Homelessness Prevention

Homelessness Prevention

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was presented to the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948, states that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. The United States signed this declaration, yet homelessness is on the increase. Little is being done to solve the problem and with todays economic it is likely the numbers will continue to grow. Now the job is to understand what happened to create the problem and find solutions to resolve the problem in this decade.

Homelessness is a serious condition that is being ignored by the public. In the early 1970's the number of homeless increased due to the de-institutionalization of the mentally ill and the decrease in social services in the 1980's (Donahoe, 2004). There has been homelessness in many decades. It was serious in the 1930's and 1940's. The numbers continue to grow. “An estimated 2.5 to 3.5 million people now experience homelessness each year, says Donahoe in his 2004 article on the topic of homelessness in the United States.

Current conditions Economic conditions are making the number of homeless increase. A recent count directed by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that was completed January 29, 2009 indicated an increase in the number of homeless (Homelessness, 2009). Some areas increased as much as 14%.

According to Rob Gregg, chair of the Homeless Initiative Partnership (HIP) Advisory Board, the increase is primarily due to worsened economic conditions. He was quoted say, "Communities across the country are observing and expecting increases in homelessness. People are having a harder time finding employment or the employment they do find does not pay sufficient wages for them to afford housing.(Homelessness, 2009).

Some believe the numbers are skewed and the number of homeless will increase as more people become permanently homeless rather then transitional. Additionally the numbers are not showing the families that are currently doubled up and sharing homes, living in motels, or escaping domestic violence because that does not meet the HUD definition of homeless. Homelessness as defined by Donahoe is “sleeping in shelters, the street, abandoned buildings, cars, or buss and train stations. These groups represent a fast-growing population on the fringes of homelessness (Umble). Even experts debate the definition of homelessness; it ranges from living in the streets to “places not meant for human habitation” (figure 1) (Arnold, 2009). People who reside in shelters are considered “sheltered homeless”. Some experts believe there is a difference among the two groups.

In the United States there are approximately 1.2 million youths alone who are classified as homeless, when compared with the 100 million globally that does not seem to be an astounding number (Arnold, ...