Help Homeless People
On any given night, there are over 600 000 homeless people in the USA.
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California is a “home” for almost half of the U.S.’ homeless people.
It is essential to understand and identify the causes and factors behind Homelessness, before trying to solve this problem.
Homeless people lack stable and appropriate housing. They live on the streets, move between temporary shelters, including the homes of friends and family, with no security of tenure. More than half a million homeless people were recorded in the USA in January 2019. Of those, 70 % were individuals, but the remainder included families with children. More than one-third had no shelter at all and were sleeping in the streets, in parks and similar locations.
The homeless in individual US states. Source: viaGood
As can be seen on the map, California leads with the highest percentage of homeless people at 26.73 %, New York is next with 16.27 %, followed by Florida with 5.01 % and Texas with 4.57 %. At the other end of the spectrum, Delaware has the lowest percentage of homeless people at 0.16 %, followed closely by Vermont with 0.19 % and Mississippi at 0.21 %.
Main Causes of Homelessness Homelessness is caused by various factors, including insufficient income, and no access to affordable housing. Due to many people moving to cities, rents have skyrocketed and low-income earners have no choice but to live in their cars or in shelters.
Another factor is rental discrimination, when people are turned out of rental homes just because of their color, race or religion.
Foreclosure is another of the causes leading to homelessness. If people have nowhere else to go after foreclosure, they become homeless. Over 5 million homes in the US have been foreclosed on since 2008.
Lack of education prevents people from getting well-paid jobs, or any employment, so they cannot afford to rent or own a home.
Other factors are failed relationships, divorce or break-ups, which affect particularly women and children.
Mental health issues prevent the homeless from getting a job or holding on to a job. One in five homeless people suffers from untreated severe mental illness. Due to self-medication, they are at further risk of addiction and poor physical health.
Death of a loved one can have a huge impact, as it can lead to depression.
Addictions are another significant factor, as drugs and alcohol can ruin lives. People who are addicted and poor are at a heightened risk of homelessness.
Family problems lead children and young people to run away from home.
Waiting for kindness. Source: Unsplash
In addition, there is the lack of adequate mental health support. There are more than 40 million adults in the US who are living with a mental disorder, but fewer than 5 000 outpatient mental health facilities. Mental disorders include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression.
The rising costs of medical care put some people into perpetual debt.
Ex-convicts are more at risk of becoming homeless. Because of their criminal records, they find it difficult to find a home or a job.
Approximately 15 % of the homeless population is considered "chronic homeless". Chronic homelessness is defined as an individual who has a disability and suffers from homelessness for one year or more, or an individual who has a disability and has experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in the last 3 years of over 12 months in total.
Lack of Documentation Many homeless people keep all their possessions with them and cannot store them in a safe place. They often lose their IDs and other important documents. Without these, they cannot get a job or obtain social services and healthcare. Without an address, birth certificates cannot be mailed, the cost is unaffordable, and sometimes the process of obtaining an ID is simply impossible to undertake without any identification documents.
Statistics of Homelessness in the USA The United States has the highest number of homeless people among industrialized countries. The number of homeless people is based on unduplicated one-night estimates of sheltered and unsheltered homeless populations, carried out nationwide annually during the last 10 days of January. In January 2020, there were 580 466 homeless people in the USA. On any given night, over 138 000 of the homeless in the country are children under the age of 18. Thousands of these homeless children are unaccompanied. Over 57 000 war veterans are homeless.
Lonely and hungry. Source: Unsplash
Sources of Income 24 % of US cities make it illegal to beg in public. Some homeless people return bottles and cans to recycling centers to earn money. Others sort out trash into different types of metal, etc., or collect litter found beside the road. Many are forced to scavenge in trash bins for their next meal.
Urban Homeless Shelters The homeless can sleep in night shelters, which they leave in the morning. Slightly more than one-third live in cars or under bridges, some sleep anywhere in public. 37 % of homeless people lack shelter and sleep outdoors. Mentally ill people often avoid shelters, as the noise and the crowds can be unbearable for them.
50 % of the homeless in the USA are in California. This is due to the warmer weather. Half of them sleep in parks, on benches in stations, on sidewalks, in cars and other unsuitable and unsafe places. Due to the mild winters, most homeless people in the US are found in California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.
Life expectancy for the homeless is 50 years (average is 79 in the U.S.).
Homelessness means a vicious cycle of poverty and the inability to pay for both housing and other necessities such as food, healthcare and childcare. Often dire need leads the homeless into committing crimes, such as burglary and prostitution, to obtain their next meal, or the money for drugs or alcohol.
