FREE ESSAY ON HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA

HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA

Throughout the United States it has been stated that between ?355,000 and 445,000?
(Resaner) people are homeless everyday and night. Homelessness is something that affects
people of all ages, races, backgrounds and religions. The problem of homelessness is not
something that only happens in the large cities, it happens everywhere. There are people
with many different problems that force then to become homeless. They do however all have
one thing in common they have nowhere to live. Some factors that contribute to homeless
in America that make it unpreventable are the lack of education, economic factors and
mental illness.
Lack of education is something that is looked down upon in today's society. The more
education, the better a person will be in the work force. Children are taught from a very
young age to stay in school, however a good number of then will not finish. From making
that one decision children's lives will be changed forever. Some will make it and some
will end up with no where to turn. Nearly ?twenty six percent? (Nichelason 17) of our
homeless population are people under the age on eighteen years old. These young kids have
no education and in return no way to provide for themselves. So many of them turn to
illegal activities to try and better their lives. If the children do have a family their
situation is not much better without an education. Most homeless families do not stay in
one place very long so the children can not attend school. The parents often need the
children to work to help provide for the family. For adults the average that an
illiterate adult will earn is ?forty-two percent less? (Resaner 89) then a high school
graduate. Being an illiterate person causes a lot of trouble since they can not read
newspapers, get a drivers license or even attempt to fill out a job application. The lack
of education for our homeless is a key factor in what is bringing then down to that
level. Even if we promote staying in school and push our kids to the limit there are
still factors that make them not finish. Lack of education is one main reason that
homelessness can not be prevented. Some of our homeless did receive an education but
because of other factors in their life found themselves on the streets. One of these
factors is the economic factors in the United States. 
People today are also becoming homeless because of economic factors. Good people with
education's are becoming part of the homeless problem. More then ?eight million people
are unemployed and without benefits? (Rossi 37). Those are people who are spending every
last penny they have to prevent themselves from being a statistic. However, most within a
few months will have no choice but to turn to the streets. People losing jobs is
something that happens everyday around the United States. Many of the bigger
manufacturing industries and other companies around America have had to close due to the
economic difficulties. Companies today also like to save as much money as possible so
many have relocated to countries where it is cheaper to do business. ?Every year since
the 1970's two million American's have lost their jobs due to economic factors? (Ropars
52). From the companies closing and moving out of the country it makes it very hard for
people who want to work to find a job. This is a huge problem in the Unites States and is
a problem that can not be solved. So since the problem of ecomonic factors can not be
soved, neither can homlessness. It can not be solved because the companies will continue
to go where the money is for them. Along with lack of education and economic factors
another key factor of why homelessness can not be prevented is mental illness.
Mentally ill men and women make up nearly ?66 percent? (Rasaner 30) of those homeless
living on the streets around the United States. ?In 1989, scientists at John Hopkins
University found that 42 percent of homeless men and 49 percent of homeless women studied
had serious mental illnesses? (Resaner 30). Even though there is medicine and hospitals
where most of the illnesses can be treated, there are not enough rooms and money to help
everyone. There is only so much funding that can be given to help the mentally ill.
Patients also have a hard time admitting that they have a problem and need some help, so
often shut out the opportunity to get help. So, in future they are forced to fend for
themselves and many end up homeless. Most of the mentally ill have disorders that make it
impossible to function in society. For these people it is a never ending cycle of
problems with not much hope for help. ?Between 1955 and 1986, the number of placements in
state mental hospitals declined from 552,000 to 108,000? (Resaner 33-34). With time this
trend will begin to get worse, as doctors are under pressure to discharge mental patients
to try and save money. Mental illness is another contributer to homelessness that can not
be prevented. 
Homelessness is a probelm that can not be over looked. It is happening all over our
country, with both the young and old. It is affecting all raced and backgrounds. This
problem with homelessness has been know in our counrty for many years, and will continue
to be a part of it. It a terrible thing homelessness, but it can not be prevented. There
are many contributers to the probelm, and not all can be fixed at once. So that is why it
can and will not be fixed in the future. 
Bibliography
Nichealson, Margery. Homeless or Hopeless. Minneapolis: Lerner, 1994.
Resaner, Carl. Crisis in the Streets. Tennessee: Broadman, 1988.
Ropers, Richard. Persistent Poverty. New York: Plenum, 1991.
Rossi, Peter. Down and Out in America. Chicago: Chicago, 1989.