Homelessness

Homeless

Homelessness, a devastating experience for people, disrupts virtually every aspect of family life, damaging the physical and emotional health of family members, interfering with the children's education and development and most frequently resulting in the separation of the family. To find a solution to a problem we must first know some things about it. Homelessness is not a recent issue. According to the Homeless.org website it dates back to the eighteenth century and is tied to changes in economic conditions, increasing with the economic downturns and declining with the returning of prosperity or the outbreak of war. After all this time we still look upon these people as a problem and an inconvenience. Nobody has taken the time to look past the stereotypes that concern these people. The majority of the population believes that the homeless are to blame for being homeless but the truth is that most of them are victims. Some suffer from childhood abuse or violence. Nearly one quarter are children. Many have lost their jobs and all of them have lost their homes. It is also believed that the homeless are either mentally ill or heavy drug users, which is partly true. About 25% are estimated to be emotionally disturbed, 1% may need long-term hospitalization, and the others are self-sufficient according to the Washington Post. As for drug abuse, research suggests that one in four are substance abusers but many of these are included in the 25%. Most homeless people are not drunks or drug abusers or mental patients. They are not the perpetual social problem that many believe them to be. Normal hard working, middle class people can become homeless according to this young women's story:

"As I watched the last few flames being put out, all I could think of were my four daughters and everything we lost. It is already tough being a single parent, but when your one staple, in this case our house, gets burned down, it seems like there is no hope. In a matter of minutes, my four girls and I have become homeless. We lost everything! We lost our house that was filled with memories of my late husband and my four children growing up. My children lost all their clothes, pictures and toys. I lost every necessity from money to food. It is just awful how quickly our lives turned for the worst. What is a woman to do? We were already low on money but now with no home, clothes, or food, we have to start all over and do whatever we can to find money to help us out.

Our plan for getting extra money began the very next day. Everyday after school my four children would break up into teams of two and go to busy intersections and beg for money. On my lunch break I begged for money as well. It is the worst feeling to see the looks that people give you when they see you are homeless. It is like they think I just gave up or just do not try. The do not know the real story. The nighttime is the worst. When it is nice out, we will sleep in a park together. When it is cold or rainy, I will try to have my girls sleep at a friend's house. Everyday is a struggle now because our money is running so low between buying new clothes and food for the day. Every day I think about how there has to be a better way to get my family and I back on our feet.

One day as I sat on my corner, a lady gave me a business card instead of food or money. I was very aggravated at first because I was so hungry but when I looked at the card I saw it had the name of a shelter. I was very hesitant to call because for some reason I felt a little embarrassed and shy about my situation. I knew I had to do this not

only for myself, but for my children. I walked over to a telephone and called. That very same day, my children and I moved into a shelter for a temporary amount of time. When my kids went to school every morning, the people at the shelter educated me on how to find a better job with higher pay so that money would no longer be an issue. Before long, I had a job and was making money for my family. Now, two years later, my family is back in a house with new memories to build upon. This experience has changed me mentally. I have learned how hard you must work to get what you want and I have also learned to not judge people so quickly. I used to be so scared of the homeless people sitting on street corners but now I know that every one of their situations is different. The business card I had received that one-day turned out to be from a former homeless woman. Now, like her, I hand out those cards to people hoping that one day soon their lives will change for the better."

Some people are for the homeless and some are not. The people that are against the homeless feel that being homeless is an irresponsible act by a human being. Homeless people lack responsibility and the morals that go along with it. When people become homeless they travel down the road to laziness. They become used to the fact that they are homeless and able to live as bums, which causes them to acquire a comfortable state. According to the Washington Post, each year one hundred and thirty-five shelters serve 45,666 homeless people. Those shelters include a bed, food, and showers (Washington Post). Homeless people have an opportunity to change their life, but do they? Once they receive free healthcare, they do not have to pay taxes, and get a free place to stay. People suffer from poverty everyday but some people do not let up and move on, then you have the others who just quit and become homeless.

Every Year the homeless causes the taxpayers a certain amount of money. For example $14,480 of our taxes goes to jails each year. When homeless people get sick, it cost us $2,414 for each visit (Homeless). Our taxes pay for the homeless people's mistakes that we should not be responsible for. Homeless people cause everyday problems from crime to loitering on the streets. People that are against the homeless believe that they are a disgrace to our society.

Homeless live in dirty filthy environments, which cause them to attract diseases and sicknesses. They eat out of trashcans, live in woods or under bridges, and have very poor hygiene. By living in these unsanitary conditions they tend to get sick easier or contract diseases from animals or other homeless people. If this were to happen then they would report to the hospital. The hospital would take them in, give them treatment and not charge them a thing. The bill would come out of our paychecks (Skodack). People that live on the streets are vulnerable to about anything. The biggest thing is sickness. People everyday show up at hospitals these days and are refused treatment because they do not have insurance. Does that sound like we are being equally treated? No, the homeless people can receive free healthcare when they need it, but we being in a different class cannot.

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