A person who comes to the States for the first time is surprised by the number of homeless people on the streets! The situation varies from state to state. Somewhere there are entire settlements of homeless people, as, for example, in! To be honest, I don’t remember a city where there weren’t homeless people on the streets. There are many reasons for this situation. Firstly, the United States is not a completely social state. That is, if you have lost your job, you have nothing to pay for housing, then the path to the streets is quite obvious. Yes, there are many charities, homeless shelters and other opportunities to find a roof, but not everyone is suitable. Being homeless in the States is such a lifestyle. For this reason, the face of an American homeless person is not very similar to a Russian homeless person. For us, this is a droopy, swollen, dirty drunkard. In the States, a homeless person can be a cute hipster. Secondly, in the USA there are often no programs to help the sick; mental hospitals are closed and mentally ill people also end up on the street.
In general, the situation is complex, although they are trying to solve it. Last year, for example, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio began using public money to move homeless people into city hotels. But there are so many homeless people in New York that there are still not enough allocated hotel rooms for everyone! That's why most homeless people remain on the streets.
01. Most homeless people are in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Here the situation with the homeless is compared to an epidemic. A typical picture: a young homeless man is charging his phone and watching a TV series.
02. In 2014, the number of homeless people in New York reached maximum value, which was recorded in the 30s during Great Depression. The Homeless Coalition estimates that more than 58,000 people sleep on the streets every night.
03. Of these 58 thousand there were 12 thousand single adults, 21.5 thousand people in married couples, and 24.5 thousand children.
04. At the same time, researchers note that these are not all homeless people, but those who were able to be registered in charity shelters and canteens. in fact there may be twice as many homeless people. Here is a young couple. Who would have thought that they were homeless on the streets of New York?
05. “Homeless, but not hopeless! We will be glad to receive any help. Please don’t judge us, we didn’t choose this life!”
06. In official reports, officials cite three reasons for the increase in homelessness: lack of affordable housing, poverty and unemployment. In fact, there are many more reasons. These include domestic violence, poor social security for veterans and disabled people, eviction from old houses, etc.
07. About 38% of all homeless people in the USA are disabled. But again, these statistics are based on counts of only those homeless people who went to shelters. The actual picture may look different.
08. There are a lot of sick people among the homeless; diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis are quickly spreading among them. Because of this, the ordinary population of cities does not like homeless people and tries to avoid them.
09. “Need some money to make ends meet. Any help. Please help if you can. No one has helped me all day.”
10. “Pregnant and homeless. I'm trying to raise money for observation by a doctor. Please help! Any help will do! Thank you and God bless you!”
11. “Served in the Air Force. You need $34.50 for a bus ticket to visit your mother in the hospital. She is having surgery to remove a brain tumor. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you".
12. " Good people, if you need a carpenter, flooring installer, or someone to remodel your kitchen and bathroom...please hire me! I want to earn back the 10-20 dollars that you donate to me. I urgently need a job to pay rent for a room. Have pity on me."
13. Often the only thing that gives a homeless person away is a pile of junk nearby, and decently dressed and well-groomed people. Many of them work, but after work they just go under the bridge rather than home.
14. “Please help a veteran Marine Corps. My daughter has cancer. I recently had an operation. I'm trying to raise $5,000 for a ticket. I will be glad for any help. I pray for a miracle!”
15. They usually sleep in boxes.
16. No one bothers them, the police don’t chase them...
17. “I don’t have a home. I'm trying to raise money to get back on my feet. I'm looking for a job so I can go back to normal life. I will not Give Up. I will be glad to receive any help. Please pray for me."
18. A common sight in the USA - homeless people simply sleep on the lawns in Central Park.
19. Over time, homeless people acquire things. They carry them with them on carts and strollers.
20.
21. Many people living on the streets work and receive benefits. The most common job is selling newspapers with markup. Other homeless people may receive temporary financial assistance homeless and various social benefits - for treatment of drug addiction and alcoholism or unemployment.
