HOMELESSNESS

The main reasons that lead people to homelessness is the shortage in affordable housing and the loss of employment.

• An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people experience “chronic homelessness” in the USA each year due to the shortage in affordable housing and the loss of employment.

• People’s homes range from living on the streets to shelters for months, years, or even decades.

• It’s been reported that life expectancy for homeless people is 45 years on average.

• Children accompanying their parents or guardians during a period of homelessness make up 37 percent.

• The chronic shortage of income made up almost 50 percent of the main reasons for debts were loss of jobs.

• 38 percent of the reason for homelessness is due to relationship problems. Couples split causes themselves to live in a financially unstable home and end up not getting paid enough to be able to afford their homes.

• Most people cannot find a job due to the lack of professional training required for most of the jobs available today.

• To succeed in life with a good paying job you need a good education such as college or some kind of extended education after high school making it even harder for homeless people to get off the streets.

• Poverty has been associated with intellectual disability as a risk factor and a consequence of becoming homeless.

• More than a third of the homeless population referred to a substance abuse problem, the second most common was the breakup of a relationship with a parent or loved one which resulted in a loss of home.

• Between one fourth and one third of persons experiencing homelessness have current severe psychiatric conditions, major depression, and bipolar disorder which plays a huge factor on not being able to find a job.

• BMC Public Health statistics among 73 respondents with debts said the main reasons for loss of job or shortage of income 49% Buying drugs 18%, Gambling 10%, And other reasons such as fines, order by credit and health costs 23%.

• Homeless prevention groups formed a $55 million initiative that provided either 3 years of funding, 3 year supportive housing, or 5 year of Shelter Plus Care from various organizations.

• The Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides approximately a billion dollars annually to 6,000 housing and service projects through its Continuum of Care which makes a huge impact of homeless prevention.

• Organizations help poverty by paying as much as 30-40% of the housing bill to make sure their house is stable.

• Several mental health agencies that work with homeless people give them mental health services and provide them with substance abuse treatment, housing services, benefits and income support assistance, dental care, educational and vocational services, etc.

• Several organizations are working to help end homelessness such as the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and the Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness (CICH)

• To prevent and reduce homelessness, ideas address the homeless group of people includes housing benefits, welfare benefits, supplementary security income, supportive services for impaired or disabled individuals, programs to ameliorate domestic conflicts, programs to prevent evictions, and care programs for the homeless.

• Mercier, C., and S. Picard. "Intellectual Disability and Homelessness." Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 55.4 (2011 April): 441-449.

• Rickards, Lawrence D., and Sarah A. McGraw. "Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness." Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research. 37.2 (April 2010): 149-166.

• Cross, Catherine, and John Seager. "Skeletons at the feast: A review of street homelessness in South Afica and other world regions." Development Southern Africa. 27.1 (March 2010): 5-20.

• Olivet, Jeffrey, and Sarah McGraw. "Staffing Challenges and Strategies for Organizations Serving Individuals who have Experienced Chronic Homelessness." Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Reserach. 37.2 (April 2010): 226-238.

• Laere, Igor, Matty Wit, and Niek Klazinga. "Pathways into homelessness: recently homeless adults problems and service use before and after becoming homeless in Amsterdam." BMC Public Health. 9.3 (April 2009): 1-9.

• Moore, Tim, Morag McArthur, and Debbie Noble-Carr. "Lessons learned from children who have experienced homelessness: what services need to know." Children & Society. 25. (2011): 115-126.