The Homeless in the United States

Any examination of social inequality in our society must include the group at the extreme end of poverty and social inequality, homeless people in America. Homelessness is by no means a new issue in our country, but it is also one that has not necessarily improved in our modern age. The issue of homelessness has been a cause that has been in the public eye in recent history, but it currently seems to be going through a down period in the term of media exposure and popular support to help alleviate it.

The problem of homelessness is multi-faceted, but I believe the causes and possible solutions for this issue can be best examined from two different perspectives. One being from a sociological or scientific perspective, and the other being from a governmental and public policy viewpoint. I believe the modern issue of homelessness will not only require action to solve, but also fundamental changes in the way that we as society, including our leadership, think about homelessness.

A recent study done by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty found that there were an estimated 3.5 million people a year in the United States who experienced homelessness (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2004). However, homelessness is a condition that is difficult to even measure with any degree of accuracy. Many of the people that experience homelessness are not the stereotypical homeless persons that would come to mind when thinking about this problem.

For every person that is forced to reside in a shelter, whether it be provided by government or charitable causes, there are many more people in this country who exist right at or below the poverty line, who are hovering right above the level of outright homelessness. These are people who are many times employed, but at minimum levels. It is difficult to truly measure this segment of homeless, or occasionally homeless people. They often sleep in cars, campgrounds, or reside with other family members, places where they are not likely to be tallied as a part of a comprehensive study on the homeless population.

The social issues that contribute to homelessness are complex, but there are recurring issues that are shared among the homeless that seem to contribute to the problem. A recent study showed that children who experienced either physical abuse or neglect from parents dramatically increased the chance of them being homeless later in life (Herman, et al, 1997). These type of adverse childhood issues would contribute to several factors that encourage unemployment and by extension homelessness, such as lack of social skills, psychological or addiction issues, and poor or little education.

Addiction is another recurring theme among many homeless people. A recent study found that approximately thirty eight percent of homeless people have a problem with alcohol addiction, and that another twenty six percent of homeless people have addictions to other drugs (Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration, 2003). I believe this to be a major factor in the homeless population, not only because of the inherent problems that addiction brings, but also because of the challenges posed by treating this addicted segment of the homeless population. Even if we as a society were able to successfully provide treatment for the addictions of the homeless population, while helping the situation, this would not be a cure-all for homelessness. The problem is multifold, and an issue that is also shared by many homeless people would be that of mental health and psychological problems.

An astonishing number of homeless people suffer from mental health problems. An estimated thirty nine percent suffer from some form of mental health problem, and twenty to twenty five percent fall into the parameters of suffering a serious mental illness (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, March 2003). This is an astoundingly high percentage, but the most disturbing part of this from a social perspective would be the twenty five percent that can be categorized with a serious mental illness. These are people who often are in desperate need of substantial, inpatient mental health treatment, not to mention pharmaceutical treatments that are difficult or impossible to obtain for the homeless population. People afflicted with mental health disorders of this type that do have homes, and supportive families, often are incapable of dealing with what most would consider a "normal" existence, and to compound a disorder of this type with homelessness, would make it insurmountable.

These aforementioned social issues are by no means independent of each other in their effects on the homeless population. The multi faceted nature of this problem is one of the things that makes it difficult to solve. As is often the case with a democratic form of government, we as a people rely on our leaders to address and help remedy the social problems of our nation. Unfortunately, governmental action and public policy of recent has not necessarily helped the plight of the homeless, in fact in some cases it has served to compound the problem.

The minimum wage in our country has remained the same for the last nine years, despite rising inflation and cost of living. The republican dominated Senate recently blocked a bill to increase the mandatory Federal minimum wage. The current minimum wage of $5.15 an hour translates to $10,700 dollars a year which is $6,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts was quoted in a recent Washington Post article as saying" Americans believe that no one who works hard for a living should have to live in poverty. A job should lift you out of poverty, not keep you in it" (Espo, June, 2006). Unfortunately this sentiment is not shared by the majority of our lawmakers, as they find themselves incapable of taken even this most basic step towards helping to ease poverty and by extension homelessness in our country.

The minimum wage used originally based on the minimum amount to keep a family of three above the poverty line. Throughout the 1960's and 1970's, this is what determined the federal minimum wage. Today it is estimated that a person working full time all year on minimum waged would not be able to afford a one bedroom apartment in any city in this country (Crowley, 2005). The minimum wage is currently at a fifty six year low, in terms of what it will actually buy in the marketplace.

A result of this has been that with inflation, the cost of housing has increased along the number of impoverished people in our country. This has a two fold effect on the rise of homelessness on our country. There is large number of impoverished workers and their families rely on minimum wage for their livelihood, and this group often hovers precariously above outright homelessness. Often one event such as an accident, illness, or loss of employment can lead quickly to outright homelessness. A recent survey of twenty four major U.S. cities found that as much as fifteen to twenty six percent of the homeless population in those cities are people with full time employment (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2000).

The public policy of de-institutionalization of psychiatric treatment, which began in the 1950's and has continued steadily since then, is also a contributing factor to the issue of homelessness in America. The mental illness crises is closely linked with the homeless issue in our country. De-institutionalization was implemented with the idea that the treatment of mental illness can be best accomplished in the least restrictive, or institutionalized setting. It was also justified with giving the mentally ill a greater amount of self determination and freedom in their treatment. E. Fuller Torrey's book Out of the Shadows: Confronting America's Mental Illness Crises, sums up the effects of de-institutionalization eloquently. "De-institutionalization has been a psychiatric Titanic. Self determination often means merely that the person has a choice of soup kitchens. The least restrictive setting frequently turns out to be a cardboard box, a jail cell, or a terror-filled existence plagued by both real and imaginary enemies" (Torrey, 1997).

Unfortunately these public policy and governmental issues that contribute to homelessness do not appear to be of any great concern to our present group of lawmakers. While I believe that action on the part of the federal government is necessary and can help the plight of the homeless in our country, federal regulations are only a part of the solution. This problem requires not only federal response, but also more action from the community and the individual in this country.

A problem as daunting as our current homelessness situation is going to require reexamination from all levels of society. I firmly believe it can be improved greatly, if not solved outright. But as is often the case, it is primarily going to fall to the people of this nation to improve this situation, as it has already been demonstrated that our leaders and lawmakers are not able, or are unwilling to solve this problem of their own volition.

References

Crowley, Sheila. Out or Reach 2005. (2005) National Low Income Housing Coalition. Retrieved July 22, 2006, from http://www.nhch.org.

Espo, David. GOP- Run Senate Kills Minimum Wage Increase. June 22, 2006. The Washington Post. [Electronic Version] Retrieved July 19,2006, from http://www.washingtonpost.com.

The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. Homelessness in the United States and the Human Right to Housing (January 2004). Retrieved July 24, 2006, from http://wwww.nationalhomeless.org.

Herman, DB, Susser, ES, Struening, E.L., and Linke B.L. Adverse Childhood Experiences: Are they Risk Factors for Adult Homelessness? [Electronic Version] American Journal of Public Health, June, 1997. Vol 87, Issue 2. P.249-255. Retrieved July 19, 2006, from http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/87/2/249.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Homelessness- Provision of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. (March 2003) Retrieved July 21, 2006, from http://www.nhch.org.

Torrey, E. Fuller. Out of Shadows: Confronting America's Mental Illness Crises. (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1997). Retrieved July 19, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/asylums.

U.S. Conference of Mayors. A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities:2005. Retrieved July 23, 2006 from http://www.usmayors.org.