The Meaning Of Homelessness

Good hygiene is essential for the overall well being of a person. Without good hygiene, many may be at risk of detrimental diseases or medical conditions. To have good hygiene one must shower, brush their teeth, and wear clean clothes daily. However, much of the homeless population is greatly deprived of most, if not all of the materials crucial to maintaining proper hygiene. In addition to good hygiene, an individual must also consume the proper nutrients daily. Similar to hygiene the homeless are in great need of better nutrients, without the daily consumption of food a person is at high risk of chronic diseases or even death. Living under these harsh conditions may cause some to turn to substance abuse, thus deteriorating their mental and physical health. Homelessness is a never-ending problem that many disregard. The causes of homelessness are immense, most due to personal misfortunes, however, some are inevitable. One way to help prevent homelessness from expanding is to provide more federal housing programs, although it will not eliminate all of these issues it can make a difference in cleaning up the streets and giving the unhoused shelter and a chance to fix things with the proper support.

Many people seem to underestimate the importance of maintaining personal hygiene which is a huge mistake. The environment that the homeless adapt themselves to is often very poor and filthy, leaving them exposed to a variety of contagious or infectionist diseases, therefore, having good hygiene is especially crucial. For the unhoused to protect themselves from illnesses they must, shower daily, wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water, brush their teeth, and much more, however, a good majority of the homeless population do not have access to utilities such as clean water. ̈ ̈When the unhoused do not practice proper hygiene their body is far more exposed to diseases such as scabies, athletes foot or head lice.¨(health.gov). Individuals experiencing homelessness in California face many obstacles to be able to afford materials to maintain good personal hygiene, including things like washing their hands, limited access to clean showers, laundry while being exposed to all types of diseases. A big part of the factors played for reduced hygiene practices are caused by things like alcohol, sleeping outdoors, drug usage (injections) which can drain the nutrients from these types of individuals very quickly. Housed friends and family play a critical role by trying to keep them away from maintaining bad hygiene and assisting homeless individuals to maintain hygiene by providing showers and laundry facilities

Every person requires energy and certain other essential nutrients to be able to function efficiently. “Nutrients are essential because the body cannot make them without being given the proper nutrition which is derived from healthy foods. Essential nutrients include vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates.”(health.gov). Foods also contain other components such as Vitamins that are important for health. Although each of these food components has a specific function in the body, all of them together are required for an overall healthier lifestyle. People need certain nutrients to expand strength like calcium which helps to build and maintain strong bones in your body. They're essential for normal growth and development, and each one plays a unique role in helping to maintain good health. For example, ̈calcium and vitamin D are necessary for healthy bones, and Vitamins Help support the immune system, explains Tricia L. Psota, Ph.D., RDN, president-elect of the DC Metro Area Dietetic Association.¨(everydayhealth.com). Every individual is different, the amount of nutrients you need depend on your height, weight and age, and how active you are on daily. When you do not get enough nutrients you feel very weak, less motivated to keep pushing forward and the body starts to develop nutritional deficiencies. Nutritional deficiency starts to take effect when the body does not get the necessary amount of nutrients. Deficiencies can lead to a variety of health problems. These types of health problems can cause skin disorders, dementia, defective bone growth, and even digestion problems. The most common nutritional deficiency in California is iron deficiency, this leads an individual's feeling very weak almost like fatigue with a mixture of many other symptoms.

There has been millions of dollars put together by our country in efforts to get homeless people off the street and into temporary and permanent with wrapped around social services.¨ (sacbee.com). There will always be a generation of newly homeless individuals right now, a convergence of issues - including the affordable housing crisis, the shortage of resources for mental health treatment, rising rates of addiction to opioids and other drugs, and income volatility resulting from the changing nature of work and the stagnation of wages -- has made this perennial fact even more intractable (governing.com). Homelessness affects today's society in a variety of ways making it a social issue all around due to things like the increased danger, abuse and violence leaving them more vulnerable to the criminal justice system, It causes the economy to go downhill which causes family issues and increases poverty levels. Homelessness isn’t just one person’s issue it is a worldwide problem. It has a contagious effect throughout the community. It impacts the availability of crime, healthy resources and safety, the workforce, and the use of tax dollars, homelessness impacts the present as well as the future day by day.

The meaning of homelessness isn’t necessarily without a home. Homelessness is defined as living in a house that is under the minimum standard or lacks safety. People who are homeless are most often unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure and adequate housing due to a lack of, or an unsteady income. “Causes of homelessness in California include things like addictions, physical disability but having no supporting relatives or family, and unemployment. Nearly a quarter of the homeless population has a severe mental illness. Among those individuals, almost half deal with substance abuse or dependency.” (campbellsville.edu). There is still a numerous of reasons why homelessnessness happens today, much different than those that have existed in the past. Lack of things like affordable housing has been a contributing factor in putting people on the street.” A trend of fairly recent origin is how frantic gentrification is contributing to the increase of homelessness in California, including in all major metropolitan areas in the Golden state.”(eco bear.co). Drug abuse and epidemics that have been going around for the longet , for example the opioid and heroin epidemics who affected many individuals to the extent of family.”The percentage of people addicted to opiods who are part of the homeless population is persistently growing. Although data analysis is ongoing, the opioid and heroin crisis is remarkable in the number of people who’ve ended up homeless because of the use of a specific drug. While it is true that the abuse of addictive substances and not another type of mind-altering substance has and does to homelessness, the number of Opioid addicts that end up on the streets is notably large.”(eco bear.co). Mental illness can affect anybody and can affect behavioral problems which can make it very tough to earn a steady cash flow, and to carry out daily activities.”According to a 2015 assessment by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, 564,708 people were homeless on a given night in the United States. At a minimum, 140,000 or 25 percent of these people were seriously mentally ill, and 250,000 or 45 percent had any mental illness. By comparison, a 2016 study found that 4.2 percent of U.S. adults have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness.¨ (bbrfoundation.org).

To end homelessness in America, we must strengthen our ability to prevent it in the first place, to do that, we must take a multi-sector approach that focuses on housing needs, housing stability and risk of homelessness across many different public systems.¨(Usich.gov). Communities need to confront the problem and educate people on how the availability of things like Health resources, legal assistance, and employment affects these individuals. Putting more programs for assistance to keep them in their housing, can not only cut down the percentage but eliminate, homelessness in California. Federal and city Governments need to invest higher for things like affordable rental housing, with the main focus on homeless individuals and families. Making it affordable would protect residents, making it easier for people to keep their homes and keeping them off the street.