The homeless epidemic is a serious problem in nearly every major city across the country. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, there are over 500, 000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night. It’s a difficult challenge to tackle precisely because it is so multi-faceted, both in terms of its causes and its far-reaching effects. Homelessness affects not only the people who must struggle to survive on the street, but also the business owners or residents in the neighborhoods. Petty crime and drug abuse are common. While many factors have contributed to the rise in homeless rates, one of the most profound is the lack of adequate social support services.
By definition, a homeless person is someone without a permanent home. They may seek shelter in parking garages, ATM vestibules, and subway stations. On a purely practical level, if a city can provide enough homeless shelters and other forms of affordable housing, the people who would otherwise sleep on the streets can sleep far more safely with a consistent roof over their heads.
Social support services, whether they are funded publicly or privately, would be able to tackle many of the immediate and long-term challenges that face people experiencing homelessness. In addition to providing adequate and reliable shelter, services like drug counselling, treatment for physical or emotional abuse, and career counselling can address some of the factors that lead to homelessness.
The individual stories of each person going through homelessness will vary. What is often found, though, is that the homelessness came about because of a series of events. A person may unexpectedly lose their job, which may lead to family problems at home, which may lead to drug abuse as a coping mechanism, which may lead to further financial stress, and so on. Appropriate social services at any point in this process may be able to prevent homelessness from becoming this person’s reality.
The effects of homelessness are equally complex and can be mirror images of the root causes. Because the person is experiencing homelessness, this may put profound strain on personal relationships. Drug abuse can become an issue, as the person seeks some way of coping with the pain and hardship of living on the streets. This leads to a downward spiral that drives the person deeper and deeper into the depths of crippling poverty and isolation.
The impact extends well beyond the individual, too. As homelessness becomes an increasingly visible issue in a neighborhood, home values can plummet. Middle and working class families may move out, providing a bigger opening for various forms of crime. Businesses may close as the area becomes too prone to theft and property crime.
Every city, every neighborhood faces unique challenges when it comes to homelessness. While the specific root causes can vary between individuals, the lack of adequate social services is a leading contributor. The right social services can address, reduce or even remove some of these other underlying causes. With powerful effects for both the individual and society at large, homelessness is a pressing issue and one that must be approached with tact and compassion.
The
homeless
epidemic is a serious problem in
nearly
every major city across the country. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, there are over 500, 000
people
experiencing homelessness on any
given
night. It’s a difficult challenge to tackle
precisely
because
it is
so
multi-faceted, both in terms of its
causes
and its far-reaching effects. Homelessness affects not
only
the
people
who
must
struggle to survive on the street,
but
also
the business owners or residents in the neighborhoods. Petty crime and
drug
abuse
are common. While
many
factors have contributed to the rise in
homeless
rates, one of the most profound is the lack of adequate
social
support services.
By definition, a
homeless
person
is someone without a permanent home. They may seek shelter in parking garages, ATM vestibules, and subway stations. On a
purely
practical level, if a city can provide
enough
homeless
shelters and other forms of affordable housing, the
people
who would
otherwise
sleep on the streets can sleep far more
safely
with a consistent roof over their heads.
Social support
services
, whether they
are funded
publicly
or
privately
, would be able to tackle
many
of the immediate and long-term challenges that face
people
experiencing homelessness.
In addition
to providing adequate and reliable shelter,
services
like
drug
counselling, treatment for physical or emotional
abuse
, and career counselling can address
some of the
factors that
lead
to homelessness.
The
individual
stories of each
person
going through homelessness will vary. What is
often
found, though, is that the homelessness came about
because
of a series of
events
. A
person
may
unexpectedly
lose their job, which may
lead
to family problems at home, which may
lead
to
drug
abuse
as a coping mechanism, which may
lead
to
further
financial
stress
, and
so
on. Appropriate
social
services
at any point in this process may be able to
prevent
homelessness from becoming this
person’s
reality.
The effects of homelessness are
equally
complex and can be mirror images of the root
causes
.
Because
the
person
is experiencing homelessness, this may put profound strain on personal relationships.
Drug
abuse
can become an issue, as the
person
seeks
some
way of coping with the pain and hardship of living on the streets. This leads to a downward spiral that drives the
person
deeper and deeper into the depths of crippling poverty and isolation.
The impact extends well beyond the
individual
, too. As homelessness becomes an
increasingly
visible issue in a neighborhood, home values can plummet. Middle and working
class
families may
move
out, providing a bigger opening for various forms of crime. Businesses may close as the area becomes too prone to theft and property crime.
Every city, every neighborhood faces unique challenges when it
comes
to homelessness. While the specific root
causes
can vary between
individuals
, the lack of adequate
social
services
is a leading contributor. The right
social
services
can address,
reduce
or even remove
some
of these other underlying
causes
. With powerful effects for both the
individual
and society at large, homelessness is a pressing issue and one that
must
be approached
with tact and compassion.