Essay Sample on Unveiling the Homelessness Crisis: Causes, Effects, and Solutions in San Jose, America

Homelessness is a critical issue across the world especially in America. Annual surveys conducted at the beginning of each year in the United States recorded a spike in the homeless population's percentage. Out of ten thousand Americans, seventeen individuals experience homelessness for at least a single day, according to the 2019 results of the annual survey. The homeless population encompasses people from various US regions, socioeconomic statuses, gender orientations, and ethnicities. Approximately 70% of homeless victims live with other adults or on their own, while the rest live with their families and children. When defining homelessness by gender, males are the most affected with at least 60% (Wadsworth).

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Estimations within the homeless indicate that young and unaccompanied males form a high percentage of 70% among the men recorded as homeless. According to the latest records of the county's point-in-time census, the homeless population in San Jose has recorded a 42% increase to 6172 in 2020 from 4350 in 2017 (Wadsworth). The recent release of these statistics came as a shock considering the increased measures to reduce homelessness in San Jose. Reports indicate that 6900 people were pulled off the streets from the beginning of 2016, besides to close to a billion in funding to build houses for the homeless. While it encourages affordable housing in densely populated cities, homelessness is more of an environmental, economic, and health issue than a social problem because burden's healthcare and criminal justice systems, it burdens taxpayers with the financial responsibility of providing for those experiencing homelessness, and pollutes the environment and waterways.

I. Causes of Homelessness in San Jose

According to the latest HUB report released recently, San Jose or Santa Clara County was ranked as the leading city in homeless individuals. The increased number of homeless in San Jose is inconsistent with the per capita income as expected. Economic stains such as the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic are among the leading factors of homelessness in America.

A. Joblessness

A study released earlier this year declared that 59% of Americans could not afford to fund a $1000 emergency. As a result, losing a job or incurring a health crisis would eventually render them homeless. The current pandemic has created a recession similar to the one experienced in 2007. The increased vigilance in stopping the virus from spreading has caused the closure and collapse of many businesses in America. While many Americans rely on government support to provide for their families, the rate of unemployment has risen to 14.7%, where 38.6 million Americans are out of work (Alowaimer 3). Researchers predict an increase in homelessness by 45% due to the increase in unemployment during the pandemic.

B. Low income and wages

A significant number of working Americans have low wages and insufficient incomes. Extremely low incomes can only cater to essential services such as food and healthcare, leaving little money for transport and rent. However, there are few affordable houses in San Jose and the rest of America, thus rendering many low-income households homeless. Occupants in the affordable housing units in San Jose struggle to pay rent and bills since the payments exceed their income by 30%. Similarly, approximately 29% pay higher than their household income by 50% or more (Wadsworth).

C. Domestic Violence, Divorce, And Separation

The United States records a higher percentage of divorce and separation rates than other countries in the world. The house is one property shared between a former couple, and after the divorce, one of them has to move out. The cost and consequences of divorce are severe and can lead to eventual homelessness. A significant percentage of homeless women ran away from their homes to escape domestic violence.

D. Foreclosure

Many US houses were bought in mortgages, and thus, the bank owns them until an individual completes all the payments. The current fluctuation in the economy has caused a surge in unemployment, causing defaulting in paying mortgages. Prolonged unemployment leads to foreclosure and evictions among renters rendering them homeless.

E. Lack of Affordable Housing

More than 10 million Americans are classified as extremely low-income earners. The rise in homelessness in San Jose requires building more affordable houses than there were during previous political administrations. However, few affordable housing projects with a decline of 79% in residential building permits, are recorded in Californian compared to when the city was growing in the early 1960s. The cost of building a residential house in California has risen over the years resulting in expensive houses that exceed many Californians' budgets, leading to increased homelessness as reported in the city of San Jose (Alowaimer 3). Additionally, the available, affordable units in San Jose end up homeless as they cannot afford to pay bills and rent while catering to their families with their wages.

F. Incarceration

Studies indicate that former prisoners are likely to be homeless, with a majority being women. The rate of incarcerated people being homeless is currently at 203 per 10000. Colored ex-prisoners are more likely to become homeless as opposed to their white counterparts (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine). Some of the factors that result in increased homelessness among former prisoners include the reliance on criminal records in screening renters, high-security deposits, discrimination, and a shortage of affordable houses in densely populated cities such as San Jose.

