The Main Causes and Effects of Homelessness

THE MAIN CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF HOMELESSNESS

OUTLINE

THESIS: According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors' recent survey of homelessness in twenty-three cities, homelessness is one of the most persistent problems that U.S. citizens have faced in recent times. Many factors have been diagnosed as the causes of homelessness. Advanced research done by many students and organizations have however proven that domestic violence, lack of affordable decent housing, and unemployment are the main causes of homelessness among people. These causes and their corresponding effects tend to make people miserable for most parts of their lives.

I. Homelessness

A. Increased rate in this problem

B. Examples of situations of homelessness

C. Main causes of this dilemma

II. Domestic violence as one of the main causes of homelessness

A. Various forms of domestic violence

B. Main victims of this demeaning act

C. Effects on domestic violence on victims

III. Lack of decent, affordable housing as a contributing factor

A. Continuous increase in rent as a main reason for this situation

B. Eviction of tenants due to inability to afford rent

C. The Impact of unaffordable housing on citizens

IV. Unemployment as a major cause of homelessness.

A. Rate of unemployment in our society

B. The contribution of unemployment to the problem of homelessness

C. Consequences of natural disasters on victims

V. Conclusion

A. Consequences of homelessness in the lives of people

B. Possible solutions to the problem of homelessness

C. Other options to choose if the situation persist

THE MAIN CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF HOMELESSNESS

In recent times, most people have encountered many problems in life. Poverty, drug abuse and ill-health are some of the numerous problems that some people in the world face on a daily basis. Homelessness is a major problem that some people have recently faced. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), homelessness is the "lack of a fixed regular and adequate nighttime residence." Homeless people basically lack housing and food because they cannot afford regular, safe and adequate shelter to live in. The problem of homelessness has been rising for over two decades (Warnes and Crane 3). While some people think of homelessness in terms of single men, roughly a third of the homeless population is made up of families, most of which are headed by single parents. According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors' recent survey of homelessness in twenty-three cities, homelessness is one of the most persistent problems that U.S. citizens have faced in recent times. Many factors have been found as the causes of homelessness. Advanced research done by many students and organizations, however, have proven that domestic violence, lack of affordable housing, and unemployment are the main causes of homelessness among people. These causes and their corresponding effects tend to make people miserable for most parts of their lives.

Domestic violence is one of the main causes of homelessness. According to the Domestic Violence Awareness Handbook, domestic violence occurs when a family member, partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate another, mainly by assaulting and violating the other's person's rights and priorities. Children and women are usually the victims of domestic violence, and most of them experience these violent acts by members of their families. Each year, an estimated 3.3 million children witness domestic violence, and the emotional effects of witnessing domestic violence are similar to the psychological traumas associated with being a victim of child abuse (Get The Facts 60). According to Get The Facts, some of the various forms of domestic violence include: physical assault which involves hitting, shoving or pushing; sexual abuse which involves unwanted or forced sexual activity; intimidation and economic deprivation, or threats of violence. Most victims of these dehumanizing acts, in attempt to escape the bad treatment they receive from partners or family, leave home, and having nowhere else to go, they end up making the streets and other unsafe places their new "homes." They try as much as possible to flee from their "oppressors," and as a result, become homeless. According to an issue of the New York Times in July 2007, most women, who leave their abusers along with their children, are "propelled into an endless collision course with the limited mercies of the social welfare and legal systems." Most of these women struggle to cater for the needs of their children as well as themselves, and as a result of the state of homelessness they may find themselves in, some of the victims may be compelled to partake in social vices, such as armed robbery and prostitution, as means of survival, and may end up being nuisance to society due to their involvement in social vices (Newton 53). Some child victims of domestic violence may also grow up being very bitter and unfriendly people, since most of them find it difficult to trust people again, considering the fact that they have been betrayed by people they love most, such as their fathers (Duckett and Hussain