmed by the challenges hence rendered homeless. Currently, the cost of renting a house is very high; hence, people who have no stable income or certain income bracket are locked making them homeless. The physically disabled individuals are one of the many vulnerable people who live on the street and beg for shelter (Fargo et al., 2013). Eviction by family members Conflict among couples and other family members are apparent in the everyday American society. It also leads to different social and economic impacts, which might affect either the parties involved. A significant portion of the homeless is because of the eviction by family members (Fargo et al., 2013). Many homeless women with children on the streets are because of their removal from houses. Different factors contribute to ones eviction such as lack or inadequacy of financial resources to cater for the extra person, marital unfaithfulness, and violence and theft cases among other factors. Evicted individuals always find it hard to find immediate accommodation or housing making them homeless. Eviction may also happen to people sharing a room, and one may be overburdened by another hence being rendered homeless. Roommates also do disagree on certain issues, and this also leads to one being a homeless as he or she looks for alternative accommodation in case there is no cash for immediate settlement. Institutional background Individuals who have been institutionalized in the armed forces or prisons find it hard coping with life outside the institution, hence being homeless (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). Similarly, individuals who have been under the care find it difficult starting a new life, which require looking for accommodation. Those imprisoned and serving in the armed forces are used to being given accommodation and other basic life requirements. They are not used to toil and fending for themselves. Therefore, their release to the outside world where they seek for themselves poses a challenge to them making some to be homeless. The numbers of veterans who are homeless are increasing daily because of the harsh experience they find outside the army barracks. Over the years, attempts to accommodate veterans have not yielded much since the housing program is effective (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). Released prisoners also find it difficult to accommodate themselves since they have to start from zero and acquire a house. Additionally, most veterans are homeless because they are suffering from Post Traumatic Disorder (Castro, 2014). This is because they have been in violent situations, making them traumatized by the events they underwent. Because of this, they sometimes experience difficulties developing or having a stable life. Hence, they are vulnerable becoming homeless just like any other person. Currently, over 57,000 are homeless every night, and 60% stay in shelters and the remaining are unsheltered. Out of this, about 5000 are female (Walther, 2014). Political factors Decline in Public Assistance The rising poverty level is rendering public assistance irrelevant since it does not help in solving the problem of homelessness. The current TANF benefits and food stamps combined is below the poverty level in every state making it too minimal to help tackle the problem (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). Researchers indicate that median TANF benefit for a family of three is approximately a third of the poverty level (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). Therefore, welfare does not provide poverty relief leading to increased cases of homelessness. Similarly, the number of people who used to help or agencies that built houses has declined. They use to build houses free to the homeless, and their absence has continuously increased the number of homeless. Similarly, the tight economic conditions are restraining the public assistance since one has to fend for himself or herself before giving a helping hand. This has made people who used to live on handouts to look for alternatives, making some resort to residing in streets or shelters. Lack of political will The government has a role in providing decent houses to its large population (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). Similarly, an adequate housing and living is a right of any American citizen, hence the responsibility of the government. However, the government is doing less to accommodate or house the homeless hence increasing the trend. Currently, there is enough public rental assistance to help extremely low-income individuals or households (Castro, 2014). There are many or large numbers of people unable to get these government services, hence are still on the waiting list with no timeline on when they will get rental assistance. For example, some states such as Charlotte opened their public housing application recently after fourteen years (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). The high number of applicants imply that not all will get the assistance, hence their needs will not be met. Because of this, the number of the homeless individuals will still increase. Therefore, failure of the government to work and implement policies towards offering affordable accommodation to the low-income individuals is contributing to the ever-increasing homelessness. Conclusion The number of homeless individuals is increasing every day in the American society because of many factors. However, economic conditions have a role to play in the ever-increasing statistics. The shrinking wage earning is making many unable to pay rent as they struggle to feed themselves. The high cost of letting and lack of affordable houses makes people seek shelter elsewhere. Drug and alcohol abuse leads to addiction, making some unable to find accommodation and instead use their little earning to buy drugs. Moreover, the increasing divorce and gender violence makes some people resort to sheltering than being in an abusive relationship. References Castro, J. (2014). With So Many People Who Need Our Help, We Cannot Stop Until We Succeed. Vital Speeches Of The Day, 80(10), 312-314 Fargo, J. D., Munley, E. A., Byrne, T. H., Montgomery, A. E., & Culhane, D. P. (2013). Community-Level Characteristics Associated With Variation in Rates of Homelessness Among Families and Single Adults. American Journal of Public Health, 103(S2), S340- S347 McNamara, R. (2009). Homelessness in America. New York: ABC-CLIO. National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2013). The state of homelessness in America 2013. Retrieved from http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/the-state-of-homelessness- 2013 Walther, T. (2014). Homeless in the City. American Scholar, 83(1), 48-55. Read More