In this world where luxuries are in abundance, there are still some people who strive to get the basic necessities of life. It is hard to believe that most of the people suffer from homelessness. The reality always goes unnoticed as no one is really bothered about these homeless people. No one really knows the prime reasons behind the increasing homelessness. Ironically many people in this world are still struggling hard to get themselves into a shelter for a living. Here are 7 heartbreaking facts about the homeless.
Lack of Government Help/Incentives
There is a lack of government assistance for people belonging to low-income groups. The inadequacy of employment opportunities is the prime cause of poverty among homeless people. The process of allotment of affordable homes and shelters have somewhat come to an end. Poor people do not receive adequate benefits and incentives from the government. All thanks to the increasing number of homeless people.
More Than One-Quarter of Homeless People Are Children
According to reliable sources, there are more than 1,30,000 of homeless people who are children under the age of 18 years. More than thousands of these children are unaccompanied and are facing many hardships. Many of these children are seeking shelter in roads, empty cars, and buses, public parks, foster homes, etc. as they are economically weak. There are more than one million homeless children who are currently studying in public schools. Unlike other children, these homeless children are deprived of the basic necessities of life for maintaining a good standard of living.
Domestic Violence Is the Pivotal Cause
Most of the women at least once in their lifetime would have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault in their lives. More than eighty percent of homeless women are victims of domestic abuse, violence, and assault. As a result, these women have to escape out of their homes in search of a secure place where they can live safely. This is the prime cause of homelessness in women. They are bound to leave their homes and search for a safe place to live in.
More Than Ten Thousand Veterans Are Homeless
More than 56,000 veterans are homeless and are in search of an affordable shelter or a foster home. According to a survey, over fifty percent of these people are living in shelters while the rest of them are unsheltered. Out of these, more than 4,500 homeless veterans are women. These women remain unsheltered and are in constant search for work to earn a living. They have low standards of living as they cannot fulfill the basic requirements of living.
Lack of Suitable and Affordable Shelters
Due to low-income and economically weak status, many people are unable to rent a good place to live in. As a result, there has been a substantial reduction in the number of affordable shelter and foster homes. The only option homeless people have with themselves is to seek for a suitable and affordable place to live in. But the reality seems to be bitter as there is a lack of suitable and affordable places to live for these people, leaving them homeless.
Equivalent to Crime
Homelessness has become equivalent to crime. Homeless people mainly suffer from poverty. For them, begging is the only way to earn a living. They beg in front of the people for money and food. Many cities have considered begging as a criminal activity and at places, it has become illegal for poor people to take shelter. The number of countries who have criminalized begging and homelessness is increasing subsequently.
Severe Untreated Diseases
Most of the homeless people belong to low-income groups and suffer from poverty. These people become prone to severe diseases as they do not have enough money to maintain a good living. As a result, most of them prefer self-medication instead of seeking treatment from a doctor. Many of them even develop a severe mental illness because of their prevailing conditions which later on become incurable.