Impact of Homelessness Sleeping in unsafe areas and exposed to the weather may damage health. Irregular eating can weaken the body and disrupt the immune system. As a result, homeless people are often sick, and often suffer from depression, due to their unfortunate state. They are more prone to illnesses and can transmit it, which is a health threat to other people
Homelessness has a huge impact on society. Homelessness widens the existing social barriers, fuels hatred and division among people. Homeless people are forced into crime, in order to obtain money for food, drugs or alcohol.
Homeless people are more at risk of** violence.** If they suffer injury or health problems, they do not have access to public medical services. This is partly due to their lack of identification documents and thus not being able to register for public healthcare services. Their life expectancy is therefore much shorter than that of people with homes.
Everything he owns fits into one bag. Source: Pixabay
Families need more than just Shelter In the last few years, millions have lost their homes. At least 7 million more affordable apartments for low-income families are required. But housing alone is not sufficient for families. They also need food, education, work, transportation, childcare, healthcare and other services. Therefore, homelessness of whole families is a complex problem.
Similarly, runaway homeless teens experience homelessness and require special services to address their specific needs. 20% of homeless individuals in the U.S. are children.
Lack of Health Insurance adds to Risk A lack of access to affordable healthcare also drives homelessness, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. A serious illness can result in huge medical bills, as well as the loss of a job, savings, and eventually a home. Twelve states have not expanded Medicaid as they could have under Obamacare, among them Florida and Texas.
African Americans and Native Americans are more likely to become Homeless African Americans are more likely to become homeless than White Americans. For Black Americans, the rate of homelessness is 55.2 per 10 000 compared to 11.5 for White Americans. Least at risk are Asian Americans at 4.1 per 10 000.
Women & Children report Physical Violence Among homeless women and children, 50 % reported physical violence. Among homeless mothers, a shocking 92 % reported physical and/or sexual assault.
LGBTQ 110 000 LGBTQ youth in the US are homeless. This is one of the most vulnerable groups of the homeless. A significant number of young people who identify themselves as LGBTQ claim to live in a community that does not accept LGBTQ. In fact, LGBTQ young people make up 20 % of refugee children nationwide.
50 % of the homeless population in the US is over 50 years of age. These individuals often face additional health and safety risks associated with age. They are more prone to falls and can suffer from cognitive, vision or hearing impairments, severe depression and chronic conditions, such as diabetes and arthritis.
70 % of homeless people are individuals, but there are also 23 % of families with children, war veterans, and young runaways under the age of 18.
Whether they became homeless due to the loss of a job, addictions, personal or financial problems, all these people desperately need our help.
Read the Solution section!
The homeless need help to get from the street and return to normal life.
Thanks to assistance programs, they will be able to be reintegrated into society. As a start, it is necessary to increase the availability of affordable accommodation for the needy, and to provide the homeless with hot meals, clothing, showers and warm beds.
Employment is the key to decreasing homelessness. The Coronavirus pandemic sent unemployment skyrocketing in the spring of 2020 and many people lost their jobs as a consequence.
What can be done? Sometimes the smallest actions can go a long way.
What can YOU do? Support affordable housing for the needy. Housing programs are a long-term solution to the problem of homelessness. With an increased number of affordable apartments, more people will have their own housing and can be reintegrated into society.
Raise public awareness. There are many reasons for a person to become homeless, e.g. lack of affordable housing, loss of job, divorce, illness, substance abuse. Therefore, educate your friends and family about the realities of homelessness. Your posts on social networks can contribute to the change in the public perception of homelessness. When people understand the issue of homelessness and do not stigmatize these people, the homeless get a chance of living normal lives.
Donate your Time. Volunteer in an organization for the care of the homeless. Most organizations will welcome your help. Tell them how often you can help, whether once or regularly, and they will count on you. You can serve meals at a shelter, sort clothing, helping the needy to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.
Support the homeless on the street. Any amount you donate, goes exactly where it is needed most. Talk to the homeless, listen to their stories as to why they lost their homes.
Donate to an organization caring for the homeless. Your donation will have an immediate positive impact on the homeless children, families and individuals in care of these organizations. Take the time to learn about the shelters and service providers in your area.
Donate clothes. Shelters are always in need of clothes. Donate yours and spread the news to inspire others to join you.
Vote for political representatives to address homelessness. This will lead to positive changes in the availability of homeless services and affordable housing.
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