Want to learn more about homelessness?

"Why Do People Become Homeless?"

 Written by: Rushabh Kamdar

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      Homelessness- as defined by Bartleby- is people or groups of people that have no housing or a place to stay. People can become homeless for a variety of reasons. Those who may experience homelessness can be a result of (but are not limited to) unemployment and a lack of financial stability to afford basic necessities to live, mental illness or drug use, and lack of affordable housing. 

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      According to an article in the New York Times titled “How Do People Become Homeless?” written by Jill Cowad and Marie Tae McDermott,  a survey was made asking people who are/been homeless why they were in that situation. Responses included drug addiction, mental illness, injuries, unemployment, and in some cases, domestic violence and abuse. A study mentioned in the article that was done by the city of San Francisco cited that in 2019, the number one cause of homelessness was job loss. With no income, it becomes hard for people to keep up with their bills and other expenses that they have to pay for, thus causing them to become homeless. Many are unable to work because of mental illness and/or drug or alcohol addiction as well. However, providing them with the right resources, such as rehab and therapy,  may be able to help get the person back on track.

 

      Lack of affordable housing, according to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, is also another reason why many people become homeless. Lack of affordable housing can lead to people not being able to find anywhere to stay. Even if they could afford low-income housing, they still can barely afford other basic necessities. 

     

      Homelessness has been around the nation and the world for decades. This imperative issue is one that hasn’t gone anywhere and change needs to happen.

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"Snow Days: Amazing or Abysmal?"

 Written By: Abhay Maloo

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Think about your first school snow day. The thrill and excitement of waking up in the morning to admire a pristine coating of snow on everything outside. The relief as a result of the break from the monotony of the school week. The ecstatic feeling of the day’s now untapped potential.  Now, imagine your experience of this same day if you were homeless. Without proper shelter, any exposed area is now covered in freezing snow. The few exposed possessions you had would be thoroughly soaked. Finally, every public facility you utilize is inaccessible- unless you trudge through the layers of compact snow. A day so profoundly beautiful to some may be a disastrous burden on others. 

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   I’m highlighting this stark contrast in our experiences because often homeless people are dehumanized. Homelessness is an epidemic in our country, growing at an exponential rate.  As a society, we have a tendency to take punitive actions on the homeless and assume they were completely responsible for their predicament. This stigma alone has led to the homeless being marginalized and suffering countless injustices. Now, I’m not saying to feel guilty or have any moral qualms regarding enjoying a snow day. I simply wanted to bring to light the stigmas and hardships ingrained in the every day of being homeless. Additionally, I want to encourage readers to actively do their part in breaking these pervasive stigmas.

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"Unemployment and its Impact On Homelessness"

 Written By: Varsha Erapogla

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Due to this year’s COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S economy was impacted severely, affecting businesses of all sizes and ultimately leaving many Americans out of work. According to a Columbia University professor, homelessness could grow up to 45%. Unemployment is a major cause of Americans being left homeless. A number of factors impact a person’s likelihood of being unemployed, such as limited education, criminal records, disabilities or unstable health, unreliable transportation, and/or unstable housing. Without permanent and reliable work and income, the likelihood of a person ending up homeless is greatly increased. 

 

   Many homeless people often face complications and barriers to finding and holding a stable job. Due to the lack of skill or experience homeless people have, jobs that offer sustainable pay for them are difficult to find. According to a recent study, researchers found that in California alone, “Eight percent of adults surveyed in 2017 said they were working to some degree, mostly in part-time, seasonal or temporary work. Among homeless adults with children, 27 percent said they were working either part or full-time.” (National Public Radio). In addition to this, homeless applicants are also declined on an unfair bias. Not only do they lack the experience of many of the other applicants, but many of them also don't have the necessities to professionally present themselves, ( i.e unreliable transportation to arrive at a punctual time, lack of dress clothes, and not speaking the language) therefore decreasing their chances of being employed. 

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   Programs that allow homeless people to gain the proper job training tremendously increase employment rates among these communities. Del Seymour, a formerly homeless man himself, created a non-profit organization called “Code Tenderloin”, that provided those who are unable to find a stable job with job-readiness training and training for basic coding skills. This organization allows homeless people to increase their opportunities in jobs that might otherwise pass up their skills and abilities because of adverse backgrounds and lack of experience. According to Business Insider, “Approximately 50% of the 300 people who have been accepted into Code Tenderloins program have obtained employment after graduation.” Creating programs as such this one increasingly helps those who are unfortunately experiencing homelessness.

