Research Paper on Homeless Shelter

Research Paper on Homeless Shelter

Introduction

           There is a need for homeless shelters to not only provide asylum but also provide the residents with skills and empower them so that they can fit back into the community. Homeless shelters are safe havens for people who run from their homes due to war, natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, poverty, or disease epidemics. However, homeless shelters in some parts of the world, such as in developing countries, are not able to offer the facilities that homeless shelters should provide due to lack of funds and goodwill from the governments involved. In any case, homeless shelters should provide a safe and secure living environment as well as prepare the people on how to fit back into the community when they leave the shelters (De Verteuil, 2006).

Countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and the USA are good examples where effective policies have been developed, and homeless shelters are useful in providing asylum to the homeless and preparing them to fit back to the community. It is crucial for all involved stakeholders from governments, non-governmental, local authorities, and the private sectors to work together to ensure the homeless shelters provided are providing the services they are intended. In many cases where the homeless shelters are not productive, it is mostly due to lack of commitment from the governments and the institutions tasked with providing homeless shelters to those in need (Metraux & Culhane, 2004). Commitment from governments has seen the success of homeless shelters in many countries in Europe and America.

Nonetheless, data from UNHCR shows that some governments have been involved in embezzlement of funds from international humanitarian organizations, which have led to poor conditions of homeless shelters in the countries. Homeless shelters should be facilities that provide asylum seekers with a safe and secure place to leave temporarily and also prepare the people on how to fit into the community when they leave the shelters. All funds intended for offering services in homeless shelters should not be redirected or misappropriated by the authorities tasked with managing them; this will ensure the success of these shelters.

               Literature Review

           Homeless shelters should not only provide a place where people can stay temporarily but also prepare the people in the shelters to go back and fit in their communities. Most homeless people are mostly victims of wars, calamities or poverty, and drug addiction. It is vital for shelter homes to prepare the residents on how to fit back into the community once they are out of the shelter home. Majority of the homeless people may need help on how to cope and adapt again to their old neighborhoods. The number of homeless people has been on the rise, and it is, therefore, essential to ensure that homeless shelters can offer the people a safe and secure living environment.

Governments and Non-governmental organizations are, in most cases, take the responsibility of creating and maintaining homeless shelters. Government administrations mostly build homeless shelters for victims of war from outside or within the country. They also provide these shelters via the local governments to help people who are unable to provide housing for themselves as a result of poverty or drug addiction (Metraux & Culhane, 2004). A non-governmental organization such as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has been at the forefront in making sure that homeless people are provided with a safe and secure place to live and are well prepared on how to fit back in their communities once they leave the shelters. UNHCR findings show that the only way to make the most out of homeless shelters is by using the shelters to offer counseling and empowerment to enable the asylum seeker to be better off when they leave shelters.

Most homeless people suffer from poor living conditions and lack of basic social amenities to sustain a stable livelihood. Drug addicts, mostly those using alcohol and marijuana, are among the most affected. The majority of the addicts can only hope for help from the government and other non- governmental organizations to provide them with shelter inform of rehabilitation centers. However, most of the available rehabilitation centers lack the professionals and the willingness to help the affected people to be self-reliant and prepare them on how to fit back to the community (Kissoon, 2010). The government has, however, been trying to ensure that those people seeking shelter are better off when leaving the housing and can fit back to the community. Hernandez urges that people from countries which are experiencing political strife or major economic crisis are among those who need temporary shelter until stability is established in their home countries (Hernandez, 2018). He goes on to comment that it is vital to ensure that the temporary accommodations are well equipped with knowledge and skill that prepares them for life when they get back.

Research shows that the accommodation provided and the living conditions are not always up to the standards. In most cases, such as refugee camps and rehabilitation centers lack essential amenities that are essential for providing a safe and secure living space (Post et al., 2019). The people seeking refuge in this shelter are usually in dire need of a reliable and stable place to live. Post, in his writings, insists that it is crucial to ensure that the temporary shelters have all the necessary facilities to cater to their needs. People who flee their home countries or are affected by drug addiction require counseling to help them to come into terms with their past experiences and face their future with courage. Shelter homes for refugees require professionals who can help them cope with the unpleasant changes in their lives and be prepared to get back to their home countries. The United Kingdom and Canada are among the countries that receive the highest number of people seeking a place to stay temporarily. As a result, the two governments have worked on making policies that will ensure useful homeless shelters facilities.

