Running head: HOMELESSNESS

Homelessness Miguel Ornelas Northern Oklahoma College

Homelessness Homelessness Many people in the United States are impoverished living under freeways and/or in

sheltering homes with thirty plus homeless people. Poverty around the world is affecting people greatly. In Canada, new comers have a hard time buying homes due to the high pricing. These people have no other choice than to live out in the streets and trying to seek shelter. Homeless people are on average elderly people, but children are now forming the homeless population. People who are in poverty are unemployed or are employed but cannot afford the mortgaged payments. To address poverty, some ways to help homeless citizens is to provide them with shelter, educating children, and lowering mortgage costs. People who are homeless suffer substantially with depression and stress. This occurs because they dont have a place they call home. These people usually have health problems due to the lack of having a livable shelter where they can be protected. People how stay in shelters have higher chances of having a healthier body but still depend on others. According to Permanent Supportive Housing article, Research has shown that poor housing quality is associated with morbidity related to infections and chronic diseases, injuries, poor nutrition, asthma, neurologic damage, and mental disorders (Henwood, Benjamin, Cabassa, L. J, Craig, Catherine M, & Padgett, Deborah 2013). People how dont have a shelter to stay in suffer from these diseases. Some of them have dental problems because they dont have a house that can provide a sink to brush their teeth. Having a home can surely increase the help of an individual because it would provide them with a refrigerator that can store healthy food, electricity, a place to sleep, and shelter them from rain and storms. Overall having a home increases the likely hood of having a healthier life.

Homelessness Furthermore, children are now forming a part of the homeless population because of family abuse. These children usually have a family income below average. Due to this, it increases the risk of these children having a sickness than of a child who has a family income average or above. Children who experience poverty at first hand suffer emotionally because of the stress to obtain food or important needs. They also have a higher possibility to drop out of

high school because they cannot catch up them school due to their problems. According to Katie Peters, the department of education has identified about 63% of the nation children homeless, but the Department of Housing and Urban Development dont consider them as homeless (Halliday, B. 2009). Many children and their families dont qualify for financial assistance, free lunch, or to shelters because the Department of Housing and Urban Development does not see them as poor. This makes it hard for these families to get government benefits. To fix this issue, schools should be more involved in the life, health, and education of the child. Some think that the reason why children become poor is because schools are failing. Others think that surrounding poor neighborhoods are causing schools to fail. Also, immigrates are also impacted with poverty when they arrive to a new country. In Canada, newcomers are forming more of the homeless population. This is due to the high cost of living and the poor wage paid over there. However some people do succeed in providing a home for themselves. People how are homeowners are also at risk of becoming homeless. This is due to the low income people bring home. According to Barry Halliday, new comers how arrive in Canada do not all succeed in obtaining a home because of the house market, race, and immigration statues (Halliday, B. 2009). Because only people certain people succeed in obtaining a home, most of them share it with others to help them out. However, the same article

Homelessness it mentions that newcomers are able to purchase homes. Due to the high cost of mortgage, many immigrants find homes that are affordable to them in urban areas. These homes are relatively

small and unsuitable. These locations are usually crowed with people and are unhealthy for them to live. Some ways to repair this issue is to provide shelters to those how are in need of one and lower the cost of housing for individuals. In Conclusion, homelessness affects people in many ways like their health. Individuals without shelters have a higher possibility of getting sick easier because of, for example, eating outdated foods. Also, children are increasing the population of the homeless. This is due to unnecessary cruelty and punishment family members do to the child; furthermore, due to that, the child can fall behind in school which can lead to the child dropping out of high school. The house market also plays a role in people becoming homeless. Immigrants are usually impacted the most. Homelessness should be address to the public so that they can help with the cause.

Homelessness References

Henwood, Benjamin F,PhD., M.S.W., Cabassa, L. J., PhD., Craig, Catherine M,M.P.A., M.S.W., & Padgett, Deborah K,PhD., M.P.H. (2013). Permanent supportive housing: Addressing homelessness and health disparities? American Journal of Public Health, 103(2), S188S192. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1468675840?accountid=4117 Halliday, B. (2009). Immigration, housing and homelessness. The Canadian Geographer, 53(3), 265267. doi: 10.1111/j.1541-0064.2009.00262.x Peters, K. (2008, 03). Homelessness: A defining issue. Leadership for Student Activities, 36, 31. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/234980931?accountid=4117