Homeless in America: Causes of Homelessness (Pt. 1)

How would it affect your life if you missed one paycheck? How about two consecutive paychecks? Majority of Americans are only one or two paychecks away from becoming homeless or ending up in poverty. In Central Florida alone there are over 8,500 people homeless. From those one out of four are children, which is a true statistic of homeless individuals across the country. Children and the elderly are the fastest growing populations falling into homelessness. Imagine sustaining a serious injury and not being able to work for more than six months. If you are one out five Americans who can’t afford health insurance, or whose jobs don’t provide health insurance, you are in even bigger trouble. Imagine a hurricane coming through your town destroying thousands of homes due to hurricane wind and flood damage and home owners insurance not being able or willing to repair your home. Lack of affordable health care and natural disasters are only two of the many causes that put thousands of Americans without a home, living on the streets, shelters, and living in the woods.

There are many other reasons why thousands of Americans become homeless each year. Something must be done about this preventable problem. Is a ten year plan the right tool to use to end homelessness or are there faster and more efficient solutions? How many people would have to receive help in a ten year period? One must consider all the reasons why someone becomes homeless, when developing such a plan. A plan to end homelessness must have a solution that provides shelter, jobs, and linkage to services such as drug rehab, mental help, and more. Such a plan must also be able to prevent individuals from falling into homelessness by attacking the problem at its cause. Stop back by tomorrow to learn about some more reasons why thousands of our people fall into homelessness, and what you can do to become part of the solution!