Introduction
Poverty and homelessness are two substantial factors that have an impact on the person’s life and ability to care for themselves and their families. In some cases, poverty is a result of historical events and a lack of policies and support systems that would allow a person to have a job suitable for maintaining their lives. Homelessness can cause severe adverse effects on one’s mental health, making it more difficult for an individual to return to normal life. This paper will review the statistics and information about poverty and homelessness in Jackson, MS. The community of Black Americans in Jackson, MS, is suffering from poverty and homelessness.
Jackson, MS
By definition, the poverty level is defined by the government to measure the people’s ability to finance their living expenses. The United States Census Bureau (n.d.) determines who is poor by using a set of monetary income levels that vary by family size and composition. If a family’s total income is less than the family’s criterion, the family and all of its members are termed poor. Hence, a family’s poverty is measured and compared to the income levels based on other families’ earnings. The official poverty line does not change by region; however, it is adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). The official definition of poverty includes only money income before taxes and excludes capital gains or noncash advantages, such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps.
Poverty is a pressing concern in Jackson, MS, and the United States. According to Welfare Info (n.d.), the poverty rate in Jacksonville, MS, is 28.9%. This means that out of over 160,000 individuals who reside in this community, 47,341 live in poverty. Moreover, the poverty rates in this community are much higher when compared to the rates in MS, which are 21% (Welfare Info, n.d.). Hence, this community should have some characteristics that make this community more susceptible to poverty rates, such as socioeconomic or cultural reasons. For instance, when looking at the distribution of the poverty rates, it is evident that some ethnicities are more affected by poverty when compared to others who reside in Jacksonville. Among the Hispanic community, 50% live in poverty compared to the national level of 25% (Welfare Info, n.d.). However, the majority of the population in this community are Black, and the poverty levels among these individuals are also high and more significant when compared to the national level.
Homelessness means that a person has no place to live, which also results in their inability to have access to hygiene facilities and a place to sleep, work, or study. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (n.d.), the most current national point-in-time estimate is that there are an estimated 553,742 persons in the United States who are homeless on any given night, equating to about 17 persons suffering homelessness for every 10,000 people in the overall population. As for homelessness, currently, there are 488 homeless people in the metropolitan area of Jackson (Welfare Info, n.d.). Hence, homelessness presents a public concern for the United States and for Jackson.
Communities around the United States respond to the problem of homelessness with a wide range of housing and assistance programs. Some examples include emergency shelters, transitional homes, re-housing, and permanent supportive accommodation. Over the last decade, there has been a shift in the way aid is provided to the homeless, with a greater emphasis on permanent housing solutions (National Alliance to End Homelessness, n.d.). For example, permanent supportive housing and fast re-housing rather than transitional housing programs. Permanent housing initiatives account for almost half of all beds in the United States (National Alliance to End Homelessness, n.d.). By adopting this approach of permanent housing initiatives, the policymakers at Jacksonville can aid people who are homeless.
Historical Background
The inability of the city to support its poor and homeless population is linked to the relationship between MS and Jacksonville. According to Bisaha (2021), for some Jacksonians, the capitol building, which stands in the heart of the city, serves as a reminder that decisions imposing Jim Crow and segregation were made beneath those pillars. Hence, the fact that this city has been populated predominantly by Black people and the history of oppression and segregation has affected the current issues with poverty and homelessness.
Moreover, Mississippi Delta counties are where African Americans were enslaved, which is one historic factor relating to poverty and homelessness. Then these territories became areas for low-wage workers and sharecroppers. Bisha (2021) states that these individuals have a 30 percent poverty rate, services and opportunities are considerably further dispersed than in a metropolis like Jackson—food and shopping shortages can stretch entire counties. According to Pew Research Center data, a white household in Mississippi might easily have a net value 13 times that of a black one (as cited in Bisha, 2021). According to PBS, the average median income for a black family in Cleveland’s Delta area is less than half that of a white family. Hence, the research shows that there is a difference in income rates of white and black families.
Poverty, in general, is an issue in the United States. According to Breech et al. (2021), “over 40% of the world’s population is impoverished, and despite its richness, the United States has one of the highest rates of poverty in the industrialized world” (p. 10). The burden falls disproportionately on communities of color and a common explanation for the relatively high prevalence of poverty among minority communities is based on notions of racial inferiority. Moreover, denial of structural forms of racism has contributed to the social crisis in the United States (Breech et al., 2021). Importantly, poverty encompasses far more than a low-income household. It indicates an individual’s economic well-being, capacity to navigate society based on education, socioeconomic or health status, and social exclusion.
As a huge nation established by immigrants, the United States would certainly and unavoidably accept a significant number of refugees, documented and undocumented immigrants seeking a better life. According to the national narrative, immigrants will find work, achieve some amount of socioeconomic fairness, and become eligible for health care (Breech et al., 2021). Unfortunately, this ideal only applies to a subset of chosen immigrants, most of whom come from rich European nations. Individuals from historically colonial countries in Central or South America, Asia, or Africa who move to the United States are frequently subjected to prolonged marginalization, poverty, and bad health. For this reason, communities, such as the one in Jackson, MS, suffer from poverty and homelessness.
Recommendations
Evidently, the issue of poverty and homelessness disproportionately impacts some ethnicities, and some steps have to be taken to address these problems. For example, the policymakers should increase the minimum wage and social aid rates and present policies that eventually will guarantee a minimum income to the community members. Next, they should create inexpensive, high-quality housing through decommodifying housing, instituting rent controls, renovating, retrofitting, and maintaining existing public housing, or constructing new public housing. Income and housing are the foundations upon which one may begin to assist individuals as community members.
Another aspect, apart from ensuring that the basic needs of individuals, such as food and housing, is helping the people affected by poverty and homelessness to address their mental health needs. People must be helped in their physical, emotional, and social well-being in order to regain stability and find a sense of belonging, both as a recovery from the trauma of homelessness and as a preventative measure against a never-ending cycle of new people. According to Homeless Hub (n.d.), people suffering from mental illnesses are more likely to be homeless for longer periods of time and have less contact with family and friends. Mental diseases affect 30-35 percent of persons experiencing homelessness and up to 75 percent of women suffering from homelessness and oncurrent disorders affect 20-25 percent of those facing homelessness (Homeless Hub, n.d.) People with serious mental disorders outnumber those suffering from homelessness because they are frequently discharged from hospitals and jails without enough community services in place. Therefore, mental health issues can be a serious problem for the people who are homeless or experience poverty and may prolong their suffering if not addressed.
Conclusion
In summary, the nation’s economic crisis has significantly impacted the lives of millions of Americans. For many Americans, growing levels of homelessness and food insecurity are intricately intertwined, and children are disproportionately affected by both situations. The population residing in Jackson, MS, is predominantly Black, and the rates of poverty in this area are higher when compared to the state’s average. Moreover, there is a substantial number of homeless people in this city.
References
Beech, B., Ford, C., Thorpe, R., Bruce, M., & Norris, K. (2021). Poverty, racism, and the public health crisis in America. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 10-20. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.699049
Bisaha, M. (2021). Jackson, Miss. lives in a world of high poverty and higher expectations. NPR.
Homeless Hub. (n.d.). Mental health.
National Alliance to End Homelessness. (n.d.). The state of homelessness in America.
United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). How the Census Bureau measures poverty.
Welfare Info. (n.d.). Poverty in Jackson, Mississippi.