Continuum Model Of Homelessness

Throughout the history of the United Stated homelessness and poverty has been a complex and widespread issue. Most of the general population isn't aware of the problem since they are sheltered and lack an immersion experience. The government has followed the trend of the general population, mostly ignoring the issue. The issue is simply getting too big to ignore and money is being wasted when it could be used to help. On average, at any given night in the United States 564,708 people were homeless an even more astonishing figure is that 206,286 were people in families (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2015). These people are citizens of the United States and there should be no reason why they are living on the streets. Looking at the

This view believes in treating substance abuse and mental illness. This method is based on the idea that the homeless must check off supplementary boxes before they can earn their way to permanent housing. The most popular treatment first method is called the Continuum Model. This model requires the homeless individual to fulfill certain requirements, such as self-denial achievement and treatment attendance, before they can changeover from a shelter to provisional or permanent housing (Collins, et al, 2012). Most Americans see this method as the most logical and fair way to go about solving the problem of homelessness. This may be true but, it doesn’t solve the problem nor has it shown significant signs of decreasing the chronically homeless population. This method is costing the American taxpayer around 30,000-50,000 dollars per homeless person, per year (Carrier, 2015). This adds up to almost 3 billion dollars in annual fees that is going towards costly shelters, hospitalizations, and nights in jail (Gibson, 2015). This method is simply illogical because how can a homeless person change a lifestyle while not having a place to live? Substance abuse comes with the territory of being homeless, its an escape from the situation they are in. Once they get out of the situation they can tackle their substance problem head

One comment read, “I think they should get a job and buy their own mini house, but I’m thinking if they wanted that to begin with they wouldn’t be homeless. Bring back the country work farms… they want to have a place to live let them work for it” (Kilen, 2016). Des Moines is making great efforts to reduce homelessness in Polk County, but in order for the HF Model to be adopted, it is clear that these views on homelessness need to change. The PCHFT specifically stated, “You can’t improve your life if you’re living out of a shelter, checking in and out every day, sleeping with bedbugs, having your things stolen, and possibly experiencing sexual or physical violence—those aren’t optimal conditions for finding and keeping a job or stabilizing mental illness” (Polk County Housing Trust Fund,