Life in America is strikingly different from Russia. Of course, Americans incur many times more expenses - simply, food costs much more. But their incomes are much higher, as is the level of social security. I propose to look at the conditions in which beggars and poor Americans live.
(Total 21 photos)
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The poverty level in the United States is $11,490 per year for one person, $15,510 for two, $19,530 for three, $23,550 for a family of four. It is immediately noticeable that the income that is considered the poverty level in the United States turns out to be higher than the average salary in Russia. Well, it’s worth noting that people below the poverty level in the USA do not pay any taxes, while recipients average salary in Russia they pay 13% of their salary. Well, the average Russian spends half of his salary on food, while this poor American gets food for free (the state gives a bank card to which money is transferred every month to buy food). Heating and electricity are subsidized. Well medical care Poor Americans have it for free, and the quality is better than in Russia. Well general level prices in the USA are lower than in Russia (with the exception of bread, which is still cheaper in the Russian Federation). This is what it is digression about the relativity of the concept of “poverty,” which explains why the American poor and unemployed do not stand in lines at the Russian embassy or other countries.
What is the portrait of a very poor American?
1. People with mental disorders. There is no forced treatment here, and if a person has serious mental disorders, and there is no support from relatives, then most likely he will be very poor (and probably homeless).
2. People addicted to drugs and alcohol. Well, everything is clear here, and it is difficult for them to find work, and the money they earn is quickly spent.
3. Single mothers, without education, and without family support. In such a situation, it is very difficult for a mother to find a job that would pay enough to pay for kindergarten and lift this family out of poverty. There are government support programs, but as a rule, many of these mothers are too irresponsible to use them effectively.
4. Elderly people who did not work/save enough to receive a normal pension. Many elderly immigrants from Russia who come to the United States in old age fall into this category.
5. Prisoners who are released from prison. It is difficult for them to find a normal job.
These Americans make up 10 to 15% of the population, and they make up the vast majority of the poor. I do not include illegal immigrants here because they usually work and earn enough not to be poor.
We will write separately about the homeless. Most homeless people are poor (though there are also well-to-do homeless people who are ideological), but not all poor people are homeless. By the way, in the USA, being homeless does not mean that you don’t have a roof over your head. There are many homeless people in the United States, but most homeless people do not live on the streets. Most live either in hotels (provided by the state), or in temporary apartments (provided by the state, especially for families with children), or in temporary homeless shelters, or with friends, or, at worst, in their cars. Those who live on the streets are usually people with mental disorders and/or alcohol/drug addiction. Moreover, each of them receives almost automatically $200 for food and $710 in cash.
For example, here are photographs of a typical homeless shelter. The shelter is funded by both the government and private charities. The shelter can house up to 800 people and offers medical and dental clinics, a psychiatrist, conference rooms, a church, a cafeteria, a day care center, a basketball court, and even a pet shelter.
1. Bedroom. For families
2. Bathroom adapted for disabled people
3. Children's playground
4. Shelter for dogs (after all, a homeless person can have pets)
5. Greenhouse
6. Cafeteria
7. Medical center
8. Yard and basketball court
9. Exterior view
10. Shared bedroom, for people without family
But let's return to those who are not homeless, but simply poor. How do they live? I'll give you a recent example that I encountered. A family of Cuban immigrants who speak almost no English. Husband - receives $710 in disability benefits. The wife receives about $1,000 in disability benefits. In fact, they are both able-bodied, but they just don’t want to work, and they are content to receive benefits. Therefore, they feign inability to work, saying that they have severe depression and cannot work. In order not to reduce the amount of benefits, they are officially divorced. In addition, they receive about $250 in food stamps, sometimes have occasional part-time jobs, $100-200 per month, and also rent out an extension to their house for $450 per month. Also, the state pays them mobile phones, and partly their electricity. In total, they make about $2,500 by doing nothing and sitting at home all day. Their medical care is free. Naturally, they do not pay any taxes.
