References
Facts and Figures: The Homeless. (2009, July 26). PBS. Retrieved October 17, 2012, from
www.pbs.org
As of 2009, the article estimates that the country’s recession will “force 1.5 million more people into
homelessness over the next two years.” Also, the estimated amount of homeless people in the United States is
between 2.3 and 3.5 million people; 58% of them were living in shelters while 42% were unsheltered, and about
“1.5 million of American children are homeless each year”. The author also presents many causes for
homelessness. Some of these are lack of affordable housing, poverty, unemployment, drugs and alcohol abuse,
and mental illness of course. Unfortunately, about 40% of homeless men are also veterans coming from wars
after risking their life to protect America. This numbers and statistics are useful in my research because it
explains how the homelessness status was from past years and what to expect to happen in the future. Even
though the information is helpful, it is not very reliable since the data is from 3 years ago but I can still use it in
comparison to the current status of homeless people.
Facts on who are homeless. (2006). The Homeless. Retrieved October 17, 2012 from
the-homeless.com
According to this site, homeless people are those released from hospitals or prison without a place to go to,
those who have an expensive house while working at a low paying job, and those who are forced to leave their
house such as mistreated women and runaway teenagers. Natural disasters are also causes for
homelessness. Things that have been done to help this cause are providing food and residential stability,
improving mental health, and a survey where over 60% citizens agreed on paying more taxes and giving
donations of goods and money. This information is helpful to my research because it describes the many
causes of homelessness and it also explains that the community is willing to help these people out in many
ways.
Government Study Homelessness often has start in troubled childhoods. (1999). CNN Politics.
Retrieved October 17, 2012, from www.cnn.com
This article is mainly based on statistics and results of surveys and census. It stated that single homeless
people had an income of $348while homeless families had one of $475 and still that almost 50% of these
people would still go for days without food since they could not afford it. Also, 33% of homeless people reported
to be veterans, 25% childhood physical or sexual abuse, 33% ran away from home and 27% lived in foster care
as kids. To help reduce the percentages of homelessness, 5 billion dollars were invested or donated in
programs designed to help this people. With this data, I can include in my research information about the life of a
homeless person and prove that there are many different factors that lead to homelessness. I can also say that
even if it is no seen by everyone, that there are actually things that are being done to help this cause.
Homeless Help on The Hill. (1997). CNN Politics. Retrieved October 17, 2012, from
www.cnn.com
The author of this article explains how over 600 volunteers gathered together during Thanksgiving Day to fight
against homelessness. It was the 15th consecutive year that the community members had served dinner to
1,800 homeless people in the congressional grounds showing that they were fighting for homeless’ rights.
Foods served in the dinners were turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, string beans, desserts, sodas, and juice.
Some businesses also donated to this event turkeys and a variety of desserts. Not only food was given away but
also coats, hats, gloves, and other winter clothing were distributed among them. All of this was free of course
and of great help for these people. I can use this information to explain how the community responds to this
issue and how they are willing to help out even during holidays by doing small things and donating clothes.
Homeless turn to Twitter for food, shelter. (2011). CNN Politics. Retrieved October 17, 2012,
from www.cnn.com
In this news article, Michael Cary explains how Social networking media such as Face Book and Twitter help
homeless people to get food and a house. It gives the personal story of Rd Plasschaert and how when she was
about to lose her house, after losing her job, she signed up for Twitter in search of “homelessness-related hash
tags, or topics.” Days later, she got in contact with one of her followers for advice on available services and was
able to get her own studio apartment. With this, she inspired mark Horvar, a homeless himself from Hollywood,
to create a website called WeAreVisible.com to teach homeless people how to use social networking sites so
that they can have a voice in society like the rest of the citizens. This information is very useful since it explains
how a simple thing used everyday such as networking websites can help solve a big issue in society.
Masterson, V. (2012, July 15). Program helps UTEP homeless students. Retrieved from
kvia.com
According to Masterson, over 100 UTEP students are homeless without a place to go at night and sleep.
Therefore, they end up sleeping “on benches, in their cars or at local shelters.” Mario Blanco, a nursing major
student confessed that he “would just find random friends to stay with during the week and then go back to
Juarez.” Unfortunately, the number of homeless students increased from last year and not having a place to stay
affects the students’ education forcing them to drop out or to barely finish one semester. To help out these
students, the FHAR at UTEP offers them housing, food, and medical care at UTEP. According to Lachica,
coordinator of FHAR, the results of this program are that many students become successful at school and they
have a community they can form part of. It is of great help for students since it is known that one of these
homeless students is now going into grad school. This is of great importance in my research because it shows
that even college students face some homelessness but that even some are willing to do what it takes to be
successful and achieve a better education.
