How do you explain homelessness in the rich Western world?

Question

Have you noticed the ever growing prenomenon of homlessness in America in the last few decades? Whos fault it is? -- Individuals' (eg. mental sicknes, etc.) or societal neglect and lack of compation or fostering false expectations? Hows the homelessnes in other rich countries like Germany and Japan?I am not interested in explaining a poverty driven homelessnes, like in India.

Answer 1

Hmmm. The rich western world? I suppose the U.S. is rich compared to most 3rd world countries. I don't have those statistics. As an American who has been homeless, I can tell you that many of our homeless definately do have mental disorders & many have physical disorders that make them harder to house & care for than others. Many families are homeless & children are living in abandoned cars because the shelters are not safe for them. The shelters do feed people, but they are becoming over populated with perverts & sickos who prey on single women & children. Our government grants the helping hand agencies massive amounts of money & this money is being diverted & misused by con artists who have weaseled their way into jobs within these agencies. I would explain it as MISMANAGEMENT & we need a system of accountability because people are dying in the streets & becoming victims of mental & physical abuse at the hands of predators & well meaning, yet inexperienced Politicians. Once a person becomes homeless, it is almost impossible to get back into mainsteam society without the help of a close friend or family member. Some case managers DO help their clients, but MOST fall by the way-side & are never heard or seen again. Many go to hospitals & morgues. Our government needs to take over & provide low income basic housing. Poor people are happy to have a roof over their heads & most of us could care less what color the ceiling is painted. We only ask that it does not leak! Who's fault is it? That is impossible to answer.

Answer 2

Mental illness and drug or alcohol addiction definitely contribute to homelessness. Part of the source of more mentally ill people stuck on the streets is the closing of sanitariums. In attempt to normalize them and with the help of new medication many patients were released into society. Those without money and family lose contact with their physcitrists.

Answer 3

We have some people who donn't choose to go to homes available to them. We see this with veterans or others with post traumatic stress disorders. Also out economy and oil prices makes the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer. Medical costs can put people on the street that never believed it could happen! Our ways to deal with the poor and even the working poor is POOR at best. Something needs to change soon to preserve the middle classes and their homes.

Answer 4

Japan, for instance, puts every one of their citizens to work, and the people actually CARE for each other, a family member would never be turned out to the streets to survive. We don't have that kind of respect for each other here in the US frankly, and the gov't will never intervene to that point in the business world. It won't educate the poor, or force businesses to hire the indigant. That would interfere with free enterprise and capitalism, and of course, the Almighty Dollar.

Answer 5

A lot of it has to do with a lack of funding for mental health. More and more individuals are slipping through the cracks, unable to fend for themselves, yet not eliglible for assistance.
It's primarily the governments fault for where their priorities lie, but it's also society's fault for not forcing them to do something about it.

Also has something to do with the fact that we have upset the laws of natural selection with our improved health care. Nature can no longer weed out the weak.

Answer 6

I think it's ignorant to believe that just because a society overall demonstrates wealth, that each person has equal opportunities. That's a nice myth, but it sure isn't reality. Your ? seems to assume that it is the culture's responsibility to take care of everyone. I think that everyone is given rights, which afford them opportunities - but one really has to be motivated and inspired to pull themselves up from suboptimal circumstance. it does happen -- many celebs have come from nothing - case in point? oprah winfrey - she's the poster girl for making something from nothing.

Answer 7

It is very expenisive to live in the rich countries of the West. Some people just can't make it and aren't able to help themselves. Drugs help contribute to the problem too.

Answer 8

First they said it was all the paper work and it had to go through several people.
Now we got computers and can do it fast and they say it's the red tape and has to go from coputer to computer...
I'd just like to know why we feed the other county's before we feed our own. Don't we feed our own kids and then help other?

Answer 9

It's a question of mental health. I can't believe anyone of sound mind would choose to live on the streets.