Homelessness is a terrifying state of existence that destroys families, self-confidence, and even the will to live.  Homeless people face the threat of losing almost everything.  Not only is homelessness the loss of a permanent residence, quite often, it is also the loss of hope.  For many, homelessness represents the loss of a sense of belonging and a psychological sense of home.  According to some sociologists, "homeless" describes anyone who leads an isolated life without the usual social ties to family, work and community life.  Whereas some homeless people live under bridges, in bus stations, in emergency shelters, or onthe street, other may live in beautiful houses, but lead isolated lives.  People become homeless for various reasons, including unemployment, mental illness, divorce, drug abuse, and other personal and family difficulties.  The United Nations reports that there are over 100 million homeless people worldwide.  Homelessness is a serious problem that can and should be prevented.  The prevention of homelessness can strengthen the economy, and a strong economy has benefits for us all.

One of the major causes of homelessness is employment barriers.  Twenty percent of homeless people who have jobs still can't afford housing.  Overcoming homelessness is almost impossible for people who have limited job skills or experience.  Some people lack the motivation to get a job.  They might have low self-esteem and think they will never amount to anything in life.  In the end, they will just give up without trying.  A person could also be too wrapped up in drugs to get and hold a job.   Aside from the unemployed, there is still another type of homeless person.   These people have a good job that pays well, but they do not like it.  They are unhappy and do not have friends and spend their whole life working.  People like this are considered homeless because they lack a sense of belonging.  For the unemployed on underemployed homeless people, the U.S. Department of Labor began a Job Training for the Homeless program. This program provides funds for basic skills and literacy instruction, job training, referral, and job search activities. Training programs for homeless people do not necessarily end their homelessness.  They still have to go out and get a job and close the gap between income and housing.  Employment is a major factor in shaping one's life.

Alcohol and drug abuse is high among the homeless population.  Some people who are addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs never become homeless, but other people who are poor and addicted are clearly at the risk of homelessness.  Even if someone who is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol does not lose his/her home, the person may still be considered homeless because of an isolated lifestyle.  This person's life is centered around drugs and nothing else.  Although anyone can be at risk of becoming homeless, addiction does increase the risk of displacement from where the person is living at that time.  Also, addiction can hinder one's chance of getting housing or obtaining health care, including addictive disorder treatment and recovery support group services.  At least over half of the homeless population suffers from alcohol and/or other drug abuse problems.  To assist people with this problem there are alcohol and drug abuse treatment centers.  These centers have skilled people who help in the process of detoxification, treatment, recovery services, and relapse prevention.  However, these programs can't do it all.  The addicted people must first realize they are addicted and want help.  There are many programs and organizations that are designed to help homeless people, but they must be willing to try to improve. 

Another type of homeless people are those who have a mental illness.  Over 200,000 homeless people are mentally ill.  They lack a permanent safe house, a source of income or employment, basic health care, and any social support networks.   Only five to seven percent of homeless persons with mental illnesses need to be in an institution.  Most can live in a community with supportive housing options.   However, many mentally ill homeless people are unable to obtain supportive housing and treatment services.  There are mental health support services that help the homeless who are mentally ill.  These services include case management, housing, and treatment.  Also, a growing number of caring citizens are reaching out to help provide essential resources to homeless severely mentally ill people in their community, state, and nation.  The state government helps to design and implement systems of treatment, housing, and supportive services and to set standards, while the federal government provides leadership, financial incentives, and encourages the better development of systems of care for homeless people.  More than a decade has been devoted to developing services for homeless people who have severe mental illnesses. The experience and research has provided an increasingly solid foundation of knowledge about the needs of mentally ill homeless people. 

