Sociology

There is a substantial population of homeless people in the United States. Due to ambiguity, statistics and demographic data on homelessness have not been comprehensive enough to give accurate information. According to the federal legislation, the McKinney-Vento Act of 1987 defines homeless people as individuals who lack fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. According to statistics, about 1 of the entire United States population experience homelessness in a year. In the 2005, biannual census in Los Angeles counted approximately 92,000 homeless persons living in the county. The city of San Francisco, Chicago and Denver, have the largest population of homeless persons. Indianapolis, San Antonio and Boston are the other cities known to have a significant number of homeless people. This paper will keenly describe the causes of homelessness in the United States, its impact on society and the possible solutions for dealing with it.

Causes of homelessness
Homelessness is caused by a variety of reasons that differ for each individual. One of the causes of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing.  This has led to a shortage of housing for low- income earners, the disabled, immigrants and other moderate-income earners. More families spend more than 30 of their annual income on housing costs hence making them lack other necessities like food, health care and clothing. This problem is more serious in cities where it is causing a social and economic crisis. The second cause of homelessness is the increase in unstable employment. Foreclosures have contributed to homelessness as more people lost their jobs. A recent report indicated that the official unemployment rate in the United States was 9.4 in May 2009. Declining incomes have also hit many workers badly and the result of this is inability to afford housing. The inability to qualify for public assistance has put many persons without housing. Public assistance has been declining leading to increased poverty and homelessness. In addition, poverty levels are increasing among people with disabilities and children. However, the US government has not done enough to increase public spending to give assistance to these needy groups. The increase in domestic violence has pushed many women below the poverty line. A 2005 survey by the Network to end Domestic Violence showed that about 63 of homeless women have been involved in domestic violence. In addition, domestic violence in major cities has contributed significantly to homelessness especially among women. Drugs and substance abuse have a strong link to homelessness (Zorza, 1991).Addiction disorders put many persons under the risk of losing their incomes and eventually becoming homeless. On the other hand, natural disasters and unexpected emergencies have contributed to homelessness in the United States. These include natural calamities like floods, forest fires and storms (Carter and Rausch, 2008).

The impact of homelessness on society
Homelessness has social and economic effects on the society. The operation and maintenance of public assistance programs for the homeless is funded through taxpayers money. This is very costly considering numerous public programs also need adequate funding. Most homeless persons engage in criminal activities like violence and theft, which discourage investors. Homelessness contributes to environmental pollution as individuals scatter litter on the streets. On the social front, homelessness exposes individuals to sexual abuse, drug addiction and the effects of poor health due to poor health conditions. This is especially significant because about 40 of all homeless persons in the United States are children. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (2009), it is clear that disease like air borne diseases, diabetes, and water borne diseases are more prevalent among homeless communities. Skin infections and malnutrition are some of the other health problems that affect homeless people. It is also notable that homelessness has profound effects on poverty and civil liberties like the right to personal security, health and the right to participate in community issues including democratic process.

Solutions to the problem of homelessness
One of the best ways to prevent homelessness in the United States is to provide permanent housing for those leaving on temporary shelters (Graves, 2007).Policy makers should also focus their efforts on formulating clear long-term policies on support and rehabilitation of those with mental illnesses and those with developmental disorders. To ensure affordability, the minimum wages must bear the reality of the minimum living expenses. Creation of employment opportunities and the formulation of fair labor laws will cushion workers from the vulgarism of economic changes. Adequate provision of social services is important to ensure that childcare, health care and mental health services reach the intended groups. Due attention should be given to people living in temporary structures and those under the threat of violence. Prohibition of laws that discriminate against the disabled, sick or the poor will also prevent more people from joining the homeless community (Donohoe, 2004).

Conclusion
The housing crisis in the United States is one of the critical areas that need immediate address. The danger is that the rate at which people are becoming homeless is sharply increasing posing a big risk to the social and economic environments of the society. According to my view, effective solutions on the problem of homelessness must focus more on the long-term strategies and avoid emphasizing on temporary short- term measures.