They live in a house with an area of about 120 meters, with a fairly large land plot, on which several fruit trees grow - mangoes, avocados, and coconuts. Their house has two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, an office, and a courtyard with a canopy. The truth is that their problem is that they are paying a $1,050 mortgage for this house. The fact is that they bought a house 10 years ago for $100K, and in 2006, when the house appreciated in value, they did a semi-cash-out refinance. This is when the bank lends you more than what you owe on your previous mortgage. So they took $30K of money out of the house and spent it on traveling to Dominican Republic both to his native Cuba and to a new Nissan Murano for $25,000. True, they are now paying for their frivolity, and paying quite a lot for their house.
In an additional extension to their house lives a young woman who recently arrived illegally from a country with an almost victorious revolution - Venezuela. This extension is a studio, about 35 square meters, with a separate entrance, bathroom, and small kitchen. I don’t know anything in detail about the woman, but I was told that she leaves for work at night, and sometimes returns from work in the morning. Therefore, I suspect that she works in the service industry. Now this woman is pregnant. When she gives birth, she will join the lists of the poor, because it will be quite difficult for her to continue working with such a work schedule. Or maybe she will give him up for adoption, who knows. By the way, pregnant illegal immigrants have free medical care, free childbirth, and after birth they will also receive money for food, and how much money in cash for living. And the child will be an American citizen - also most likely poor for life.
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As strange as it may sound, sometimes being homeless is a way of life. In some countries, people left homeless receive free apartments, new clothes and can afford to be a vegetarian.
website talks about how people without a fixed place of residence live in different countries, what rights and priorities they have.
1. Japan
In Japan, being homeless is a way of life. Japanese homeless people have their own credo: they do not steal, do not argue with police, and generally treat others with respect. In addition, it is rare to see a Japanese homeless person begging; it is not held in high esteem.
Many homeless people go to work, work and earn money, but sleep in cardboard boxes. There are also those who chose a “free lifestyle” to atone for the sins of the past. Such people differ from their “colleagues” in that they have apartments and houses that they rent out.
2. Germany
In Germany, every homeless citizen has their own ID, which allows them to ride free public transport, eat in public canteens and sleep in parks and the metro. But even if there is no ID, special cafes and shelters have been built for the homeless, which provide their services for just a few cents.
German homeless people beg, but unobtrusively. Few people here look at the homeless with contempt. You can often see people bringing them lunch, clothes, or offering them shelter from the rain in their home.
3. Israel
In Israel, the homeless are mainly taken care of by the government. Social workers They are constantly looking for cheap and even free accommodation for them - hostels, hotels and rooms. However, this process is slow. The main difficulty is that 2/3 of the homeless are emigrants who speak Hebrew very poorly or not at all.
The main income of local homeless people comes from tourists who come to relax and see the city.
4. France
In Paris, homeless people are called “clochards”, and their number is simply off the charts. Over the past few years, emigrants from poor countries have joined the local clochards, so the number of homeless people in France has doubled.
Parisian homeless people live everywhere: in parks, subways, alleys. There is a hierarchy in the society of clochards: newcomers settle in the most remote areas on the outskirts, and the “authorities” occupy the best quarters with good earnings. The higher the status of the clochard, the more profitable place he gets.
In general, the French government takes great care of the homeless, providing them with free food and a roof over their heads in cold weather. But providing for such a number of people is a difficult task.
5. China
In China, as in Japan, it is believed that everyone should work. The state helps the homeless in every possible way to find work, gives food and sometimes a roof over their heads. In addition, there are many free baths and cafes with incredibly low prices.
6. USA
In America, it is rude to look down on the homeless, but it is customary to treat them with respect and care. For example, in California you can often see a passerby sit down next to a “street resident” and engage in small talk.
There are special tent camps. Such tents can contain televisions, computers and other expensive equipment. Many homeless people have jobs and are able to rent apartments, but they choose shelters where they can wash, rest and eat for free.
Besides, American homeless people receive unemployment benefits of $1,200–$1,500 per month, so many can afford to be vegetarians.
7. UK
Unlike the United States, where homeless people live mainly on federal budget, in the UK there is great support from charities that provide homeless people with housing, food and clothing.
The state also helps here. For example, if an entire family declares itself homeless, then by law they are required to provide free housing, which must be located in the same area in which the children study. Therefore, as a rule, such families stay in expensive hotels and rented houses.
