history paper on legal resources for the homeless people in the United states

1. Running Head: LEGAL RESOURCES FOR THE HOMELESS 1
Legal Resources for the Homeless
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Institution
Course
Date

2. LEGAL RESOURCES FOR THE HOMELESS 2
Homelessness refers to a condition in which people lack a permanent dwelling place.
Such people find it a challenge to acquire adequate housing facilities, which are secure and
regularly safe. Being a basic human need, the homeless in most cases find themselves in a
situation that poses a challenge to their well-being. It is not easy for such people to have peace of
mind, knowing very well that they do not have a place to go when the night comes. As such,
many countries across the globe have legal resources for the homeless living in these countries.
Every nation has a certain percentage of homeless citizens under the care of the administration of
that particular country. The people are either completely homeless, or they may also be living as
squatters. The squatters are partly homeless because the place they live in is not legally their
possession.
The homeless people in their poor state are affected by several issues. The level of
unemployment is higher for the homeless population, being the reason why they find it difficult
to afford even rental housing. Among the legal resources available for the affected population is
where the legal bodies can intervene, and deal with those who refuse to accept application for
housing to the unemployed people. If the efforts of the legal body are limited the homeless
people do not afford to get these employment opportunities which can earn them some money to
assist them in living a better life. The kind of life the homeless people live is full of challenges
and disasters because they have increased chances of arrests by law enforcers. Since they have
no source of income, even when arrested, they have a hard time to go through the legal process
and get fair judgment (de Vet et al., 2013). The government has agencies that can assist the
homeless to get some place to live, for example letting them to live in the local government
housing. This is a legal resource for the homeless because they have the protection from any

3. LEGAL RESOURCES FOR THE HOMELESS 3
eviction when they are living in a public amenity. In the process of looking for a solution, the
government of the affected state should consider those who spend the night in places not suitable
for human settlement and offer them somewhere to live.
It is clear that the homeless can also be victims of drug and substance abuse (de Vet et al.,
2013). In most cases, they are a vulnerable lot because the drug and substance dealers have easier
access to them, and they are a ready market for the commodity. The government should try
alleviating the problem of homelessness so that the dealers find no ready market for the illegal
business. As the law takes its course, there is the dire need for it to consider the plight of the
homeless, and the situation that led to their being in the homeless situation. The affected lot have
a legal right to get special attention, all geared towards giving them a chance to live well with the
other members of the public. Such attention may include, and not limited to, their enrollment in
the rehabilitation centers funded by the government (Tsai et al., 2017). As they terminate their
stay in the rehab, they need to find a place they can call home. Towards this end, the government
may construct low-cost houses to assist the homeless in getting decent housing.
It can also be noted that the homeless people are the most negatively affected by the civil
legal cases (Tsai et al., 2017). The quality of life they can afford is not desirable, and in case they
have a lawsuit, they cannot afford the services of a lawyer. It is for this reason that the incumbent
government needs to have a way out for this group of citizens, and this is possible by ensuring
that these people have a place they can call home. It is possible to incorporate lawyers in the
health teams so that they can assist in the dealing with the complex issues that face the
vulnerable populations. The presence of a lawyer would ensure that the affected people address
the legal matters, before seeking litigation via the administrative, legal solutions.

4. LEGAL RESOURCES FOR THE HOMELESS 4
The young population may also become homeless, due to the situations that they face at
home. Most of them leave home to run away from challenges that are beyond their control,
specifically emotional, physical or sexual abuses (Woelfer & Hendry, 2009). In most cases, the
young ones find the places away from home to be more secure and peaceful, and this explains
why street families exist. The parents of the young generation become the source for the
homeless, and this is the reason why they need to have the attention of the government and the
well-wishers. It is for this reason that the social welfare groups need to chip in and address the
problem in conjunction with the government agencies responsible for the process of settling the
homeless.
In an attempt to handle this problem, there exist legal junctions where these young people
can get access to useful information (Woelfer & Hendry, 2009). It is in these places that the
people can get to learn their talents, and in the process, find themselves in the hands of caring
adults who can become good mentors. The information centers are child-friendly and full of
useful materials where the young generation may learn new things and in the process, emerge
victorious in their life. Most of the homeless population members have different talents. Some
are artists in the field of drawing, while others can become very useful security personnel. All
they need is love and attention from the public, as well as having the right people to guide them
along the way. They need the support of the government, which may chip in and offer financial
and legal resources for the entire group to use in their learning process (Tsai et al., 2017). They
need to have full equipping and anybody can chip in to make sure that the place has all that is
needed to make it useful for the entire public. The legal system may ensure that they have the
protection from any form of violence so that they do not regret to be part and parcel of the
information centers (Tsai et al., 2017). Since these are places that are useful to many people,

5. LEGAL RESOURCES FOR THE HOMELESS 5
there is the need for the government to ensure the security of such places and the property
therein. In such place, the homeless find peace of mind, and they enjoy the freedom from
violence.
The caregivers entrusted with the services of the young homeless people tend to oppress
their subjects from time to time (Woelfer & Hendry, 2009). The oppression makes the offended
lot prone to becoming hardened, and that translates to a situation where they fear nothing. The
biggest challenge is that the homeless cannot seek a legal intervention because they cannot afford
the services of a lawyer. They, therefore, end up deciding to live quietly with the problems that
they face from time to time, making them tough to the situation and facing life with animosity. In
attempts to handle the situation, there is the need for the government to see to it that the
caregivers do not oppress the subjects, regardless of the situation. Freedom from any form of
oppression is a basic human right, and the constitution has the mandate to protect this right (Tsai
et al., 2017). For this reason, therefore, the affected population needs to have the legal protection
from any oppression, because it is a problem that led to their being homeless.
In conclusion, therefore, it is clear that homelessness is both a social and a legal
challenge. All the people in the society feel the effect of the challenge, and the affected lot has no
financial ability to deal with the problem. For this reason, there is the need to have government
support for the people who cannot afford the legal fees, in case they have a law suit. In addition
to that, the government has the mandate to protect the homeless from any form of oppression,
regardless of the reason behind it.

6. LEGAL RESOURCES FOR THE HOMELESS 6
References
de Vet, R., A. van Luijtelaar, M. J., Brilleslijper-Kater, S. N., Vanderplasschen, W.,
Beijersbergen, M. D., & L. M. Wolf, J. R. (2013). Effectiveness of Case Management for
Homeless Persons: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Public Health, 103(10),
e13-e26.
Tsai, J., Jenkins, D., & Lawton, E. (2017). Civil Legal Services and Medical-Legal Partnerships
Needed by the Homeless Population: A National Survey. American Journal of Public
Health, 107(3), 398-401.
Woelfer, J. P., & Hendry, D. G. (2009). Stabilizing homeless young people with information and
place. Journal of The American Society for Information Science & Technology, 60(11),
2300-2312.

7. LEGAL RESOURCES FOR THE HOMELESS 6
References
de Vet, R., A. van Luijtelaar, M. J., Brilleslijper-Kater, S. N., Vanderplasschen, W.,
Beijersbergen, M. D., & L. M. Wolf, J. R. (2013). Effectiveness of Case Management for
Homeless Persons: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Public Health, 103(10),
e13-e26.
Tsai, J., Jenkins, D., & Lawton, E. (2017). Civil Legal Services and Medical-Legal Partnerships
Needed by the Homeless Population: A National Survey. American Journal of Public
Health, 107(3), 398-401.
Woelfer, J. P., & Hendry, D. G. (2009). Stabilizing homeless young people with information and
place. Journal of The American Society for Information Science & Technology, 60(11),
2300-2312.