National alliance to end homelessness. (2012, July 17). U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. Retrieved October 23, 2012 from hhs.gov
This article, written from a speech given by Kathleen Sebelius Secretary of the U.S. Interagency Council on
Homelessness, starts by giving a definition of a home but that yet there are still almost 630,000 homeless
Americans as of the year of 2011. Some of the causes for this, stated by Sebelius are “financial crisis, substance
abuse, mental illness, and domestic violence.” She also states that this not only affects homeless people but
the rest of the community by increasing the number of emergencies rooms used by hospitals, the increase of jail
cells, and “the stretching of local, state, and federal budget”. To try to fix this program, there are a lot of programs
and founds such as the HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants, the PATH Program, Head start, Medicaid,
temporary assistance for needy families, and community groups that volunteer and donate goods. These
programs and associations that help the homeless have had a big impact since it is known that there was a
12% reduction of homeless veterans from the year of 2010 to the year of 2011. What the secretary also says is
that her plan for the upcoming years is that with this organization or council, by 2015 she expects to bring a finish
and prevention to homeless between veteran and between infants and families by 2020. But she also says that
“it takes a national commitment” to have this results. This is very important to know and use in my research
paper because it shows the most current status of the American society in terms of homelessness and what is
being done right now to help end this problem. It is also helpful because it shows the future plans and what it is
expected to happen in the upcoming years.
Phelan, J.C. Link, B.G. (1999, September). Who are “The Homeless”: Reconsidering the
stability and composition of the homeless population. American Journal of Public Health, Volume 89, No. 9,
pp.1334-1338.
In this book, Phelan and Link explain the results of a survey given to homeless people to determine how long
they have been considered homeless. Male, people with drug and alcohol abuse problems, and mentally ill
people resulted in the longest amount of time as homeless followed by lower education people and then by
people with a criminal record proving that “homelessness is a personal rather than a structural problem”. I can
use this information because it explains the time that people pass through homelessness and what needs to be
done to reduce it.
Rokach, A. (2003, July 7). The lonely and homeless causes and consequences. Social Indicators
Research (Volume 69, Number 1). Retrieved from www.springerlink.com
Amy Rokach conducted a survey between homeless people to gather information about their status. The results
of this survey were as follow. There were 202 homeless men, 138 of these were single, and 11 married and 52
divorced. Most of them completed only up to high school and are between the ages of 16 and 35 years. There
were 64 homeless women, 40 of these single, 13 married, and 10 divorced. Most of them also completed only
up to high school and are between the ages of 16 and 26 years. To complete this survey, several factors were
taken into consideration that described the causes of homelessess and loneliness. Some of these factor were
“personal inadequacies” such as mistrust and fear of intimacy, “development and or deficits” such as childhood
background and psychological or physical abuse, “unfulfilling intimate relationships” such as hurtful and
disappointing relations, “Relocation or significant separations” such as loss and changes causing the
movement from house to house and even city to city, and “social marginality” such as criminals records and
employment status. With these results, I can show more information about the ration of homelessness and
explain the different causes of homelessness.
Shutt, R. K. (2011). Homelessness, Housing, and Mental Illness. Cambridge: Harvard University
Press.
In this book, Shutt states that in a research done by sociologist David Snow and anthropologist Leon Anderson,
factors found leading to homelessness are “ adverse life events, fewer economic resources, physical disability,
self-perceived ill health, and substance abuse” (149). Some examples of mental illness are psychotic
disorders, bipolar disorders, and affective disorders. Also, the author states that some effects of homelessness
on people are depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal attempts. Shutt also remarks that according to a
survey, social support and the moving in into houses help a lot this type of people. I can use this information to
write my research paper because it gives more information about the causes and effects of homelessness in
people.
