The Existence Of Homelessness

227 Words1 Pages
The existence of homeless people in our society is evident everyday. By the turn of the twentieth century the percentage of Americans defined as homeless or as “an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets, stay in a shelter, or abandoned building” has increased (nhchc.org). In January 2014, there were 578,424 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States (endhomelessness.org). Homelessness is important because having a shelter is associated with a sense of safety. It represents the place in which work, friendship, family and all other activities can be preserved (Wilkinson, 1995). The forces, which affect homelessness, are complex and often interactive in nature. These facts have not gone unnoticed