The Issue of Homelessness Essays - 2064 Words

It is everywhere, yet it is unseen. Homelessness is a national epidemic which affects approximately 2% of the total population share of Michigan. Though this percentage is not as much as the 11% I used to see on the streets of my home state, New York, its effects are noticeable in the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 5). Over the course of three weeks, I have observed five regular and several wandering homeless people solely on State Street and East Liberty Street. However, homelessness is not a one-sided issue based only on affected individuals, it is also influenced by notions of the homeless from the non-homeless. There is an overwhelmingly negative connotation, a†¦show more content†¦In that time period, only one man approached the homeless man and that man was also homeless himself. The stares of onlookers were similar to those of the onlookers I observed earlier at Liberty Plaza on East Liberty Street. The non-homeless onlookers seem to walk past, trying to avoid looking at the poor or homeless people by abruptly looking at cell phones or directly looking the opposite way. This detached behavior can be attributed to historically ingrained negative connotations of the homeless. The first researchers dedicated to the topic of homelessness in the mid -1900s concluded that the homeless were â€Å"socially incompetent† and were outcasts because they had the â€Å"desire to follow deviant† lifestyles (Rosenthal 598). These stereotypes continue to resonate in society today. Princeton University professor, Susan Fiske, has studied perceptions of the poor for 12 years and has recently conducted research which confirmed a biological reaction of disgust associated with observing the poor (Lubrano). In an interview conducted by the New York Times, Fiske reveals an important insight on the detrimental effects of homeless stereotypes: The stereotypes of poor people in the United States are among the most negative prejudices that we have. And people basically view particularly homeless people as having no redeeming qualities — there’s not the competence for anything, not having good intentions and not beingShow MoreRelatedThe Issue Of Homelessness : Homelessness1438 Words   |  6 Pages Homelessness is a crucial issue that seems to go unnoticed because apparently there’s more important issue than homelessness. When thinking about homelessness what is the first image that appears in your head? Do you picture adults sleeping under bridges? Do you think of the people whose standing on side the bridge begging for money as the cars pass? Or do you think of the other people sitting in front of the store asking for money? Is that all you see when you imagine someone being homelessRead MoreHomelessness Is Not An Issue Essay1385 Words   |  6 Pagesand start working toward solutions to the proble m. Homelessness affects real people who each have a unique story. As fellow humans, homelessness is not an issue we can feel morally justified to ignore. What the city of Denver has been doing to solve this problem is simply not enough; it seems like there are certain areas of town where a homeless person can be found on every street corner. Instead of continuing to ignore it, the issue of homelessness in Denver needs to be met with more compassion, fundingRead MoreHomelessness Is The Issue And Problem Of Homelessness1567 Words   |  7 PagesHomelessness Defined: A key issue society currently faces is the issue and problem of homelessness. In January of 2016, approximately 549,928 American individuals were experiencing homelessness (HUD’s 2016 annual assessment, 2016). 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A study done in 20 14 on the issue of homelessness in Canada found that approximately â€Å"235Read MoreThe Social Issues Of Homelessness1133 Words   |  5 Pageswe see certain things so often, we become desensitized and accustomed to them, leading us to acknowledge them less and less. This however, serves as a poor excuse when explaining our lack of effort in attacking and solving the social issues present in homelessness. In today’s day and age, individuals often adapt the mindset of: â€Å"Your problem, you deal with it.† But how are these human beings, who have aspirations and dreams just like you and me (that are now crushed), are supposed to just â€Å"deal†Read MoreThe Social Issue Of Homelessness1138 Words   |  5 Pages Homelessness Catherine Vivi ABS 497 Applied Behavioral Sciences Capstone Instructor Theresa Cruz June 29, 2015 Ashford University â€Æ' â€Æ' Homelessness Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located between the two larger cities in central Florida those being Tampa to the west and Orlando to the east. While interventions to interrupt and end homelessness may vary across groups, ending homelessness permanently requires housing combined with the types of services supported by programsRead MoreHomelessness: A Global Issue826 Words   |  3 PagesHomelessness: A Global Issue Homelessness is a prime concern for numerous countries across the globe, including the most advanced ones. Though the population of homeless people tends to be higher in developing countries, it is still a concern in developed nations. Homelessness is a state where someone lacks regular shelter. The term includes people who do not have a home and sleep on the streets, as well as those whose basic nighttime residence is a homeless shelter or other improvised form of housingRead MoreHomelessness is No Longer an Issue1299 Words   |  6 Pagestheir kids. Single parents, of course, are not the only ones dealing with homelessness. Thousands of families end up homeless a year; in fact, 41% percent of the homeless community is made of families. Out of a lack of awareness, it is believed by many that the only real reason for homelessness is the recent recession even though this is nothing close to true. Homelessness is caused by so many reasons. Homelessness can be caused by unfortunate personal experiences such as Veteran parents whoRead MoreHomelessness Is A Major Issue Essay1428 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Homelessness is a major issue in Edinburgh (Torrie, 2014). Progress has been made (Gordon, 2015), but we can do far better. It is possible to completely end chronic homelessness. How? The answer is surprisingly straightforward: put housing first. But homelessness will not end as long as our goal is merely to manage homelessness, rather than eradicate it. This brief will explore approaches to ending homelessness, and their successes and potential drawbacks. It will be concluded basedRead MoreHomelessness : A Social Issue2081 Words   |  9 Pageson a Social Issue. I have chosen Homelessness. I chose this because it is a very serious issue not only here in Australia but all over the world. In Australia there are is about 105,000 Australians that are homeless on any given night, all of which are either living in a makeshift home or sleeping on the streets. In my essay I am going to look at whom homelessness affects the reasons why, and what is being done to help and raise awareness 1.0 What is homelessness? 1.1 Homelessness the social