Homelessness in The United States

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Zak Egal

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In January 2015, 564,708 people were homeless on a given night in the United States. 206,286 people of that 564,708 were in families and had good lives. 8% of those homeless people are veterans. 10% of those people are special need or disabled and can’t work. About 1.56 million or 0.5% of the U.S population used an emergency shelter or a transitional housing program. 1 in 30 kids in America are homeless today and the numbers continue to increase. Homelessness increased after the great recession in the United States.

 

People can become homeless for many reasons. A man named Andy said, “I had more success and money than sense. At age 27 I quickly lost control and started to get addicted to drugs, after prison I tried to get my life back together but my relationship ended and next thing you know i was sleeping on the streets again.” Two of the biggest reasons of homelessness is poverty and the lack of affordable housing. 37 million people or 12.7% of the American population are living in poverty.

 

We look at homeless people and think they aren't on our level as humans. Most homeless people never thought they could be homeless, so anyone can become homeless anytime. It’s hard to imagine that someone can go from owning a home to sleeping on the streets the next day. Many homeless people start with career jobs and stable residence but economic factors intervene causing a rapid change in their living situation.