Introduction
Homelessness, which sometimes is known as houselessness, is a condition that is characterized by a lack of stable, safer and adequate housing. Homeless people live under trees, in the streets, and sometimes under bridges. Moreover, people who live in private boarding houses with no valid security of tenure and internally displaced persons are also grouped as homeless. Today, homelessness is a common scenario globally because it occurs in major cities and rural or suburban areas. People who are homeless suffer from both psychological and health-related issues. More so, children and women are more vulnerable to these detrimental effects of homelessness than men. Therefore, homelessness is a severe issue that needs immediate interventions to curb the life-threatening challenges affecting people with no proper sheltering options.
Literature Review
In exploring homelessness in the world, this article by Joseph Alpert provided insightful facts that help readers and researchers to understand the causes and effects of homelessness. The article found an increase in the number of homeless people in California. According to Alpert (2021), seventeen persons of 10000 people in California were reported to experience homelessness in 2019. Moreover, Alpert (2021) also found that in 2019, more than 500000 people in the United States were experiencing homelessness. The article also pointed out that several states in the United States, such as Los Angeles, Texas, and Florida, among others states, host many homeless persons. As a result, many affluent sections in the cities have become prone to open-air drug use, human waste like faeces, medieval diseases and homeless encampments.
Following the unfortunate situation experiences by the homeless people, many diseases and conditions affect persons who lack safe and adequate shelter. According to Alpert (2021), it was found that many homeless had mental illnesses, cellulitis, respiratory diseases and other cold-related chronic conditions. Further, Alpert (2021) also found that homeless people with chronic illness leads the bad outcome since they cannot assess medical assistance quickly. Moreover, homelessness makes it impossible to control and cure the most common curable diseases such as cellulitis. Malnutrition is also another problem that affects homeless people. According to Alpert (2021), homeless people are often poor and rely on begging to cater for their needs. Sometimes, they do not get what they desire and are given what is available, hence, an unhealthy diet. The article concludes by acknowledging homelessness as a severe issue in the United States today that needs immediate programs to curb the threats associated with homelessness.
As the search for homelessness continues, this article also provides relevant knowledge as understanding the state of homelessness in the world is concerned. The article by Bassuk et al., published in 2020, strives to find out what policies and programs are being put in place to intervene for the low-income families at risk of becoming homeless. Bassuk et al. (2020) first acknowledge that family homelessness is one of the more pressing public health concerns in the United States. Moreover, the article revealed that more than one-third of US families and their children account for homeless population.
This article relates the growing social tragedy to the inability of the government to fund the building of decent and affordable housing, scarcity of house tickets, unemployment and lower wages. According to Bassuk et al. (2020), homelessness is more than a lack of shelter; it entails losing safety, belongings, friends and privacy. Mothers and children experiencing homelessness face many challenges that alter the family relationship. Mothers, for example, go through psychological torture as they fall victims to depression and stress while caring for their children in an unfortunate environment. Finally, the article concludes by giving and explaining some of the interventions that must be taken to curb homelessness not only in the United States but in the entire world.
In my opinion, homelessness is becoming a severe issue globally and adversely affects the lives of women and children. As aforementioned, poverty is the leading cause of homelessness. Therefore, besides living in poor shelters or under bridges, most homeless persons lack other basic needs such as food and clothing. Moreover, during winter, many homeless people go through many challenges, including cold nights, which have been found to cause many diseases like pneumonia. Therefore, I call on both the federal and the state governments to develop programs and plans that aim to reduce the number of homelessness in the United States.
Conclusion and Future Research
Although several types of research have been conducted to help understand the state of homelessness in the world, more research needs to be done. Previous research has attempted to explain the causes, effects, and the population more affected by homelessness. However, little or no research has been done to explain why efforts to curb homelessness in the United States have not been successful. Recent research statistics indicate an increasing number of homeless persons. Therefore, challenges to curbing homelessness in the world remain an area of research that will help the government plan for homelessness.
References
Alpert, J. (2021). Homeless in America. The American Journal of Medicine, 134(3), 295-296. Web.
Bassuk, E., Hart, J., & Donovan, E. (2020). Resetting policies to end family homelessness. Annual Review of Public Health, 41(1), 247-263. Web.