Three Children, ages 3 and under, found abandoned in Portland. (2012). CNN Politics. Retrieved
October, 17, 2012, from www.cnn.com
This article informs the public about three little kids that were found abandoned one Thursday morning behind a
house in East Portland, Oregon. It is believed that they were left there the night before by their mother. The only
information about them is that they youngest girl weights 15 pounds in the ages of 8 to 15 months, the next one
is a 2 year old girl that weighs 28 pounds, and the oldest one is a 3 year old boy that also weights about 28
pounds. They are all currently being medically evaluated and the identity of the three kids has not been found but
authorities are working on it. With this information, I can also prove in my research that infant homelessness still
happens in society.
www.pbs.org
As of 2009, the article estimates that the country’s recession will “force 1.5 million more people into
homelessness over the next two years.” Also, the estimated amount of homeless people in the United States is
between 2.3 and 3.5 million people; 58% of them were living in shelters while 42% were unsheltered, and about
“1.5 million of American children are homeless each year”. The author also presents many causes for
homelessness. Some of these are lack of affordable housing, poverty, unemployment, drugs and alcohol abuse,
and mental illness of course. Unfortunately, about 40% of homeless men are also veterans coming from wars
after risking their life to protect America. This numbers and statistics are useful in my research because it
explains how the homelessness status was from past years and what to expect to happen in the future. Even
though the information is helpful, it is not very reliable since the data is from 3 years ago but I can still use it in
comparison to the current status of homeless people.
Facts on who are homeless. (2006). The Homeless. Retrieved October 17, 2012 from
the-homeless.com
According to this site, homeless people are those released from hospitals or prison without a place to go to,
those who have an expensive house while working at a low paying job, and those who are forced to leave their
house such as mistreated women and runaway teenagers. Natural disasters are also causes for
homelessness. Things that have been done to help this cause are providing food and residential stability,
improving mental health, and a survey where over 60% citizens agreed on paying more taxes and giving
donations of goods and money. This information is helpful to my research because it describes the many
causes of homelessness and it also explains that the community is willing to help these people out in many
ways.
Government Study Homelessness often has start in troubled childhoods. (1999). CNN Politics.
Retrieved October 17, 2012, from www.cnn.com
This article is mainly based on statistics and results of surveys and census. It stated that single homeless
people had an income of $348while homeless families had one of $475 and still that almost 50% of these
people would still go for days without food since they could not afford it. Also, 33% of homeless people reported
to be veterans, 25% childhood physical or sexual abuse, 33% ran away from home and 27% lived in foster care
as kids. To help reduce the percentages of homelessness, 5 billion dollars were invested or donated in
programs designed to help this people. With this data, I can include in my research information about the life of a
homeless person and prove that there are many different factors that lead to homelessness. I can also say that
even if it is no seen by everyone, that there are actually things that are being done to help this cause.
Homeless Help on The Hill. (1997). CNN Politics. Retrieved October 17, 2012, from
www.cnn.com
The author of this article explains how over 600 volunteers gathered together during Thanksgiving Day to fight
against homelessness. It was the 15th consecutive year that the community members had served dinner to
1,800 homeless people in the congressional grounds showing that they were fighting for homeless’ rights.
Foods served in the dinners were turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, string beans, desserts, sodas, and juice.
Some businesses also donated to this event turkeys and a variety of desserts. Not only food was given away but
also coats, hats, gloves, and other winter clothing were distributed among them. All of this was free of course
and of great help for these people. I can use this information to explain how the community responds to this
issue and how they are willing to help out even during holidays by doing small things and donating clothes.
Homeless turn to Twitter for food, shelter. (2011). CNN Politics. Retrieved October 17, 2012,
from www.cnn.com
In this news article, Michael Cary explains how Social networking media such as Face Book and Twitter help
homeless people to get food and a house. It gives the personal story of Rd Plasschaert and how when she was
about to lose her house, after losing her job, she signed up for Twitter in search of “homelessness-related hash
tags, or topics.” Days later, she got in contact with one of her followers for advice on available services and was
able to get her own studio apartment. With this, she inspired mark Horvar, a homeless himself from Hollywood,
to create a website called WeAreVisible.com to teach homeless people how to use social networking sites so
that they can have a voice in society like the rest of the citizens. This information is very useful since it explains
how a simple thing used everyday such as networking websites can help solve a big issue in society.
Masterson, V. (2012, July 15). Program helps UTEP homeless students. Retrieved from
kvia.com
According to Masterson, over 100 UTEP students are homeless without a place to go at night and sleep.
Therefore, they end up sleeping “on benches, in their cars or at local shelters.” Mario Blanco, a nursing major
student confessed that he “would just find random friends to stay with during the week and then go back to
Juarez.” Unfortunately, the number of homeless students increased from last year and not having a place to stay
affects the students’ education forcing them to drop out or to barely finish one semester. To help out these
students, the FHAR at UTEP offers them housing, food, and medical care at UTEP. According to Lachica,
coordinator of FHAR, the results of this program are that many students become successful at school and they
have a community they can form part of. It is of great help for students since it is known that one of these
homeless students is now going into grad school. This is of great importance in my research because it shows
that even college students face some homelessness but that even some are willing to do what it takes to be
successful and achieve a better education.
