Homeless in America

Homeless are people who lack a permanent and affordable place to live. They may stay in shelters, sleep on the street or in their own cars. Various factors contribute to homelessness, including a shortage of affordable housing, job loss or economic hardship, mental illness and addiction. In many cases, it is difficult for the homeless to get back on their feet because they don’t have enough income or social support networks. Homeless people often face prejudice and discrimination from society.

The most important factor in reducing homelessness is increasing the availability of affordable housing. This can be accomplished by increasing the amount of federally subsidized housing, expanding the number of low-income apartments, building new units or increasing rental assistance programs. Other key factors include reducing crime and drug abuse, improving access to health care and education, and increasing employment opportunities. Despite efforts to provide affordable housing, homelessness remains a serious problem in many countries around the world.

Currently, about 57 million people in the United States are homeless, according to a Department of Housing and Urban Development report released on Jan. 24, 2019. This represents an increase of nearly a quarter over the last four years. The majority of the country’s homeless are individuals without families, but households with children also account for a significant portion of the population. Homeless families are more likely to have a member who is disabled or has a history of substance abuse, and to be in poorer health than those with stable housing.

There are many causes of homelessness, which vary by region and over time. One is a shortage of affordable homes, which can be exacerbated by speculation and urban “gentrification.” The high cost of living in some metropolitan areas, particularly those with growing populations of middle-class and wealthy residents, pushes low-income families into precarious housing situations or out of the city altogether. Natural disasters can also cause families to lose their homes and become homeless. In addition, the deinstitutionalization of mentally ill patients during the 1980s and cuts to federal welfare programs (including SSI) helped fuel the rise in homelessness in America.

While there are a number of strategies for preventing homelessness and reducing its effects, the root causes remain persistent. Scholars, homeless advocates and healthcare workers all agree that the two major contributing factors are poverty and a lack of affordable housing. In addition, hard-to-treat psychiatric and substance use disorders often underlie chronic homelessness. This is why those who work with the homeless sometimes refer to their work as the “long game” or “the long walk.” It takes years for some of these individuals to overcome the traumas that put them at risk of becoming homeless and find a path to stability.