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15 Sad Facts About Homelessness

More than 150 million people are homeless in different parts of the world. Close to 650,000 people in the United States of America are homeless and in this big population, 37% of them are families while 25% of them are people who have mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, people who are fleeing abusive relationships make up 13% of this population, veterans who served in different forces make up 12% and more than 20% are children who are under 18 years.

These statistics prove that there is a dire problem that is often overlooked as most people do not think about homeless people. Therefore, this article will explore the sad 15 facts about homelessness in order to give the reader a clear picture of how homelessness is affecting many people.

1 Reasons for homelessness differ depending on where someone is from

Homeless people living on tents in the streets. Photo by Thayne Tuason-

There are a number of factors that result in people being homeless and this varies depending on where that person is from. Some of the primary reasons why people may be homeless are unemployment, government housing policies, lack of affordable housing, and displacement as a result of conflict and sickness. For instance, most people in the United States are usually homeless because they may be running away from domestic violence while in a place like Burkina Faso, people were made homeless in 2007 because of floods that displaced them from their homes.

2 Homeless people suffer from frostbite and hypothermia while on the streets

People living on the streets because they do not have a roof over their heads usually do not have all the provisions to keep themselves warm during harsh weather like winters. This means that 21% of homeless people usually suffer from illnesses associated with cold weather like trench foot, hypothermia and frostbite. The illnesses arise when a person has wet clothes and are very serious as they can lead to death.

3 The life expectancy for homeless people is low

The average life expectancy in developed countries like the United States is between 77 to 89 years and even countries like Morroco have a life expectancy of 73 years. Therefore, it is quite shocking to discover that the average life expectancy for a person who is homeless is 47 years old. This goes to show that being homeless is quite more serious than many people assume it to be.

4 Lack of affordable housing is the leading cause of homelessness

Housing in different places often leans on the higher side and thus making people who are unemployed or those that have jobs that do not pay much have a hard time getting a house that they can afford. This means that they are forced to be homeless because they cannot cater for the rent needed in that particular house.

5 Women become homeless mostly because of domestic violence

Most of the time, women find themselves either homeless for a short period of time or homeless for quite a long time because they are escaping from an abusive domestic relationship. The National Law Centre on Homelessness and poverty reveal that 90% of women who are on the streets because they were running away from domestic wrangles are usually victims of physical and sexual abuse.

6 Close to 25% of homeless people are children

Studies indicate that in every four homeless people, one of them is a child who is under the age of eighteen years. This translates to around 150,000 children who are homeless. This number is shockingly high. The 150,000 include the children who are living in shelters, those who live in cars, public transport facilities, parks and ones who are waiting to be placed in foster care.

7 A high number of homeless people suffer from mental illnesses

About 6 per cent of the general population suffers from a type of mental illness. However, when only homeless people are looked at, this number drastically goes up in that between 20 to 25 per cent of homeless people are suffering from a mental illness. Around 50 per cent of homeless people suffering from mental illness self-medicate and this always results in their condition being worse.

8 Some groups are more likely to become homeless

Studies have shown that homeless people are single men who range between 31 years to 50 years of age. The majority of this group is usually from the minority groups like Native Americans, Latinos and African Americans. Studies have also shown that one in every three homeless people is living with a disability.

9 The government does little to help homeless people

When we think about how homelessness, we often imagine that the government is doing a lot to ensure that homeless people have shelter. However, the government does not do much in that one out of four households in the United States get public rental assistance while the rest are put on a year-long waiting list. This means that most people will become homeless as they have not gotten the assistance they need from the state.

10 Homelessness is a crime in most cities

A survey done in 2014 revealed that 24 per cent of the 187 cities in which the survey was done consider begging in public places to be a crime. 33% of the cities also prohibit idling and loitering in public places. Another 18% do not allow sleeping in public places. Therefore, these statistics show that homeless people are viewed as criminals and in actuality, they are going through hard times and need help

11 Reason why the youth are homeless varies

The most frequent causes of homelessness among young people include parental eviction, lack of job possibilities, poor access to healthcare, disability, substance misuse, social marginalisation, domestic violence, forced eviction, and relationship failures. Youth homelessness is an issue that has only become more serious since the global economic crisis.

12 Homelessness is a human rights issue

The issue of homelessness is a human rights issue in that when homeless people do not have a place to sleep especially those who are living on the streets, it affects some of their human rights which include the right to personal safety, the right to freedom from cruel and degrading treatment, the right to privacy and the right to personal safety.

13 Children who are homeless have a high chance of becoming homeless again as adults

Homelessness is usually influenced by a lot of things like poverty, unemployment and abusive relationships. Studies have discovered that the issue of homelessness is a cycle in that people who have been homeless are more likely to go back to the same cycle. Therefore, children who experience homelessness have a high likelihood they will be homeless again as adults.

14 Immigrants have a high chance of becoming homeless

People who have immigrated to other countries to look for better opportunities and sources of income often fall into hard times and some become homeless as they do not have a support system that they can fall back on in case things do not pan out the way they expected. The system is also against them and it does not offer them help and therefore makes it more difficult for them to pick themselves up.

15 A high percentage of homeless people are people who have been in prison

People who have a criminal record make up a high percentage of homeless people. This can be attributed to the fact that it is hard to get a job with a criminal record as employers are wary of hiring someone that was imprisoned. This means that these people are left unemployed and with no way to pay their bills they are forced to be homeless. This is quite unfair to them as they have been rehabilitated and thus deserve a second chance.