Homelessness Crisis Tacoma

Homelessness Crisis Tacoma

This assignment is based on the study of vulnerable population in Tacoma. In order to execute this assignment, a vulnerable population has been chosen i.e. homeless people. The study has discussed the demographics of homeless people in Tacoma along with vital population statistics and environment concerns. The purpose of this assignment is to provide an overview of the community and summarize its statistics and demographics.

The definitions and explanations for homelessness are diverse. There are different federal programs that target people who are homeless. A number of these programs aim to serve the needs of different groups of homeless population. There are also some programs that cater to the needs of a broader population. In general, homelessness is defined as the condition of lacking a fixed and adequate residence. Essentially, homeless people meet one or more the following conditions (Bassuk, & Geller, 2006).

The first and basic condition is the absence of a fixed and regular residence for the nighttime. The second condition is sleeping in public or private places which are not meant for accommodation such as parks, grounds, cars, or others. The third condition is the residence of individuals in any kind of shelter. The fourth condition is accommodation in a hotel or motel with the assistance of someone. Homelessness also includes the condition that individuals will lose their housing within fourteen days. The sixth condition is the long-term housing instability.

Homelessness is experience and a big concern for the government. A significant concern associated with homelessness is that homeless people consume a large portion of public resources including emergency medical services, psychiatric treatment, law enforcement, and others. The government can save public resources by providing housing facilities to homeless people. According to Riley (2004), a mentally ill homeless person utilizes $41,000 in a year.

Tacoma is a city located in Washington. The city is a major port on Puget Sound. Tacoma is well-known for its industry and blue collar population. The location of the city is strategic because if its proximity to major military bases. The city serves as the hub of South Puget. The demographics of Tacoma have remained stable for the past decade. In the year 2010, the population of the city was 198,397. Tacoma is largest city by population in Washington. The median household income of the city is $50,045 which reflects that a majority of population belongs to the working class. The employment in the city has been influenced by the wave of recession in the United States. In the year 2010, the unemployment rate was higher than the national average i.e. 9.6%. This indicates a large number of unemployed people in the city.

In the census of 2010, there were 198,397 people in Tacoma. The number of households in Tacoma, in 2010, was 78,451 while the number of families was 45,716. The density of population in the same year was 3,864.9. The racial makeup of Tacoma is diverse consisting of White, African American, Asian, and ...