Homelessness In America

At any point in time, there has always been homelessness. Homelessness is defined as those without regular dwelling. A person without safe, secure and stable housing is essentially homeless. The US has certainly seen its share of homelessness, but not to the extent as other, poorer countries in other parts of the world. For this discussion, we will start with homelessness in the United States. We have all witnessed the homeless on our way to work or when we take a walk in the park. Homeless people mainly inhabit city streets because there are more people from which to ask for help. There are men, women, teens, small children, and sometimes, whole families that are homeless. Many people prejudge the circumstances under which people may become homeless. Most think that he or she is just lazy and doesn’t want to work. Or they must use drugs, abuse alcohol or are criminals. Truth is there are many factors that can play roles in causing one to become homeless. Let us examine a few.

Veterans of war are at the top of the list. Most post-Vietnam and other war vets come home with injuries that impact their ability to work in order to afford stable dwellings. Writer for The National Alliance to End Homelessness, Liza Doran states that, “But one major factor is combat-related disabilities like traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)” (Doran, 2015). Homeless vets often have signs that say, “Homeless veteran” or “Help a hungry veteran,” though some people may wonder how true the claim is. Arguments state that veterans receive very little help from the government. Disability checks can only pay for so much, especially adequate