Many scholars agree that asylum seekers in developing countries face many difficulties when it comes to accessing basic social amenities such as healthcare and food and sanitation. Most of the developing countries rely on aid from international humanitarian organizations and foreign governments. Without help from outside, the governments in developing countries struggle to provide education and health services to those seeking asylum. Most of the people who work on the homeless shelters are mostly volunteers, and the workers permanently are not well paid. This makes the services that are offered in these shelters less than sufficient. However, it is not always the case where the shelters receive support from outside (De Verteuil, 2006).

My Argument on whether to continue with homeless housing and rehabilitation program

            If the governments and the particular program bodies responsible for the homeless shelter and rehabilitation continues to show reluctance in providing resources and the goodwill, homelessness will continue to escalate now and then. As much as they are trying to provide the homes for them without proper training, they ate likely to find themselves back to the streets once again. The ‘Housing First’ model, which was created in 1992 by the Pathways to Housing organization in New York, and has since spread broadly among American non-profit organizations (Pearson et al., 2007). Its reason is that steady housing for vagrants is the crucial factor in “restoration” and should be confirmed before any other concerns; for example, substance abuse and psychological sickness can be successfully handled.

Homeless housing programs are very crucial in bringing down the homeless populace and their rehabilitation. The aid that vagrants require in anticipation of resettlement is identified with their issues, burdens, and impediments. Many need backing to survive or grapple with the injuries and problems that prompted their vagrancy, and many require counsel or preparing to fabricate or reestablish independent living capabilities. It mainly focuses on five parts of the basis for independent living: remains in impermanent convenience, help to address psychological wellness and substance abuse issues, preparing in the family unit the executives aptitudes, preparing in budgeting abilities and obligation the executives, and commitment in instruction, preparing or business. These projects help in bringing down the rates of homelessness by assisting vagrants in securing occupation opportunities, provision of food, asylum, and guidance on how to be financially independent after being subjected to some training on how to get fit for the outside world.

There are various cases where vagrants have reached for help from these projects, and they are currently independent, which is lessening the destitute populace.  Sanctuary based facilities, give administrations where vagrants can be found; however, they contrast from cover-based centers in that the locales are independent of private projects. One genuine model is St. Francis House in Boston, which has been depicted by its staff as “a shopping center of administrations to the destitute. Alongside budgetary advisors and other advisors to show them how to continue their independence, and as a result of the homeless housing program, this family is no longer homeless but also rehabilitated. With the ascent in the destitute populace and dependent on the proof that homeless safe house programs are viable, these projects should proceed. There was a 17% growth (the year 2000) in the destitute populace and 22% increment in the year 2001, and that currently in America, over six hundred thousand families and over a million kids are homeless, living in covers, in the city, in autos, and on campsites, which demonstrates that the destitute populace is in reality increasing. Of course, homeless projects are not wholly bestowing with the indigent populace, but they are contributing to their decrease (Nunez & Caruso, 2002).

They considered to be a crowd, one element, often titled as the homeless still, it recognizes what their identity is. What most overlook is that the homeless are real people too. These “individuals” with social inabilities or monetary concerns are abandoned by the world and become homeless on earth, which is a home to everyone. What is more, even though many accept they are not obliged to anyone’s aid, a bit tolerance could go far, making a course for dethroning homelessness around the globe (Evans et al., 2018). While destitute projects should not be pulled back due to its significance to helping the homeless, it is the fundamental source and should be made to do with robust rules. Most of the individuals do not support the destitute on account of the absence of information about vagrancy. “Many assessments paying residents to feel that an individual brings vagrancy upon themselves. However, the fact of the matter is that numerous individuals are constrained into homelessness and need assistance for their conditions.” Therefore, this lone leaves the haven programs for help.

In conclusion, providing shelter for the homeless are those who have been displaced from their homes is very important as it gives them an opportunity and place to settle as they find ways to get back on their feet again. However, it is of considerable significance for the shelters to have the capacity to prepare the people to fit into the community when they leave the shelters. The importance of ensuring that the homeless shelters provide the intended services to the homeless, cannot be ignored any longer.