Policy Recommendations: The Problem of Homelessness
This report assesses the incidence and rate of homelessness in the United States, examines the causes and effects of homelessness, and offers policy recommendations for potential solutions to this social issue. The report argues that while the exact number of homeless men, women and children in the United States at any given time may be difficult to determine, there are estimates that as many as 12 million Americans may have been homeless at one time and about 200,000 chronically homeless people require services. Persistent poverty, lack of work and work skills, mental illness and other psycho-biological health problems, and drug or alcohol dependence are among the primary causes of homelessness. Recommendations include providing federal assistance to state and local programs and agencies working to ameliorate the problem along with awarding incentives for funding to agencies that focus on serving chronically homeless people.
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), there are some 12 million Americans who have experienced homelessness at some point during their lives (Dail, 2000). Additionally, it is believed that as many as 200,000 individuals are chronically homeless, or consistently dependent upon government or private sector service agencies, including shelters, for brief respite from life on the streets (HHS releases comprehensiveà, 2003). Of the chronically homeless, the large majority are known to have serious and disabling health conditions, including psychiatric and substance abuse disorders (HHS releases comprehensiveà, 2003). The percentage of the homeless for whom this is the ongoing lifestyle of choice is probably no more than 1 percent (Dail, 2000).
Consequently, homelessness is considered to be a significant social problem in the United States. Stein (2003) noted that one aspect of the problem is particularly compelling: more an...