Homelessness Discussion: HB 695 Survey Analysis and Insights

This discussion board post analyzes the factors contributing to homelessness through the lens of the Social Ecological Model, examining individual, interpersonal, and community influences. The author categorizes potential contributors like mental illness, substance abuse, poverty, and housing costs, drawing upon survey results and academic sources. The post explores the perceived major sources of influence according to survey samples, highlighting the significance of community factors such as poverty and lack of affordable housing. The author reflects on these findings, comparing them with their own perceptions and acknowledging additional interpersonal causes, such as mental health and social isolation, while emphasizing the need for government intervention to support homeless individuals. The analysis integrates survey data, research findings, and personal reflections to provide a comprehensive understanding of homelessness.

Running head: HOMELESSNESS DISCUSSION
Homelessness Discussion
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1HOMELESSNESS DISCUSSION
1.
The social ecological model shows the bio psychosocial risk factors which includes
multiple other reasons that would help in the proper analysis of homelessness. All the factors
discussed are multifaceted that depends on the individual development as well as circumstantial
factors like poverty. The individual level factors that prompts a person to be homeless are mental
illness, substance abuse, domestic violence and sexual abuse, social abandonment, criminal
activity, etc. These factors are the personal problems of an individual that results them to evade
home or unable to get a home. For instance, divorce or the death of a partner after marriage can
lead to homelessness which also depends on the support of friends one has. The lower the
number of support, the lower the possibility of getting a home.
Criminal activity can also increase the chances of making a people homeless. Evading
from a crime or trying to escape the law and justice system directly influences the person in
losing their homes. Considering their social condition, they are expected to experience
significant barriers that would result them to have greater disadvantages as compared to the one
who are homeless for other reasons.
In the similar manner, the factors that contributes to homelessness for the social factors
includes housing cost and unavailability, poverty, loss of jobs etc. For instance, there have been a
stark decline in the availability of affordable houses which stands as the main reason for
homelessness. The high rents also aid to the factor that increases the risk of people not having
proper housing facilities. According to (Reeb et al. 2017), the people who do not have a decent
socio-economic background are more vulnerable to face the problem of homelessness. It can also
be said that the poverty is the main influencer for the maximum of the social factors.

2HOMELESSNESS DISCUSSION
2.
According to the survey conducted, an insight into the factors that leads to homelessness
can be taken into consideration. The survey sample indicates that the majority of the population
believe in the poverty factor being responsible for the homelessness in an individual. The
immediate factor that precede this reason is the occurrence of natural disaster which indicates at
the community factor that is responsible for the homelessness of an individual. In relation to that,
it can also be seen that the dearth of proper housing is instigated by the fact of low socio
economic condition that results in the street dwelling and thereby enhancing to the global
homelessness index (Crosby et al. 2018). The natural disaster, similarly is an unforeseen
circumstances that lead to the destitution of many. In relation to community influenced factors,
low wage and income also aid in the low socio economic condition that do not permit a person to
have an affordable housing. Therefore, in conclusion to the above analysis, it can be said that
community plays a major part in the instigating the above problem. Though the individual or
interpersonal level of homelessness are caused at many occasions, the community factors are the
major reasons behind the reason for the maximum number of people losing their homes.
3.
In my opinion, the survey conducted is fairly done on the basis of what initiates the
factors of homelessness and also reflects the reality. However, apart from the community
perspective, the major interpersonal causes of homelessness are also higher considering the
increasing depression rates in an economy for various factors. The factors like social isolation,

3HOMELESSNESS DISCUSSION
mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence also prompts many people to lose their
homes. Adolescent people are also specifically a victim to the circumstances that results in street
dwelling and therefore the loss in losing a home. Another factor that cannot be ignored is the
willingness to leave a home despite certain reasons. There may be various reasons for such kind
of act like the lack of leading a materialistic life, or just simply avoiding families and friends.
However, as a consequence, homeless people also suffers from major setbacks like health
impairment, risk to diseases, and an uncertain future in case of kids. The government should
come in the forefront to help them have a better condition of leading.

4HOMELESSNESS DISCUSSION
Crosby, S.D., Hsu, H.T., Jones, K. and Rice, E., 2018. Factors that contribute to help-seeking
among homeless, trauma-exposed youth: A social-ecological perspective. Children and Youth
Services Review, 93, pp.126-134.
Reeb, R.N., Snow-Hill, N.L., Folger, S.F., Steel, A.L., Stayton, L., Hunt, C., O’Koon, B. and
Glendening, Z., 2017. Psycho-ecological systems model: a systems approach to planning and
gauging the community impact of community-engaged scholarship. Michigan Journal of
Community Service Learning, 24(1).