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Giovanna Vela
Mr. Rogers
Govt/Econ
17 October 2016
Homelessness in America
In the year of 2015, over 500,000 people, a quarter of them being children, in the United
States were homeless or living in shelters struggling to survive. Homelessness is affecting people
of all ages and is drastically increasing as the months go by. In the U.S, there has recently been a
high unemployment rate, causing a weak economy, thus leading to jobs that have fewer benefits
as well as a minimum wage that is not a living wage. Due to these downfalls, homelessness has
now become something every 2.3 to 3.4 million people get to experience. The government has
failed to realize that homeless people are regular human beings like everybody else and are not
trying to hurt anybody, they need laws specifically made to help them join society again. To find
a solution for homelessness, one must identify the causes first which are mental disorders,
substance abuse, and the lack of care they receive in clinics.
One in five homeless people experience a type of mental illness which can be the cause
of one being homeless. Mental illness has shown to be one of the major contributors to
homelessness. Many homeless people may suffer from not one, but multiple types of disorders,
and may not even know it. The most common form of mental illness within the homeless
community is depressive disorders, constituting nearly 25% of the mentally ill population within
the homeless population (Philipps). In other words, a good portion of the homeless population
has an illness and lack the insight of it affecting them. Many do not know they have symptoms of
an illness and never get treatment for it, resulting in its worsening their behavior. For example,

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in the Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness, clinician reports indicated that
67% of the 1,400 individuals screened for participation had a psychotic disorder or other serious
mental illness, 60% had an alcohol abuse issue, and 60% a drug abuse issue (Perl, Bagalman).
Psychotic disorders and other serious mental illnesses are slowly becoming one of the biggest
factors for being hospitalized. An estimated 4 percent to 14 percent of adults in family shelters
have been in a mental hospital (Cisneros). While they are posing as a tremendous threat to
themselves, they are also being a threat to those around them and may not even realize it.
However, along with having a mental illness, many homeless people also suffer substance abuse
which allows them to lose themselves completely.
Substance abuse, more specifically drug and alcohol abuse, has been a leading and rising
factor of homelessness. Addictive disorders like these have a tendency to take over ones life and
affect those around that person- resulting in unnatural, yet dangerous behavior that nobody wants
to be around. However, researchers also see it being a result of homelessness as it helps one cope
with their situations. There is a much higher rate of alcohol and drug abuse in the homeless
community than the community at large. It has been estimated that 38% of the homeless
population suffers from alcoholism and 26% abuse drugs. This compares to 15% and 8% in the
general population (Phillips). Breaking an addiction is a much more difficult task than starting
to develop one. Based on the estimate that 65% to 80% of all homeless adults suffer from
chronic alcoholism, drug addiction, severe mental illnesses, or some combination of the three,
there are 3,800 to 4,700 homeless persons with one or more of these conditions
(SanDiegoCounty). Homeless people are more worried about finding food or shelter for the night
rather than involving themselves in a program to stop the abuse(s). Even if one finds the
motivation to become sober, they will have a hard time living on the streets with no coping

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mechanism. At least 50% of homeless youth are thought to have serious mental health and/or
drug addiction problems (Hughes, Clark, Wood, Cakmak, Cox, MacInnis, Warren, Handrahan,
Broom). People of all ages suffer from chronic homelessness and as a result of this, people
naturally try to find a way to block out any memory of this time of their life. Unfortunately, this
may lead to addictions that started from a young age or a mental disorders that will leave an
impact for the rest of their lives. Since substance abuse coincides with mental disorders, they
both need to be treated in similar programs in health clinics where they address all issues
simultaneously.
Homeless people lack the proper health care needed to survive. These individuals are
barely meeting the standards of living and because of this, their conditions continue to worsen
with time making them difficult to resolve with treatment. Although their illness renders a small
proportion of severely mentally ill homeless persons unable to recognize a need for services,
several studies indicate that most homeless persons do recognize a need for and are willing to
receive services (Dennis, Levine, Osher). Some programs dont accept homeless people if they
see a lack of motivation, they believe that is not possible to give adequate services because of the
barriers homeless people face. Many mentally ill people were released from institutions without
a safety net of assured treatment, supportive services, or appropriate housing (Burleson). It is
hard to find affordable housing and an all-inclusive health plan for an individual, but to find it for
a family is even more crucial. According to U.S. Census data, in 2007 there were 13.3 million
American children living in poverty, and increase from 11.6 million in 2000 (Poverty).
Children are more likely to escape being homeless by being placed in foster care, but they will