The state practically does not help them in any way, but there are many charitable organizations that are trying to help the homeless and somehow improve the situation. For example, there is a day center for homeless children, where they try to feed them and involve them in social life.
10. Russia
In Russia, 75% of homeless people are the working population aged 20 to 50 years. However, support for the homeless is not going well. The state does not provide benefits or preferential housing for them.
All support comes from various charitable and religious organizations that seek employment for the homeless. However, there are very few such organizations and they exist mainly in major cities. For example, in Moscow there are only 5 of them.
“My address is not a house or a street,” they sang in that song. It is surprising that even in developed countries there are homeless people. It seems that the state can afford to take more care of them...But there are homeless people in the USA, and there are quite a few of them.
Will the problem ever be solved? Where do its roots come from? Does the state really care that 500 thousand people do not have housing?
Number of homeless people in the USA
According to the latest data, more than 500 thousand people live on the streets of the United States without a roof over their heads. Of course, there are a lot of homeless people in cities with a population of over a million, for example, in New York there are 60 thousand homeless people. But if we take into account the population, the following not very honorable leaders emerge:
- Boston - out of 667 thousand people, 16 thousand are homeless. Every 40th resident is homeless.
- Washington - out of 672 thousand people, 13 thousand are homeless. Every 52nd resident is homeless.
- Los Angeles - out of 4 million people - 57 thousand are homeless. Every 67th resident is homeless.
- Seattle - out of 684 thousand people, 10 thousand are homeless. Every 68th resident is homeless.
- Honolulu - out of 353 thousand people, 5 thousand are homeless. Every 71st resident is homeless.
- San Francisco - out of 865 thousand people, 10 thousand are homeless. Every 83rd resident is homeless.
- Las Vegas - 624 thousand people, 7 thousand homeless. Every 83rd resident is homeless.
And if we also take into account the number of tourists in these cities, the problem will only be apparent in cities such as Boston and Seattle. In other cities, homeless people will simply get lost in the crowd of people and the scale of the problem will be difficult to assess.
Homeless people in the USA - how did they end up on the street?
Despite many programs to help the poor (read more about the US welfar), people still find themselves unable to stay afloat.
The reasons are as follows:
- High cost of housing (as you noticed, the problem is mainly with large expensive cities USA);
- People with mental disorders hit the streets in the 1950s after the government decided to treat them through natural introduction into society (at at the moment this is 26% of all homeless people);
- War veterans (in particular Vietnam War) do not have the opportunity to obtain work qualifications → remain without work. Veterans make up 8% of all homeless people. The problem is particularly felt in the city of Washington;
- About half of teenagers from orphanages end up on the street at the age of 18;
- Caught on the street because of natural disasters. (Read the article about the elements of the USA);
- Former prisoners, as well as former or current drug addicts and alcoholics (30-35% of all homeless people);
- Suspects of a crime;
- People who have experienced domestic violence;
- Teenagers whose sexual orientation parents did not accept (10% of all homeless people);
- Those who chose to live this way (6% of all homeless people).
This Oksana must be crazy! - you say. Who chooses such a life? It turns out that there are such people. They want to live this way for political or ideological reasons and refuse government help. They call themselves gutter punks or urban survivalists. Well, in general, those who do not live, but survive. It's probably cool. But I'm not sure. 🙂
There is another type of “homeless by choice” - those who want everything to be decided for them always. Relatives and friends help them; they seem to have grabbed hold of a “normal life” with one hand, but then they slide down again. Such people need a lifelong caregiver.
What scares, depresses and angers me most is that veterans and children from shelters end up on the street. Veterans - after serving their country, now they can't even get a job? Where is the gratitude? And the children...They already got enough from life, because their parents abandoned them. And now they are also leaving them to their own devices. Which one will grow up?
