Structural Causes Of Homelessness Essay

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Homelessness refer to those who live on the streets or occupy shelters. But as one analyzes the issue of homelessness, one realizes that there are structural and individual cause regarding homelessness. Homelessness refer to those who live on the streets or occupy shelters. Anyone is homeless “if they slept in limited or no shelter for any left of time (First, Rife, & Toomey, 1994)”. The structural causes consist of unemployment and poverty and housing market, economic structure and social policy while individual causes comprise mental illness, alcoholism and substance abuse (Main, 1998). However, after analyzing homelessness one could argue that the structural and individual factors are the main cause of homelessness.
One of main causes of homelessness is the chronic mental disorder suffered by mentally ill. According to (USDHHS, 2012) estimates that individuals with untreated psychiatric illness consist one third of 744,000 homeless population in the United States. Of which the two third were single and one third were families. Therefore, people who suffered from mental illness did not benefit from Patient Protection Affordable Care Act of 2010(ACA) because the policy lack remedy regarding mental health and homelessness.
The quality of life for the homeless individuals is unbearable due to failure of Affordable Care Act (ACA).
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But the findings show that a coherent national strategy on homelessness is lacking and more systematic approach to policy development on homelessness are necessary (First, Rife, & Toomey, 1994). The social and economic changes have jeopardized the life of individuals who live in rural areas. Inequality between rural and urban area thought to be closing is now expanding. So federal policy to addressing the need of homelessness in United States were inadequate (First, Rife, & Toomey,

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