Homelessness is one of the largest, most depressing epidemics in the entire world. It is so sad and disgusting to see how we, as human beings, are treating another living person by not giving them the help they need. A lot of people, especially those living within the city, pass by a homeless person on a near daily basis without so much as a hello, let alone offering any spare change that happens to be jingling around in their pockets. It is truly horrible and disheartening. You should know some things about homelessness, though, so here are ten of them.
California
There are over 50 states in the United States, and given that, it’s a bit shocking to find out that one state — California — is responsible for 1/5th of the entire population of homeless individuals.
Over Half
California may account for twenty percent of all of the homeless population, but in total, California, New York, Florida, Texas, and Massachusetts account for over half of the entire homeless in the world.
American Children
Sadly, one in every 50 American children in the entire nation will become homeless at some point or another within their life. These kids are generally picked up by the system at some point or another.
The Causes
It has been revealed through careful research that the main three causes commonly cited for being homeless in the country include poverty, a lack of affordable housing in the area, and unemployment.
Every Year
Every single year, around 1 in every 200 adults living within the United States will become homeless due to one of the aforementioned causes. Many of these adults fail to find homes afterwards.
Anti-Homeless Laws
Instead of helping out the homeless, a number of anti-homelessness laws have begun cropping up around the country. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has had issues with the US because of this.
Offering Food
Even worse, at least 30 cities across the United States have begun criminalizing the simple act of giving food to those who are homeless. That means you could pay a fine for offering a sandwich to those living on the streets.
One-Way Tickets
In states such as Hawaii, officials in the local government have begun solving their homeless problem by offering a one-way plane ticket to absolutely anywhere else but the state.
Princeton Imagery
A recent study performed by Princeton has revealed that human brains tend to process an image of a homeless individual in the same way as the brain processes an object, not a human being.
Japanese Youths
Oddly enough, there are entire generations of young homeless youths living in Japan that have begun sleeping and surviving in nothing but internet cafes.