Homelessness in America

Even though the legal definition of homelessness differs from one country to another, generically, the word is used to refer to the condition of being homeless owing to extreme poverty. The definition of homelessness in America by and large revolves around the same concept, however, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (1986) does include specific stipulations for a particular individual to qualify as a homeless. Homelessness statistics reveal that there are around a hundred million homeless people in the world today. The problem of homelessness is not just restricted to underdeveloped or developing countries, but it also exists in the developed countries such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom (where it is also known as rough sleeping).

Homelessness in the United States

The history of homelessness in America can be traced back to the 1970s-80s, wherein housing and social service cuts rendered thousands of individuals homeless across the nation. It is estimated that at least 200,000 individuals were homeless in the United States at that point of time, and this number has only increased since then. The Federal administration defines a person with disabling condition owing to which he has been either homeless for a year continuously or has undergone four episodes of the same in the last three years as chronically homeless. The definition is important as it is used to determine whether an individual is really homeless when it comes to government assistance. In the United States, homelessness and mental illness affiliation is quite prominent as it is deemed to be one of the most important underlying cause for this problem.

Homelessness Causes
Among the major causes of homelessness in America unexpected events and inability to plan the future are by far the most important ones. The unexpected events which can render an individual homeless include serious illness, disabling accident etc. A person's tendency to live life for the moment can also result in poverty, and result in homelessness for him. While many people tend to associate homelessness with mental or physical disability, which may force an individual in poverty, it is not just restricted to these reasons. There do exist quite a few cases wherein people are driven to poverty as a result of some physical or mental disability, but there also exist cases wherein perfectly normal people are driven to poverty and homelessness as a result of several underlying factors. Other prominent factors include financial losses, unemployment, low paying jobs, family disputes, divorce, substance abuse etc. There also exist some external factors, such as natural disasters, which can destroy the only dwelling of the family and bring them on the road.

Homelessness Solutions
Even though the institutes which provide temporary shelter for the homeless deserve a praise, preventing this problem in the very first place is much more feasible option. There do exist several policies which are meant to help the homeless people, however, most of these policies are restricted to paperwork, contrary to the need of the hour - their proper implementation. A significant number of people are homeless only because they are not able to figure out how to go about with the procedures of seeking help introduced by the government. Spreading awareness about these government programs and easing the procedures as to suit these people can be of great help. Other than this providing people indulging in drug abuse with proper rehabilitation, and training youths who are just out of jail or foster care with the basic employment skills can also help in addressing the problem of homelessness.

These were some of the lesser known facts about homelessness in America, with special emphasis on the underlying causes and their solutions. After going through these homelessness facts, you are bound to realize that homelessness is one of those relatively easy to solve urban problems. Even though the policy makers are busy trying to come up with some solution for this problem, you can do your bit by joining any of those several non-profit organization which work for the welfare of the homeless.