Often, homeless people suffer from hunger.  Although we produce enough food to feed everyone in the world, one person dies from hunger every 40 seconds.  Many organizations provide food to homeless people.  A large organization that helps homeless people is Feed My People.   Feed My People was incorporated in 1983.  It is a non-profit, rehabilitative help center.  It helps people who cannot help themselves and provides temporary help to those who may have fallen into hard times.  Feed My People is staffed by approximately 300 full-time and 488 part-time volunteers.   The services provided by these volunteers range from job counseling to truck driving.   Volunteer participation is taken very seriously.  All volunteers are required to go through an on-site training before they are assigned duties.  Feed My People considers volunteer participation a privilege and that is earned, not just given.   Feed My People provides food, assists clients applying for food stamps, provides materials for the people's basic needs, provides all types of counseling, distributes school supplies, and provides summer camps for children.    During the holidays, Feed My people distributes turkeys for Thanksgiving, hams for Easter, and sponsors the Christmas giving tree and the adopt-a-family Christmas basket.   Through the adopt-a-family program, families or organizations adopt a client family or individual.  The donors prepare a basket containing non-perishable items for a Christmas dinner.  Feed My People will not do everything for the homeless people.   The homeless people have to show improvement for this organization to keep helping them.   Feed My People also co-sponsors, along with other organizations, a homeless shelter.  The major goal Feed My People and the other organizations is to help people become independent, self-supporting, contributing citizens.   

Homelessness affects many children.   Children need security.  They need a home where they feel safe and loved.   Homelessness deprives children and teens of their natural joy.  In families, 43 percent of parents are employed but cannot make it on their salaries.  Children who are born into homelessness have no control over what happens to them.   Homelessness was brought upon them.  There is another group of homeless kids and teens who are runaways.   Over one million homeless people are teens. These teens have no where to live and no one to care for them.  Some of these runaways live in abandoned buildings, under bridges, or in alleys.  Many of them never go to shelters because they are afraid of being picked up by authorities.  Runaways come from all levels of society.  Both boys and girls run away.  Girls, however, tend to run away with a friend rather than be alone.  Generally, these runaways come from broken homes.  Some of these kids and teens have been sexually abused.    Also, divorced parents may shuffle the child back and forth until the child feels rejected by both parents.  Stepfathers, Stepmothers, half-brothers and sisters can cause tension in families.  Alcohol, drugs, and financial problems contribute to kids being mistreated.  Perhaps the parents did not want any kids, so they mistreat them. Childhood should be a happy time, full of fantasy and laughter.  A lot of children are unhappy though.  Many of them are happier in the street than in their own homes.  In some families parents and children do not communicate.  Parents sometimes pressure their children too much.  Rules that the parents make may seem too harsh to the kids.  Runaways can happen in any family.  There is no one type of family that is susceptible to this problem. 

Long-term solutions for homelessness are permanent affordable housing, job training with placement, health care, mental health care, nutritional programs, homes for runaways that cannot return home, transportation, and supportive, flexible social service programs.   There should be counseling in all areas for all types of homeless people.    More programs like Volunteers in Service to America (V.I.S.T.A.)  are needed.  V.I.S.T.A. is one of the nation's oldest volunteer programs.    Volunteers live and work among the poor people helping them and suggesting places to go for help.  In addition, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act makes provisions to ensure education for homeless children.   There is the Job Training Program for the economically disadvantaged, including the homeless.  These are just a few of the programs that assist the homeless population.  There are many more.  These programs will help reduce the number of homeless people if the homeless are willing to try and if they have access to these programs.

Homelessness is a terrifying experience.  It destroys families.  It destroys self-confidence and even the will to live.  For the homeless, life becomes a desperate battle to survive.  They are always wondering where their next meal will be coming from and where they are going to stay at night.  If more help is given, the homeless may start to regain the hope that their lives can be changed.  We will   not have to see as many homeless faces asking for money or a job.  Also, we will not have to see a dirty child clinging to a tattered doll while she watches the happy faces of the well-fed pass by.  Homelessness is a terrible condition affecting millions of Americans.  The homeless need our help.  Without our help, the problem will not go away.  Homelessness can and should be prevented.