View
119
Download
2
Category
Tags:
Preview:
Citation preview
HOMELESS IN AMERICA
THE NATURE OF HOMELESSNESS
To address the problem of homelessness
-it is first important to understand the nature of this social condition
-including developing an understanding of the extent of the homeless population
-also in determining who is the most vulnerable to becoming homeless
THE BIG PICTURE
While circumstances may vary, the main reason people experience homelessness is because they cannot find housing they can afford
Homelessnessin the U.S. is increasing
-particularly among families with children
Causes of Homelessness To confront the problem of homelessness, it must first be determined
-WHO IS HOMELESSThis problem is due to the difficulty in defining homelessness
As well as including the transient nature of the homeless population
“Hidden Homeless”
Those of the homeless population who are difficult to count
-because they are living in a traditional emergency shelter-or because they simply do not want to be counted
“Hidden Homeless”-the “hidden homeless” may include those living in motels, automobiles, and abandoned buildings.
-they also include those who double up with friends or relatives on a temporary basis.
U.S. Homeless Population At any given night in 2009:
-124,135 chronically homeless individuals in homeless shelter 13% veterans 4% living with HIV/AIDS 1.5% unaccompanied youths 12% victims of domestic violence 25% suffering from mental illness 34% chronic substance abuse
Human Service workers are committed to advocating for & assisting those who experience poverty & homelessness
Common causes of Homelessness
Mental Illness
Drugs
Alcohol
Poverty
Negative Stigmas associated with Homelessness
Targeting specific subgroups:
single men certain social groups alcoholics Undocumented immigrants
Fundamental Attribute Error
-the average person would assume those that they did not know, were homeless due to their own personal short comings-yet if someone they knew became homeless, they would attribute it to situational issues
History of Homeless in the U.S.
During the 19th & 20th centuries:
-consisted of mostly men-vagrants-unemployed-mental illness-alcoholism
Great Depression=homelessness
The birth of homeless families in the U.S.
-failure of the financial market -closing of many banks -rampant unemployment
Great Depression
Resulted in many families:
-losing homes -wandering streets -searching for shelter
During the 70’s & 80’s the typical homeless family usually consisted of a single mother and two children
Children are the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population
Runaway Youth
There are an estimated 2 million runaway youths in the United States alone
Most homeless adolescents are living on the streets because:
They ran away from an abusive home
Their parents kicked them out and won’t take care of them anymore
Or they have aged out of the foster care system
Just less than 50% of the homeless population consists of men:
men mentally ill Substance abuse Most veterans
Differences between younger and older homeless individuals
YOUNGER ADULTS
Older adult men reported an average homeless episode lasting over 60 days
OLDER ADULTS
Younger adult men reported an average homeless episode lasting about 14 days
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987(HEARTH)
-was reauthorized for the first time in 2 decades in May of 2009 by President Obama as the Hearth Act, which provides a variety of remedies focusing on both prevention & response to homelessness
Recommended