Homeless: Who Are They? Essay

In 2005, NCH ( subject compaction for the roofless) estimated 3.5 million pot experience roofless person personness in the US each year (NCH,1). But what is unsettled personness? Jim Baumohl, a noted germ, explained in Homelessness in America, the most common definition of unsettled personness employ by researchers is the absence of belonging to a limited place or to concourse (NCH, 3). However, there is no set definition, due to the variety of living conditions a dispossessed person encounters, and the opinions of the researchers. As Baumohl pointed prohibited, homelessness is but the up-to-the-minute of many a(prenominal) research topics in which the population of amuse is not clearly defined (NCH, 15).Even though there is no clear definition of the homeless, the questions slake linger, who argon they? Though the part of the homeless is viewed in a negative, there atomic number 18 many homeless persons who ar struggling to receive military service. Alcoholics , drug addicts, sexual hollors, and gang members ready cast an image on homelessness that scares slew absent from helping. Mary Ellen Hombs, De barfy manager of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, wrote, At the beginning of the decade the dominant stereotype of a homeless person was that of a middle-aged, face cloth male alcoholic (Hombs, 4).This description is a common view of a homeless man, however, the landed estate does not see the other minorities crying for help. Homeless persons are growing in numbers in the areas of rationally ill, children, and families. Society is unaware of the chores many of these people are facing, due to the negative image created. These groups go unnoticed and rarely receive the attention and help they need to survive. David Levinson, a noted cultural anthropologist, remarked in Encyclopedia of Homelessness, Alice Solenberger classified homeless society in her book as homeless old men, chronic beggars, wanderers, and tramps (E ncyclopedia, 475).One of the most common-viewed images of a homeless citizen is of an alcoholic or drug jest atr. Coincidently, Levinson noted, In Finland, until recently, the word for homeless and alcoholism was puliukko, which derived from the words ukko (old man) and puli (a cheap liquor) (Encyclopedia, 7). Homeless persons retain raised the numbers in essence abuse drastically in the past years. Thirty-eight portion of homeless were dependent on alcohol and 26 percent abused other drugs in 2003 (NCH,1). Homelessness is commonly powerd by money spent on nitty-grittys, which thusly leads to loss of housing. Substance abuse can be looked at as both a cause and a result of homelessness. Alcohol and drug abuse can be the result of homelessness, turn world without a home can cause substance abuse to occur. Although the numbers of abusers is over half of the homeless population, there is an explanation to the high percentages.Levinson added that alcohol is largely seen as an adaptation to life sentence on the routes and a focal point for the homeless to cope with their difficult situations (Encyclopedia, 9). afterward reviewing the statistics of substance abuse among homeless persons, it is safe to read the homeless population has portrayed an image of negativeness towards alcohol and drugs, and will draw out to live with this image until the rate of numbers reductions and the minorities are shown the attention they need. affable ailment has generally been a minority among homeless citizens but with growing numbers in substance abuse, psychic illness has also taken a climb up the number ladder in the past years. Most studies have nominate 30 percent of homeless have some kind illness (Hombs, 43). state affected by intellectual illness may neglect taking precautions to block unsoundness, due to being uneducated about the disease theyre living with (NCH,1). When the mental health problems are combined with poor hygiene and lack of educat ion, many cannot properly care for themselves. The most common mental illness among homeless is schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (NCH,1). Unfortunately, these two diseases put an individual in vulnerable situations and are the most dangerous mental illnesses to live with. They are almost impossible to domesticize from. NCH explained Many programs for homeless with mental illnesses do not accept people with substance abuse disorders, and programs for homeless substance abusers do not treat people with mental illnesses (NCH, 2).Since substance abuse and mental illness usually coincide among the homeless, treatment facilities are do it nearly impossible for the homeless to acquire coif treatment and housing. Along with mental illness, comes physical health problems the most occurring disease among homeless persons is human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS. People with HIV/AIDS are at a higher(prenominal) risk of becoming homeless and people who are homeless have a higher risk of contrac ting the disease. There are doubled reasons for the homeless to be the most commonly erect with the disease(s). Many homeless people are ones with HIV because of the discrimination shown to the citizens with the illness (Hombs, 49). People with HIV are likely to lose their job, which then leads to lack of income (NCH, 1). With no money and no health care, treating the disease is rarely an option. Another reason for the disease to be so common among homeless is because of extract. NCH publicized, Many homeless adolescents get under ones skin that exchanging sex for food, clothing, and shelter is the only way for survival (NCH, 2).If the only way for an adolescent to survive on the street is to exchange sexual activity, the minorities will never find a stop to the spread of disease. A homeless child known as street youth, faces dangerous situations and resides in risky locations everyday of their life (Encyclopedia, 540). The most common challenge a child has to cope with is lack of cognitive and motor festering (Encyclopedia, 75). Missing these important stages of developing the brain will lead to mental illnesses down the road. Growing up with violence and crime will also put them in anaesthetised adult lives. Many homeless children come from troubled families, domestic violence, or neglect.The absolute majority of street youth are with a case-by-case parent, most commonly a female (Encyclopedia, 75). With trouble at home, many resort to running away or becoming caught up in drugs or alcohol to deal with the pain of the situations they are go about with. Just like adults, disease is another problem among children. Many childrens parents lack hygiene or education on disease, and many simply cannot furnish the correct care for their children. Martha Burt, a noted author and publicist, reported in Homelessness Programs and the People They Serve, Among homeless clients in family households, 10 percent reported that their children needed a doctor but were not able to do so (Burt, 23). With this being noted, it is clear that children who are natural into poverty stricken or homeless families will more than likely never see a doctor.Recently, due to immigration, the race of the homeless population has changed. blacks and Latinos are a growing number in homelessness, while whites are falling behind. NCH announced, U.S. Conference of Mayor found that the homeless population is 47 percent African-American (Who 3). African-Americans have dominated almost half of homeless persons but struggle more than whites. Whites are off the beaten track(predicate) better off in job markets and income than blacks. Whites have better chances of receiving greater incomes, which puts other minorities into poverty and in the end homelessness. This is why the numbers have gone up and the face of homeless persons is changing. Many different types of homeless categories have been viewed. Unfortunately, the ones needing help are hardly known.Homelessness h as mantled itself up in a negative way and has blocked out the helpless people with negativity. Alcohol, drugs, crime, violence, sex, and white males still dominate the face of homelessness and will continue to until change is made within those negative ways of living. When sexual abuse, crime, substance abuse, and spread of disease decrease among homeless persons, it will then be the slit of changing the ways for minorities. The homeless have brought negativity on themselves by presenting their part of society in a stereotyped way. After seeing the facts, it is reasoned to state that alcohol and crime dominates homelessness and these factors block out the individuals needing help.Works CitedBurt, Martha R. (1999). Homelessness Programs and the people they serve. Urban Institute. Retrieved from http//www.urban.org.pdf Hombs, Mary E. (1990). American homelessness. Santa Barbara ABC-CLIO, Inc. Levinson, D. (2004). Encyclopedia of homelessness . (Vol. 2). Sage Publications, Inc. national Coalition for the Homeless. (2007). human immunodeficiency virus/aids and homelessness . National Coalition for Homeless Retrieved from http//www.nationalhomeless.org National Coalition for Homeless. (2009). Mental illness and homelessness . National Coalition for Homeless. Retrieved from http//www.nationalhomeless.org National Coalition for Homeless. (2007). Substance abuse and homelessness. National Coalition for Homeless Retrieved from http//www.nationalhomeless.org National Coalition of Homeless. (2007). Who is homeless?. National Coalition for Homeless. Retrieved from http//www.nationalhomeless.org