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"The Homeless Crisis in DC"

 Written By: Abhay Maloo

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The sheer scale of homelessness in the country is hard to comprehend. Even Washington DC, the nation’s capital, has an enormous homeless population, one of the country’s largest. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), every day, there are over 6,500 people homeless in DC. This is enough to fill up over 1/7 of the National Park stadium’s capacity. This massive number includes 815 family households, 297 veterans, 271 alone young adults aged 18-24, and many more people.  

Children are not exempt from this massive homelessness crisis; data from the federal Education Department indicates that the number of homeless children in DC has increased by 19% from the 2015-16 school year to 2017-18. The Coronavirus will undoubtedly exacerbate this frightening growth. According to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency, once homeless children reach eight years of age, 1 in 3 will have a significant mental health disorder and have twice the rate of learning disabilities. Inevitably this negatively impacts their performance academically as they are twice as likely to repeat a year in school. 

The coalition for the Homeless (dccfh.org) is a non-profit organization in DC that provides various housing assistance at two locations for individuals and families, emergency shelter and housing. It supports over 500 individuals and families that suffer from homeless in the DC area. Many other programs are working to fight this impending crisis, so please do your part in volunteering or donating to one of these efforts.

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"Youth Homelessness"

Written By: Varsha Erapogla

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Homelessness within the youth is a prevalent issue that is oftentimes overlooked. According to the National Conference of State Legislators “Each year, an estimated 4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness, of which 700,000 are unaccompanied minors, meaning they are not part of a family or accompanied by a parent or guardian. On any given night, approximately 41,000 unaccompanied youth ages 13-25 experience homelessness.” Youth homelessness is a result of many varying factors but in a 2019 study, the Congressional Research Service identified family conflict and family dynamics, a youth’s sexual orientation, sexual activity, school problems, pregnancy, and substance use as primary risk factors for youth homelessness. Their result of homelessness is not always due to choice. Their living situation at home may have become physically, mentally, and emotionally unbearable resulting in them feeling the need to escape. This, in turn, can be detrimental to the development of the young person’s well-being. 

 

Youth homelessness has serious adverse effects on young people. Homeless young people are less likely to stay engaged with school, find jobs, get access to rental housing, and maintain friendships. They are more likely to experience depression, poor nutrition, substance abuse, and mental health problems. In fact, without the right support, many will struggle with homelessness their entire lives (Kids Undercover). As stated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration “Children who experience homelessness have significantly higher rates of emotional, behavioral, and immediate and long-term health problems. They often struggle with self-esteem, which puts them at risk for substance use, suicide, and other negative outcomes. They have numerous academic difficulties, including below-grade level reading, high rate of learning disabilities, poor school attendance, and failure to advance to the next grade or graduate.” The effects of homelessness on young people is harmful to their growth in all aspects of their life. 

 

Creating a stable environment for these young people is very important to both their present life and future life. Support systems such as connections with caring adults that these kids can go to helps them to gain that emotional and mental support they lacked in their previous home. It also gives them an outlet to voice their opinions and feelings. In addition to that, accommodating young people in stable housing is important. Lastly, access to mainstream services will help to put these youth on track to long-term success (National Alliance to End Homelessness).

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"Stigmas Surrounding Homelessness: How Can We Change It?"

 Written by: Rushabh Kamdar

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Stigmas surrounding homelessness are a stark issue in today's world. Sadly, many are not familiar with how these stigmas affect the homeless. Society tends to shift the blame of homelessness on the people who actually become homeless rather than take the time to understand their situation. A very common stigma surrounding homeless individuals is that they are referred to as “outsiders,” which can often be derogatory towards those it is intended to describe. The term “outsider” can leave lasting effects on homeless people and can cause them to think that they are invisible and not welcomed since they are often pushed aside and forgotten. In an article written by Tyrone Pitman, "To End Homelessness Start With Stigmas" Pitman writes, “Homelessness can be confusing to those who don’t understand it or believe that people made the choice to be homeless.” Most people are not educated on what causes a person to become homeless and that leads to the typical stigmas being placed on them. 

 

There are many ways to reverse stigmas surrounding homelessness and there are many ways to help. Society needs to learn and understand to give those struggling a chance to succeed and feel seen. There is always a common ground that can be found between both parties whether it's society being able to provide opportunities for jobs or even creating types of housing for homeless individuals. Additionally, people can help by donating to homeless shelters to aid with the high demand for food, drink, and shelter finances. Society needs to put aside its stigmas of homeless people and instead help to create better opportunities for them to get back on track.

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