1. HOMELESS IN AMERICA

2. THE NATURE OF HOMELESSNESS
To address the problem of homelessness
-it is first important to understand the nature of this social
condition
-including developing an understanding of the extent of the
homeless population
-also in determining who is the most vulnerable to
becoming homeless

3. THE BIG
PICTURE
While circumstances may vary,
the main reason people
experience homelessness is
because they cannot find
housing they can afford

4. Homelessness
in the U.S. is
increasing
-particularly among
families with
children

5. Causes of Homelessness
To confront the problem of homelessness, it must first be
determined
-WHO IS HOMELESS
This problem is due to the difficulty in defining homelessness
As well as including the transient nature of the homeless population

6. “Hidden Homeless”
Those of the homeless
population who are difficult to
count
-because they are living in a
traditional emergency shelter
-or because they simply do not
want to be counted

7. “Hidden Homeless”
-the “hidden homeless” may
include those living in
motels, automobiles, and
abandoned buildings.
-they also include those
who double up with friends
or relatives on a temporary
basis.

8. U.S. Homeless Population
At any given night in 2009:
-124,135 chronically homeless individuals in
homeless shelter
13% veterans
4% living with HIV/AIDS
1.5% unaccompanied youths
12% victims of domestic violence
25% suffering from mental illness
34% chronic substance abuse

10. Human Service workers are committed to
advocating for & assisting those who experience
poverty & homelessness

11. Common causes of
Homelessness
 Mental Illness
 Drugs
 Alcohol
 Poverty

13. Negative Stigmas associated with
Homelessness
Targeting specific subgroups:
 single men
 certain social groups
 alcoholics
 Undocumented immigrants

14. Fundamental
Attribute Error
-the average person would assume those that
they did not know, were homeless due to
their own personal short comings
-yet if someone they knew became homeless,
they would attribute it to situational issues

15. History of Homeless in the U.S.
During the 19th & 20th centuries:
-consisted of mostly men
-vagrants
-unemployed
-mental illness
-alcoholism

16. Great Depression=homelessness
The birth of homeless families in the U.S.
-failure of the financial market
-closing of many banks
-rampant unemployment

17. Great Depression
Resulted in many families:
-losing homes
-wandering streets
-searching for shelter

18. During the
70’s & 80’s
the typical
homeless
family
usually
consisted of a
single
mother and
two children

20. Children are the fastest-growing segment of the
homeless population

21. Runaway Youth
There are an estimated 2
million runaway youths in
the United States alone

22. Most homeless
adolescents are living on
the streets because:
 They ran away from an
abusive home
 Their parents kicked
them out and won’t
take care of them
anymore
 Or they have aged out
of the foster care
system

23. Just less than 50% of the homeless population
consists of men:
 men
 mentally ill
 Substance abuse
 Most veterans

24. Differences between younger and older
homeless individuals
YOUNGER ADULTS
Older adult men reported an
average homeless episode
lasting over 60 days
OLDER ADULTS
Younger adult men reported
an average homeless episode
lasting about 14 days

25. McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act of 1987
(HEARTH)
-was reauthorized for the first time in 2
decades in May of 2009 by President
Obama as the Hearth Act, which provides a
variety of remedies focusing on both
prevention & response to homelessness