Homeless people in the USA. Statistics
minors in Texas, California and Florida account for 58% of all minors homeless in the United States;
42% of all homeless people are African American, 38% are white, 20% are Latino, 4% are Native American;
31 US cities consider being homeless a crime;
More than 100 homeless people die every year as a result of a “hate crime” - when a person is killed simply for being homeless. This is twice as many as ordinary “hate crimes” - racial, religious;
39% of all homeless people are under 18 years of age;
51% are single men, 25% are single women;
23% - families with children;
39% - children under 18 years of age;
53% did not finish school education, 21% - completed, 27% - received higher education;
71% of homeless people live in big cities;
about 40% of all homeless people in the United States return to normal life within 6 months. About 70% leave the streets within 2 years. The remaining 30% remain living on the streets forever.
We also have homeless people in Houston, I saw clusters of them near Herman Park.
And one day a young homeless girl came up to my husband and me and asked for a ride. I silently waited for an answer from my husband, because... I felt somehow uncomfortable saying “no.” Her husband told her that we do not give rides to people for safety reasons. After that, he told me that there were some spots on her hands and he thought that she was sick. And besides, you'll see enough detective stories, then you don’t trust people! How did it happen that such a young girl ended up on the street? This remains a mystery to us.
You definitely haven't seen America like this. In the States there are special stores where not just poor people, but homeless people buy clothes. But it's cheap. The meaning of the word “spoil” has taken on a new meaning.
These shopping centers do not hesitate to sell even used underwear. It's good that Russian propaganda doesn't know about these stores. This is where you need to film about the decaying America.
1 These shops can be found all over the country, and it’s strange that I didn’t know about them before. However, you probably didn’t know either, even if you live in America. Because usually Goodwill is a neat second-hand store where you can buy things cheaper. But I came across an outlet, and it is truly a hellish place. 
2 At the entrance they warn menacingly that the store is not responsible for things stolen or lost inside. What fell was lost. And it instantly became a commodity. 
3 This is what an outlet for the homeless looks like: a huge hangar without even any decoration, large blue baskets filled with various rubbish for people to rummage through. 
4 I have never seen anything like this. Homeless people come here, but not only. Quite wealthy people also sometimes drop by - the earth is full of Scrooges. 
5 Among the piles of shit, there are many pearls. But this whole business from local dealers: before the opening in the morning, a queue of “their own” forms, who come and quickly buy the best, so that they can then push it on eBay, for example. 
6 Goodwill is not a commission. All goods were donated or even dropped off at store doors. This is an analogue of the “salvation army”, when people give to those in need what they themselves no longer need. 
7 Most often these are toys: children grow quickly. Why is it more profitable to take it to Goodwill than to throw it in the trash? According to American laws, charity is tax exempt. If you gave away an old TV worth a hundred dollars, you already owe the state a hundred less. 
8 This suitcase could be filled to the brim with dollars, like in the movies. Who knows. 
9 They just stand and dig through piles of old clothes. Whatever you like is immediately thrown into the cart. They just don’t tie her to themselves: if you turn away, they can drag you away. 
10 Who can buy THIS? 
11 Unpaired shoes, holey sheets, moth-eaten clothes. 
12 Some bring children. It’s safe for your wallet: you can buy any toy for your child, and it costs a penny. Goodwill sells items by weight. 
13 You can even find golf clubs. Although the photo was not taken for their sake. Is it just me or is it a man? 
14 Videotapes are on sale. In Russia, no one has video cameras left, and even more so in America. All of these films are now classics. 
15 Audio textbook of the Russian language twenty years ago. 
16 Goodwill is not only dirty clothes, but also old furniture. Any table, closet, bed or chest of drawers costs less than one dollar. 
17 Sofas are a little more expensive, within tens. And there are some pretty good ones. 
18 Imagine: you have just emigrated, or your wife kicked you out (your husband left you), you have to live with clean slate. A five dollar microwave will help you get back on your feet. I’m ready to give Goodwill a new slogan: for those who start life from scratch. 
19 Yes, it all looks dirty and obscene. But there is another side: thanks to such stores, even beggars can buy a shirt, a book or a new chair. And also, Goodwill himself hires homeless people and those who were refused even by McDonald's. This is what is called social responsibility. 
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