Homelessness Case

Homelessness is a topic many argue about. Many people argue that it is neither the public's problem nor responsibility. Regardless of the viewpoints, the problem still remains.

In a 1993 study, Dr. Bruce Link of Columbia University indicated that some 12 million adult Americans had been homeless in some point in their lives. Worldwide, there are over 100 million homeless and that number continues to multiply. Each homeless individual has his or her own unique story. Also, they have their own unique circumstances to how they became that way, for instance in the book there is a woman named Anna who got pregnant at 17. Anna dropped out of high school and moved in with her boyfriend. The way she became homeless was her own decision. Anna was tired of being beaten by her boyfriend and moved with her family from shelter to shelter, disowned by her own family, she had no choice. Many agree job loss causes depression, alcoholism, domestic violence, family break-ups and other problems that lead to homelessness. Individuals also blame society by failing to provide enough treatment programs for drug addicts, alcoholics, and the mentally ill. The majority sees it as a welfare dependency cycle.

During the 1840's homeless were migrating to the west where the land was plentiful and cheap. Farms and houses sprang up all over the "Wild West". These settlers were once homeless, but homeless no more. By 1850, half a million people lived in New York City among those, 30,000 were children. According to law 7 year-old kids were adults and could go to jail for stealing and children over 12 could be hanged in public. Because of overcrowding in orphanages, runaways were not pursued. In 1853, the first children's aid society was established to help street urchins. There was also an orphan train established which carried orphans to the farms out west. Between 1854-1930 these "trains" transported almost half-a-million children. Not being able to support their families many men were deserters, in 1909 over 3000 men deserted their wives. Most of the men 20-24 left 2 or more children left behind.

By 1914, relief was in sight when WWI broke out in Europe. In 1917 the US entered the war, this spurred factories that manufactured weapons and other wartime materials to full speed. The jobs were opened when young men left for the

Army, the older men, women, and children took over their jobs. Prosperity continued into the 1920's. A major help was when congress passed a law limiting immigration, which reduced the number of new homeless. The rise soon plummeted in 1929, with the stock market crash. Unemployment took off from 3.2% to 24.9%. The same spur occurred when WWII broke out in 1939.

The 1960's saw a new kind of homeless, high school and college students voluntarily dropped out to become street people. These individuals were homeless by choice, as you know from history