Homelessness

Homelessness

Homelessness
What are the health concerns of the people who are by definition, homeless?

There were 744,000 homeless people in the United States in 2005, according to the first national estimate in a decade. A little more than half were living in shelters, and nearly a quarter were chronically homeless, according to the report Wednesday by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, an advocacy group. A majority of the homeless were single adults, but about 41% were in families, the report said. (USA Today)

In 2002, for example, research showed that children and families were the largest growing segment of the homeless in America, and this has presented new challenges, especially in services, to agencies. Back in the 1990s, a teenager from New York, Liz Murray, was homeless at fifteen years old, and overcame that and went on to study at Harvard University. Her story was made into an Emmy-winning film in 2003, "Homeless to Harvard". (WIKI)

With the largest growing segment of the homeless in America being children and families, health status and access and utilizing healthcare agencies are indeed a social problem.

Although there is tons of quantitative research reporting the health status and health care access and utilization of homeless people, very few studies, however, come from the perspective of the homeless people. This study will give voice to the homeless and will utilize qualitative research using field study approach and the structured interview method. (Social)

The participants for this study will meet the definition of "homeless individual or homeless person" set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines the term "homeless" or "homeless individual or homeless person" as -- (1) an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night time residence; and (2) an individual who has a primary night time residence that...

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