National alliance to end homelessness. (2012, July 17). U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. Retrieved October 23, 2012 from hhs.gov
This article, written from a speech given by Kathleen Sebelius Secretary of the U.S. Interagency Council on
Homelessness, starts by giving a definition of a home but that yet there are still almost 630,000 homeless
Americans as of the year of 2011. Some of the causes for this, stated by Sebelius are “financial crisis, substance
abuse, mental illness, and domestic violence.” She also states that this not only affects homeless people but
the rest of the community by increasing the number of emergencies rooms used by hospitals, the increase of jail
cells, and “the stretching of local, state, and federal budget”. To try to fix this program, there are a lot of programs
and founds such as the HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants, the PATH Program, Head start, Medicaid,
temporary assistance for needy families, and community groups that volunteer and donate goods. These
programs and associations that help the homeless have had a big impact since it is known that there was a
12% reduction of homeless veterans from the year of 2010 to the year of 2011. What the secretary also says is
that her plan for the upcoming years is that with this organization or council, by 2015 she expects to bring a finish
and prevention to homeless between veteran and between infants and families by 2020. But she also says that
“it takes a national commitment” to have this results. This is very important to know and use in my research
paper because it shows the most current status of the American society in terms of homelessness and what is
being done right now to help end this problem. It is also helpful because it shows the future plans and what it is
expected to happen in the upcoming years.
Phelan, J.C. Link, B.G. (1999, September). Who are “The Homeless”: Reconsidering the
stability and composition of the homeless population. American Journal of Public Health, Volume 89, No. 9,
pp.1334-1338.
In this book, Phelan and Link explain the results of a survey given to homeless people to determine how long
they have been considered homeless. Male, people with drug and alcohol abuse problems, and mentally ill
people resulted in the longest amount of time as homeless followed by lower education people and then by
people with a criminal record proving that “homelessness is a personal rather than a structural problem”. I can
use this information because it explains the time that people pass through homelessness and what needs to be
done to reduce it.
Rokach, A. (2003, July 7). The lonely and homeless causes and consequences. Social Indicators
Research (Volume 69, Number 1). Retrieved from www.springerlink.com
Amy Rokach conducted a survey between homeless people to gather information about their status. The results
of this survey were as follow. There were 202 homeless men, 138 of these were single, and 11 married and 52
divorced. Most of them completed only up to high school and are between the ages of 16 and 35 years. There
were 64 homeless women, 40 of these single, 13 married, and 10 divorced. Most of them also completed only
up to high school and are between the ages of 16 and 26 years. To complete this survey, several factors were
taken into consideration that described the causes of homelessess and loneliness. Some of these factor were
“personal inadequacies” such as mistrust and fear of intimacy, “development and or deficits” such as childhood
background and psychological or physical abuse, “unfulfilling intimate relationships” such as hurtful and
disappointing relations, “Relocation or significant separations” such as loss and changes causing the
movement from house to house and even city to city, and “social marginality” such as criminals records and
employment status. With these results, I can show more information about the ration of homelessness and
explain the different causes of homelessness.
Shutt, R. K. (2011). Homelessness, Housing, and Mental Illness. Cambridge: Harvard University
Press.
In this book, Shutt states that in a research done by sociologist David Snow and anthropologist Leon Anderson,
factors found leading to homelessness are “ adverse life events, fewer economic resources, physical disability,
self-perceived ill health, and substance abuse” (149). Some examples of mental illness are psychotic
disorders, bipolar disorders, and affective disorders. Also, the author states that some effects of homelessness
on people are depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal attempts. Shutt also remarks that according to a
survey, social support and the moving in into houses help a lot this type of people. I can use this information to
write my research paper because it gives more information about the causes and effects of homelessness in
people.
Three Children, ages 3 and under, found abandoned in Portland. (2012). CNN Politics. Retrieved
October, 17, 2012, from www.cnn.com
This article informs the public about three little kids that were found abandoned one Thursday morning behind a
house in East Portland, Oregon. It is believed that they were left there the night before by their mother. The only
information about them is that they youngest girl weights 15 pounds in the ages of 8 to 15 months, the next one
is a 2 year old girl that weighs 28 pounds, and the oldest one is a 3 year old boy that also weights about 28
pounds. They are all currently being medically evaluated and the identity of the three kids has not been found but
authorities are working on it. With this information, I can also prove in my research that infant homelessness still
happens in society.