Up to 3.5 million Americans are homeless each year. Of these, more than 1 million are children and on any given night, more than 300,000 children are left homeless.
While the general impression is that homeless people are primarily chronic and episodic, those unfortunate people often seen living on the streets of our city centers, the fact is that more than half of the homeless are families. with children. The vast majority of these have been pushed into homelessness by a life-altering event or a series of events that were unexpected and unplanned. Contrary to the belief that homelessness is primarily the result of major traumatic events or physical and mental disabilities, there are many leading causes of homelessness in America.
Homelessness is, in fact, caused by tragic life events such as loss of loved ones, loss of job, domestic violence, divorce, and family disputes. Other impairments such as depression, untreated mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and physical disabilities are also responsible for a large portion of the homeless. There are many factors that push people to live on the streets. Recognizing this can help ease the end of homelessness in America.
For those living in poverty or near the poverty line, a problem of “everyday” life that may be manageable for people with higher incomes may be the final factor in placing them on the street. A damaged vehicle, lack of vehicle insurance, or even unpaid fines can be enough to make someone homeless.
The costs of divorce and the associated reduction in a family’s total income can make one or more family members homeless. For families barely able to pay their bills, a serious illness or disabling accident can drain their funds and put them out on the streets. Today, the rapid and unexpected loss of jobs and the resulting foreclosures have caused a great dislocation among families and have dramatically increased the number of people without a roof over their heads.
Natural disasters often make the current housing situation unsustainable and expensive repairs are often simply not possible. The results of Hurricane Katrina are a grim testament to the power of nature to displace people.
The great challenge for the newly homeless is figuring out how to get back to their normal lives. Organizations that build emergency shelters and transitional housing typically work with a greater number of service providers across the country whose mission is to provide the services, such as job training, social skills training, and financial literacy, that enable these individuals to recover. employment and return. to the mainstream of lives. The progression for these recently homeless individuals is to be housed first in transitional residences where they can learn these skills, graduate to assisted living in affordable housing while building cash reserves and rebuilding their job résumé, and then graduate at the full market rate. accommodation.
Many of these service provider partners are known, such as Volunteers of America, Rescue Missions, and the Salvation Army. Many others are local organizations formed to address specific homeless problems in the community. By carefully examining the qualifications and financial stability of these service providers, organizations building emergency shelters and transitional housing can ensure that their facilities are used effectively in the fight to end homelessness.
