Homelessness

Homelessness entails living in shelter or housing that does not conform to the minimum standards or does not have secure tenure. An individual is classified as homeless if he/she: lives in the streets; moves between non-permanent shelters; for example, friends’ houses, emergency and family accommodation; lives in private boarding shelters that lack secure tenure or a private bathroom (Neale, 2016).

Homelessness results from structural, individualistic, and community-related factors.  Forced eviction is among the leading causes of this problem; an individual may lose their home due to a government order to pave the way for infrastructural development (Neale, 2016). Since the compensation may not be enough to secure proper new housing, one is rendered homeless. Another reason for homelessness is the inadequacy of affordable housing; similarly, gentrification forces poor residents out of a neighborhood resided by wealthier individuals. Poverty, and lack of steady income due to underemployment and unemployment, also make people unable to secure permanent tenure (National Law Center, 2017). Moreover, social exclusion and discrimination based on social orientation, race, nationality, religion, and ethnicity have been prevalent causes of homelessness across the globe. The other primary cause of the problem is armed conflict, violence, and war: political, civil, religious, and international, which create refugees.  Migration (foreign or domestic) has also been identified as a significant cause of homelessness where migrants outnumber the available, affordable housing. Similarly, domestic violence, substance abuse, and addiction are strongly connected to homelessness. Last but not least, mental disorders and unavailability/inaccessibility of mental healthcare services are essential causes of homelessness; personality disorders, schizophrenia, and Autism spectrum disorders are among the common diagnosed mental health issues among the homeless population in the United States (Lee, Lewis, & Jones, 2020).

Private and public sectors have initiated various programs and mobilized resources to address the issue of homelessness.  These resources have assisted in multiple ways. First of all, they have endeavored to provide affordable housing to reduce the situation of homelessness caused by factors like eviction, displacement by the government, joblessness, and so on (Nakamura, 2011). Secondly, the resources help in establishing shelters, temporary and permanent housing. Thirdly, through these resources, the homeless receive housing funds and grants to enable them to secure permanent housing. Furthermore, the resources focus on providing healthcare for homeless individuals; to address health problems like schizophrenia, drug abuse disorders, depression, stress, and trauma through various therapeutic interventions (Leng, 2017). Treating these problems helps to prevent the occurrence of other homeless associated health issues. Similarly, the resources are allocated for rehabilitation purposes, especially for those homeless individuals who are suffering from alcoholism and other drug abuse problems.  To sum up, the available private and public resources are focused majorly on addressing the causes of homelessness. Some of the available resources in the United States include Homeless Assistance Grants, Housing Choice Vouchers, National Housing Trust Fund, Runaway, and Homeless Youth Act Programs, Healthcare for the Homeless, Supportive Services of Veteran Families, among others (National Law Center, 2017).

Homeless individuals are at a relatively increased risk for contracting chronic and acute illnesses, mental and physical.  It should be noted that some health problems like schizophrenia are among the causes of homelessness. Mental illnesses render individuals unable to cope with their surroundings, and if proper therapeutic interventions alongside alternative supportive housing lacks, many ends in the streets (Leng, 2017). Similarly, a homeless person is highly vulnerable to developing health issues like skin disorders and illnesses of the extremities; it raises the likelihood of trauma, mainly due to rape or physical assault. Also, it can worsen a minor health issue into an acute illness. Sleeping in the cold, insecure, unhygienic, temporary shelters or the streets result in other health issues such as parasitic infestations, periodontal and dental disease, malnutrition, venereal diseases, infectious hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis, and degenerative joint diseases (Lee, Lewis, & Jones, 2020). Furthermore, homelessness complicates the delivery of healthcare. Even for the most basic medical treatment, being homeless renders healthcare service provision extraordinarily difficult.  For example, even having a bed rest becomes complicated or even impossible; if a patient lacks a bed or in a sheltered situation whereby one has to exit the shelter early in the morning. A diabetic homeless individual, for instance, will experience difficulties in treatment; there is need for refrigerating certain kinds of insulin; syringes could be stolen (particularly in areas whereby the abuse of IV drug is typical); a homeless diabetic could be assumed to be an abuser of IV drug; it is also challenging to control diet since the homeless eat whatever is available (Neale, 2016). Also, because of poverty, the homeless cannot access quality healthcare or are discriminated against in accessing health services.

References

Lee, B., Lewis, D., & Jones, S. (2020). Are the Homeless to Blame? A Test of Two Theories. The Sociological Quarterly, 34(4): 76-88.

Leng, G. (2017). The Impact on Health of Homelessness. Retrieved from https://www.feantsa.org/download/22-7-health-and-homelessness_v07_web-0023035125951538681212.pdf.

Nakamura, M. (2011). Addressing Homelessness Through the Private Sector. Retrieved from https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=2395&context=utk_chanhonoproj.

National Law Center. (2017). Homelessness in America: Overview of Data and Causes. Retrieved from https://nlchp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Homeless_Stats_Fact_Sheet.pdf.

Neale, J. (2016). Homelessness and Theory Reconsidered. Housing Studies, 13(9): 212-219.