The Homelessness in the United States: A Marginalized Population

THE HOMELESS IN THE UNITED STATES 2

The Homeless in the United States: A Marginalized Population

What is Homelessness?

· Lack of a safe, stable, and appropriate place to live

· May be sheltered and unsheltered

· Occurs when a cascade of economic and interpersonal factors converge in the lives of marginalized people

· Results in individuals living on the street, shelters, motels, tents, or other temporary enclosures

· (Galley, 2019)

Homelessness Statistics in the United States

…… 2020 a total of approximately 555,653 people within the united states

Homeless Population by State 2021

Homeless Population by State 2021 (worldpopulationreview.com)

In the  United States , there are over half a million people experiencing homelessness. These individuals live in a temporary shelter or transitional housing or sleep in a place not meant for habitation (like an abandoned building).

Overall, 66.7% of the total homeless population of the United States is single individuals, with the remaining 33.3% being families. In recent years, homelessness increased nationally by almost one percent. This number comprises unaccompanied children and young adults, single adults experiencing chronic homelessness, and people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.

Some populations have seen a decrease in homelessness. Dramatic reductions are amongst families and the veteran community.

The state of  California  currently has the highest homeless population, with about 151,278 homeless people. This is about one-fifth of the total homeless population in the United States. This figure is attributed to issues with providing affordable and adequate housing opportunities, current drug laws, and the inaccessibility of important mental health resources.

Homeless Population by State 2021 (worldpopulationreview.com)

Underlying Causes of Homelessness

· High unemployment rate

· Low wages

· Lack of affordable housing

· Lack of affordable healthcare

· Poverty

· Deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill

· Failures of correctional services, healthcare services, and child welfare

· Cuts to social services

· Gentrification of inner city and increase in property values

· Massive budget cuts to US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) resulting in inadequate supply of low-income housing

· Racial inequality

· Lack of mental health and addiction treatment services

· Domestic Violence

· Family Conflict (LGBTQ+)

· System Failures

· COVID- 19 crisis

(Galley, 2019)

Enumeration of the Homeless Population

· Per Continuums of Care (Jan 2019)

· 567,715 people were homeless, representing an overall 2.7 percent increase from 2018

· 37,085 Veterans were reported as homeless

· 53,692 families with children experienced homelessness

· Homelessness increased in California by 21,306 people, or 16.4 percent, accounting for more than the entire national increase

Marginalization due to homeless status

· Power differential

· Seen as a fault of the Individual

· A problem of the lower class (impoverished)

· Racial, ethnic, LGBTQ+ discrimination and ablism

· Mental illness

· Substance abuse

· Prior incarceration

· Immigration status

Resultant Impact on Mental Health

· Cognitive and behavioral issues

· Anxiety

· Fear

· Depression

· Insomnia

· Substance abuse

· Violent victimization

(Williams, 2017)

History of Homelessness

· 1850s lounging rooms for vagrants

· 1870s term homelessness was created, first became a national issue, tramp

· 1880 term hobo

· 1960s civil rights deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill

· 1980s modern homelessness, recession, Social Security Act of 1989

· 1983 reduction of hospital beds

· 1990s Housing opportunities for persons with AIDS

· 1997 Stewart B. McKinney Act

· 2002 Chronic Homelessness Initiative

· 2009 Next reauthorization of the McKinney Act

· 2010 USICH under Obama’s Administration

Unresolved Issues Facing the Homeless

· Housing initiatives fail to address root causes

· Persistent health inequities

· Family violence

· Social isolation

· Economic inequality

· Equal opportunity and justice

· Stigma of mental health services

· Lack of mental health services

Multicultural Implications

· Strength base clinical and assessment services

· Accessible settings

· Collaborations

· Advocacy

· Person-centered approach

Implications in Clinical Practice

· Primary health care

· Psychiatric services

· Public benefits

· Emergency shelter

· Disability documentation

· Food, clothing, sleeping Bag

· Transportation

· Cell phone

· Long-term case management

Role of a Psychologist

· Multicultural sensitivity and recognizing the strengths and unique characteristics of all people

· Research

· Training

· Advocacy

My Thoughts on Homelessness

· Starting over

· Preferred homelessness (Andrew and Robert)

· Fear and refusal

References

American Psychological Association. (2021). Health and Homelessness. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/homelessness-health.

Galley, C. (2019, February 20). The Connection Between Homelessness, Immigration, and Displacement. Center On Human Rights Education. https://www.centeronhumanrightseducation.org/connection-homelessness-immigration-displacement/.

HUD Releases 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report. Homelessness Increase in California Offsets Combined Decrease in All other States; Continued Declines Noted Among Veterans and Families with Children. (2021, January https://www.hud.gov/

Williams, J. C. (2017, January 10). The Politics of Homelessness in the United States. Oxford Handbooks Online.

h ttps://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935307. 001.0001/oxfordhb.

X;, T. J. G. (2019). Homelessness Among Immigrants in the United States: Rates, Correlates

and Differences Compared with Native-born Adults20. Public health.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30739834/.