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still be without health insurance which still isnt resolving any inner issues. The lack of
affordable housing has lead to high rent burdens (rents which absorb a high proportion of
income), overcrowding, and substandard housing. These phenomena, in turn, have not only
forced many people to become homeless; they have put a large and growing number of people at
risk of becoming homeless (Vissing). As a result of skyrocketing rent, low wages, loss of
benefits, and unstable jobs, families struggle to give themselves and their children proper
housing. Similarly, patients who did not have Medi-Cal insurance were twice as likely to be
homeless as patients with Medi-Cal (Folsom, Hawthrone, Lindamer, Gilmer, Bailey, Golshan,
Garcia, Unutzer, Hough, Jeste).With no access to hospitals, children will suffer and begin to
inhabit infections which can cause their deaths. It is often argued that these factors are only
helping increase numbers in homelessness.
Considering the many challenges that come with the issue homelessness, it is
understandable to think that the causes are what is helping prolong the situation. One cannot
deny that mental illnesses have a significant impact on an individual, some studies have
suggested that up to 75 percent of the homeless population has a mental illness (National
Coalition of the Homeless). However, when doing the research once more, it will say that it is 15
percent and 42 percent rather than what was said before. (Louise, Gerdes). If this is the case,
then how many more statistics have not been accurate? Another example is substance abuse, it
affects the overall mental health of a homeless individual. But it is most likely to also see a
homeless person fall into these poor health conditions because of their state of mind and living

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(Louise, Gerdes). With that being said, both viewpoints are very important to take into account in
solving the dilemma at hand.
Nevertheless, homelessness in America and all over the world is a rising epidemic.
Including three of the many factors: mental disorders, substance abuse, and the lack of medical
and housing attention. Homelessness and extreme poverty is not a new issue for us, but in the
past years Americans have just been putting it aside and we cannot keep doing so if we want to
solve this problem. Homeless people are very vulnerable as they are living on the streets and/or
suffering from illnesses that only put them more at risk. Many Americans want to make
America great again, but if we cannot help our own people get off the streets and into a decent
standard of living then how will America ever be great? Together in our communities, we can
make sure that our city councils take account of the amount of homeless people and begin to
construct a Federal clinic for them to receive the proper care and shelter they need.

Works cited
Burleson, Bruce. "Homelessness: Is There a Solution?" People's Weekly World [Boston] 19 Dec.
1998: n. pag. Print.

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Cisneros, Henry G. "Searching for Home: Mentally Ill Homeless People in America." Cityscape
A
Collection of Essays [by] Henry G. Cisneros. Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development (1996): 155-72. JSTOR. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
Dennis, Deborah L., Irene Levine S., and Fred Osher C. "The Physical and Mental Health Status
of Homeless Adults." Housing Policy Debate. National Institute of Mental Health, 1991.
Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
Folsom, David P., William Hawthorne, Laurie Lindamer, Todd Gilmer, Anne Bailey, Shahrokh
Golshan, Piedad Garcia, Jrgen Untzer, Richard Hough, and Dilip V. Jeste. "Prevalence
and
Risk Factors for Homelessness and Utilization of Mental Health Services Among 10,340
Patients With Serious Mental Illness in a Large Public Mental Health System." American
Journal of Psychiatry 162.2 (2005): 370-76. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
"Homelessness." National Coalition for the Homeless. National Coalition for the Homeless,
July 2009. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
Hughes, Jean R., Sharon Clark E., William Wood, Susan Cakmak, Andy Cox, Margie MacInnis,
Bonnie Warren, Elaine Handrahan, and Barbara Broom. "Youth Homelessness: The
Relationships among Mental Health, Hope, and Service Satisfaction." Journal of the
Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Canadian Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry, Nov. 2010. Web. 19 Sept. 2016
Gerdes, Louise I. The Homeless: Opposing Viewpoints. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2007. Print.
PDF. San Diego: SanDiegoCounty, 9 Jan. 2010.
Perl, Libby, and Erin Bagalman. "Chronic Homelessness: Background, Research, and

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Outcomes." Congressional Research Service. N.p., 08 Dec. 2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
Philipps, Kaitlin, "Homelessness: Causes, Culture and Community Development as a Solution.
(2012).Pell Scholars and Senior Theses. Paper 88.
"Poverty." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 09 Oct. 2016.
Vissing, Yvonne M. Homeless Children: Addressing the Challenge in Rural Schools. Charleston,
WV: Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools, Appalachia Educational
Laboratory, 1999. Print.