Urbanization And Homelessness

SeaWorld, Disneyland, or sunny beaches are most likely the first images that come to mind when someone speaks of California. However, street corners, dumpsters, or food banks may be what another group of people may think when they hear the name “California.” Out of the 610,042 people in the United States found to be homeless on a single random night in January of 2013, twenty percent (20%) of those people were in California. Another thirteen percent was found in New York and another eight in Florida. Why are the rates so much higher in more well-known cities such as these? Evidently, there are greater amounts of homeless people in urban areas; they’re also more visible and counted easier due to services they may use in the city (Homelessness …show more content…
It can happen to just about anyone: men, women, children, families, veterans, etc. Usually a person struggling to find their way has been through a serious life event, whether it be negative or positive. A person may have recently, or are still, battled a drug addiction and spent far too much time and money on unimportant things such as drugs. Many times a family will try re-housing and fail in the process, which only makes it harder to be stable, and they might end up homeless entirely. There will be even more instances where a veteran may be returning home and be suffering from severe disabilities, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Veteran women are also more likely than men to end up as homeless. Women who have suffered through domestic violence also have a greater chance at becoming homeless. This comes from the fact that once finally leaving the abuser, women are usually affected by this and unable to find or afford any help. Not only women, but children and teens are greatly affected. It 's not always easy to tell when a teen on the street is experiencing homelessness. They are less likely to be as open about it, so they usually try harder to blend in and avoid being around places that homeless adults reside …show more content…
A major group that is working for bettering the lives of the homeless is the National Alliance to End Homelessness. This organization began working cooperatively with the general public in 1987 to devise several plans that could be used to help prevent homelessness in as many people as possible. They have programs such as “Housing First”, which focuses on obtaining stable residency to help end homelessness, and “Rapid Re-housing”, which offers financial aid to help anyone experiencing homelessness to get back on their feet. They have also have the “Ten Essentials” that essentially outline the action needed to take to help in ending homelessness. Another is their “Ten Year Plan,” which is mainly a strategy whose goal is to end homelessness completely for everyone. Their website also speaks of local progress and prevention methods. Their many plans to overcome this worldwide problem is a major indication as to why they are the leading organization for ending homelessness (“Issues”). There is another organization that has come together for a way to help called the Homeless World Cup. They aren 't necessarily an organization working to fix the issue, but to "touch the lives of homeless people and make a significant change in their life through the beautiful game of football.” They use football to inspire many