Homelessness

Homelessness is a huge issue in the United States. There are around 553,000 homeless people in the United States which is .17% of the population. Homelessness is the situation of an individual, family, or community without a stable, safe, permanent housing. There are many different types of homelessness. The first type is chronic homelessness, which is when the person is more likely to be older, and they often suffer from disabilities and substance abuse problems. They are also likely to be in the shelter system, which are more like long term housing rather than an emergency arrangement. The next type is transitional homelessness, which is where the person generally enters the shelter system for one stay and for a short period of time. They are also likely to be younger, and have become homeless because of a catastrophic event. The last type of homelessness is episodic homelessness, which is when the person is frequently in and out of homelessness. They are most likely to be young and are often chronically unemployed and experience medical, mental health, and substance abuse problems.

Homeless people are almost 17 times more likely to have been victims of violence. They are also over nine times more likely to commit suicide than the general population. Many homeless women have escaped a violent relationship. There are many causes of homelessness which are: a lack of affordable housing, poverty, unemployment, and life events. People can become homeless when they leave prison, care, or the army with no home to go to. Life events like a relationship breaking down, losing a job, mental of physical health problems, or substance abuse can cause homelessness.

A couple more types of homelessness are rough sleeping and hidden homelessness. Rough sleeping are people that sleep on the streets. They usually suffer from multiple health conditions and are also in greater danger of violence than the general population. Hidden homelessness is when people aren’t entitled to help with housing. Homelessness is very expensive to individuals, communities, and care systems. Communities save money by providing permanent supportive housing to people that can’t afford to live on their own.