G. Mental Health Issues and Substance Abuse

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration(SAMHSA) estimates that 64% of homeless people have a problem with drug use in the previous month. Alcohol addiction and abuse account for 38%, while mental health issues account for 39% of homeless individuals in San Jose and California (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine). Drug and alcohol dependence can lead to job losses and divorce among married couples, which are significant causes of homelessness, as discussed earlier.

II. Effects of Homelessness in San Jose

Homelessness has a tremendous impact on the victims society, and the environment surrounding them. Additionally, the cost of homelessness has been recorded to extend to the economy, healthcare, and the criminal justice system.

Financial Cost

The cost of providing for the homeless in Santa Clara County is estimated at $520 million per year. The recent Home Not Found report indicates that the initial housing program costs an average of $62,473 for the system’s higher users and $19,767 for the average user (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine). The higher users are also called expensive homeless people who require hospitalizations, emergency room services, and social service money. Government funding to build affordable housing for the homeless and other projects to provide to these people directly impacts the taxpayer.

Effect on the Health Care System

Homelessness can have detrimental effects on the physical and mental well-being of a person. Chronic homelessness and prolonged homelessness may be caused by post-traumatic stress disorder among the victims. The debilitating living conditions of the homeless account for their increased sickness and eventual death. The homeless's financial inability to cater to their health bills burdens the system, causing much of its funding to cater to these individuals (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine). A significant percentage of approximately 53% of healthcare expenditures are directed toward taking care of the homeless. Sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS and mental disorders are higher among the homeless than the general public. Consequently, these problems increase the severity of any disease contracted, thus making it costly to treat.

Environmental Impact

In recent news, the focus on the environmental impact of homelessness has increased tremendously. Garbage, refuse, and human waste from San Jose homeless encampments pollute water sources and shared city space in the city. The homeless litter their garbage and waste due to the lack of accessible restrooms and trash receptacles near their encampments (Alowaimer 3). As a result, the victims of homelessness resolve to dispose of human waste and trash everywhere, posing a threat to the local people's health and further cleaning costs on the city’s management. The presence of fecal bacteria in Californian waterways has increased with homelessness in the various cities in that region.

Homeless encampments recorded a high incidence of drug and substance use. Illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin are shared among the homeless, who later dispose of the used needles. Additionally, fires started in these encampments have spread and caused wildfires leading to environmental degradation.

Criminal Justice System Impact

Homeless individuals are more likely to spend more time in prison than the rest of the public. The lifestyles led by these individuals involve begging, loitering, and sleeping in cars, which are highly regulated by federal law. Additionally, the increased drug-related crimes in homeless encampments also lead to a jail term for the involved parties. The cost of keeping a person in jail per year is high and burdens the taxpayers (Alowaimer 3).

Social Impact

Homelessness is a problem that tolls on the quality of life of a victim and the community nearby. The impact it has on an individual's self-worth is excellent because it disempowers those experiencing the problem. Discrimination directed to the homeless from society creates a cycle of poverty and a sterile community. Moral deterioration in homeless encampments may creep into the rest of the city (Alowaimer 3).

III. Solutions

Several California cities have placed measures to curb homelessness by moving them from the streets into safe shelters. For instance, the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority provided housing for more than 20000 homeless persons in 2019. However, such measures are temporary since more people are becoming homeless within the hour. As a result, local governments in California are working on preventive measures against homelessness.

A. Eviction Defense

Evictions and foreclosure crises are among the leading causes of homelessness in San Jose. Since evictions make finding other rental housing a problem, many renters become homeless. As a result, the eviction defense strategy seeks to provide legal services to low-income earning renters facing evictions (Herring 783).

B. Emergency Rental Assistance

These programs provide financial assistance to tenants and negotiate with the landlords about the victim’s circumstances. Both New York and Chicago have recorded such problems in reducing homelessness incidence in the cities (Herring 783).

C. Rapid Re-Housing Programs

The effectiveness of these programs was seen during Obama’s administration. People facing homelessness were assisted in getting new homes before eviction and provided with a security deposit and rent for the first month (Herring 783).

D. Legal Solutions

the rights and privileges of the homeless should be protected as stipulated by the constitution. The ruling on the Martin vs. the City of Boise protects the people experiencing homelessness by labeling cruel and unusual acts of arresting or punishing persons without a home. However, Californian cities were against this decision as it made it challenging to eradicate encamping sites (Herring 783). The state’s government has continued to allocate more money to fund affordable housing and other programs catering to the homeless.