AFRICA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

WHO IS TO BLAME FOR HOMELESSNESS?

Unique background information affirms that, homelessness is the state of lacking appropriate housing
like living in the streets and even moving to temporary shelters. Regarding Labyrint sveta a raj srdce, Jan
Amos Komensky states that; “my life was a wandering; I never had a homeland. It was a matter of being
constantly tossed about, without rest; nowhere and never did I find a home.” To sum up this, it clearly
shows that homeless people just wander around seeking a place to sleep but they don’t have their
permanent house to live on.

Have you ever wondered how does it feel to sleep on the streets? Have you ever tried to survive with
one meal for an entire week? Homeless people face these everyday and yet the society mistreat them
and even the government abandons them. These homeless people are like our family, they should not
be mistreated nor disrespected. We usually judge them without even knowing about their background
story.

Factors that can make a wealthy person become homeless:

Losing a job – the job that person has lost may be the only thing that can help to provide basic needs
needed.

Mental illness – some people thinks that they can help everybody, but they always ends up forgetting
about themselves, even sometimes losing everything, but still they will always put their life at risk for
others.

Addiction – it can be addiction to betting or drinking, this type of a person most often will not control
their income properly, reaching a point that they will waste all their income and end up having a big
debt and broke.

Physical disabilities – disabled individuals may be unable to work or find appropriate employment. For
those receiving SSI, they often struggle to obtain and maintain stable housing.

Lack of affordable housing – this has lead to high rent burdens (rents which absorb a high proportion of
income), overcrowding and substandard housing.

Illness – for individuals struggling to pay the rent, a serious illness or disability can start a download
spiral into homelessness as there may be depletion of savings to pay for care and eventual eviction.

Divorce – divorce often leaves one of the spouses homeless. Most often it’s the father, but sometimes
it’s the mother and children or everyone involved.

Natural disaster/Fire – situations where due to chance a fire, tornado, flood or hurricane renders
housing inhabitable.

Severe depression – can make it impossible for an individual to maintain a stable life.

If a person leaves a prison, care or the armed forces with no stable home to go to.
How Homelessness Affects:

Children

The main disadvantage of homelessness children is lack of education. These children face unstable living
conditions, residency proof problems and lack funds for school fees.

These children consistently exhibit more health problems due to the environmental factors and this
leads to high risk of infectious disease. Poor nutrition also contributes to poor health causing increased
rates of stunted growth and anaemia.

These children are confronted with stressful and traumatic events that they often are too young to
understand and this leads to severe emotional distress.

For the homeless children who have made to go to school, they face challenges as well. Their academic
performance is hampered both by their poor cognitive development and their circumstances of their
homelessness. Secondly, the circumstances of homelessness make it even more difficult for homeless
children to perform well in school. In particular, constant mobility harms the academic progress of
homeless children.

Homeless infants are more likely to have low birth weights and are at greater risk of death.

Homeless children can experience a large amount of social isolation from their peers . this level of social
isolation is harmful for children, creating low levels of self esteem, is a distraction from school work and
a permanent source of anxiety for adolescents as well as a potential weak spot for bullies.

Homeless children living in temporary accommodation struggle significally with sleep; homeless children
draw the attention of teachers after falling asleep at their desks or appearing physically fatigued and
distracted.

Parents.

Stress

Anxiety and exhaustion

Loss of self worth

Isolation

Loss of control

SOCIETY.

It costs the government more money.

It poses a threat to public health since it’s undeniable that homeless people are more vulnerable to
communicable diseases.

It can compromise public security since many homeless people struggle with mental illness that is
brought about by their traumatic upbringing.
It breaks down community life. When a large number of the population are experiencing homelessness,
it brings community life to its breaking point.

It creates social barriers. Homelessness brings with it a social stigma. Those who experience it often live
in shame and isolation. they are trying to survive and they are desperate for help. But the fear of
condemnation often prevents them from reaching out.

It shapes the next generation. Children who are born to homeless parents often grow up to become
homeless adults themselves. this is how homelessness affects even the next generation. The
homelessness cycle will repeat itself for generations unless someone fights to break out of it.