The History of Homelessness

The History of Homelessness

The history of homelessness teaches us the epidemic dating back as far as the Middle Ages where most emphasis was put on identifying the homeless with little consideration on its resolution. During which time the population mostly consisted of men who migrated for employment, either working someones land or selling goods (Martin, 2007). In addition the English poor laws contributed to homelessness population by casting a very negative outlook on people who were stricken with poverty. The English Poor Laws policy was harsh but its treatment of people was cruel because poor people were deemed deserving and undeserving poor. The undeserving poor was sent to camps and forced to perform demeaning job for under harsh conditions meanwhile the deserving poor had to wear badge stating they receive public assistance. This practice stripped the poor of their self-determination, their family, and their freedom.

The 19th and early 20th centuries brought about little to no change to the homeless population. The population still consisted of primarily men including vagrants or migrant workers (Martin, 2007). "The Great Depression brought most people back to a pre-Protestant ethic time, where people recognized and acknowledged that poverty and homelessness could be caused by circumstances beyond one's control" (Martin, 2007). The population of homelessness began to change in the mid 1930s during the time of the Great Depression. During this time the population change was for the worst because now there was families appearing on the scene in significant numbers.

Modern homelessness started as a result of economic stresses in society and reductions in the availability of affordable housing such as single room occupancies (SROs) for poorer people. By the mid-1980s, there was also a dramatic increase in family homelessness. This new wave of homelessness brought about impoverished and runaway children, teenagers, and young adults, which created a new sub-stratum of the homeless population (street children or street youth). However in the 1980s, in the United States, some federal legislation was introduced on homelessness as a result of the work of Congressman Stewart B. McKinney. This legislation established distinct assistance programs for the growing numbers of homeless persons.Assistance programs included emergency food and shelter, transitional and permanent housing, education, job training, mental health care, primary health care services, substance abuse treatment, and veterans' assistance services. To date struggle of homelessness because there are somewhere among 2.5 million and 3.5 million people who experience homelessness at some time each year.

Nature of Social Problems Experienced by Homeless People

Without question the social injustice of the homeless people are largely due