what disincentive do u think homelessness creates?

Question

economic,visual,social or any.

Answer 1

I have worked with homeless children and adults for more than 10 yrs and have also been homeless in the past. You are right that there can be disincentives. There is a struggle to survive each day that takes so much time and energy that it is difficult to work on long term solutions.

To be blunt in many places the shelter systems discourage ppl from improving their situations because they have to sit and be there waiting a turn for placement, if they leave they are out and how can one both be there and be out hunting a job. This is not true of all shelter systems but NYC and GA task force for homeless (Atlanta) are 2 which do so I'd guess it happens in other large metro areas. Once in system they generally are placed wherever there is a bed understandably but if you are here tonight and 30 miles away next week it's hard to get a job and get to work or rebuild a life. If your socks are likely to get stolen if you take them off to wash your feet a common problem in shelters your personal hygiene will quite literally stink. At that point the quick anesthesia of a drink or a joint looks like easy relief. The live for today get what you can now attitude tends diminish planning and motivation. Please understand many shelters are run by ppl who really care it's just that too often (including one we operated for a while) they often don't work to give much beyond a hot meal and a cot. Transitional shelters often do far better but usually the person has struggled with all the negatives for a long time before landing there and even in transitional housing needed services may not be available or not in a way that is most beneficial.

Beyond that if not in a shelter, living on the street or in a car or camping basic hygiene, clean pressed clothes etc are difficult. Lack of an address and phone number make it hard. What boss is going to take seriously an employment application that has no info on how to contact the applicant?

Homelessness also decreases social contacts outside the poverty community. If someone lacks a stable home and money for rent they are not going to be able to pay for a church supper, contribute to a covered dish dinner w/ no kitchen to cook in, buy a ticket to go to a ball game with the guys etc. Besides they have to be in the shelter or hidden out before most of these things get out so homelessness tends to disconnect ppl from the support system that could best help them reestablish a home (family church work friends who are stable)

The average homeless person in the US is a 7 yr old child according to the Institute on Children and Poverty and the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. Most people think the average homeless person is a drug addicted veteran or a strung out prostitutes. These ppl may well be homeless but the average is age 7 which means half America's homeless are kids under 7. Homeless kids face extra challenges including disruptions of school, hunger, cold, fears, and harassment by other children and sometimes by adults who ought to know better. ICP and NAEHCY say that without intervention a homeless child will have 50% more medical and social problems than kids from stable homes, be more than 70% more likely to drop out of school and become a homeless unwed parent and 50% more likely to be involved in gang or other criminal activity,. The good news is that a good intervention program helping the child and helping the family overcome the causes of homelessness and reestablish a stable home the child or teen who experienced homelessness can have as good an outcome as any other child. Many homeless parents do work or try to work and just don't earn enough to provide a stable home often because they are in minimum wage jobs.

Answer 2

Disincentive? Homelessness should in fact create an incentive to get out of that situation or at least avoid becoming homeless. Now, what does it cause a person to be homeless? They lose their dignity, their self respect, their reason to live. I suggest you watch - in search for happyness featuring Will Smith and I think you'll get your answer.

Answer 3

rough to work since jobs want an address and phone #!!

Answer 4

What? Could you be more specific please?