Homelessness in women
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The fastest growing group of homeless people in the United States is composed of single women with two and three children. Before the 1980’s the homeless population was mostly composed of men. They were hobos, alcoholics, drug addicts, or individuals recently deinstitutionalized from mental hospitals. Within the last two decades, US society has begun to acknowledge the growing numbers of homeless women and children. Patriarchal attitudes have lead to the assumption that women are always financially cared for by their husbands and in case of marital distress, their male kin or sisters' husbands. Society assumes that women are deeply embedded in the family and domestic sphere. Women are often referred to as the “hidden homeless” because society assumed homeless women must have been out of a home for committing adultery or being an unfit mother. Homeless women are rarely seen because they often find shelter with relatives, friends, or other homeless women. The majority of homeless women are on the streets because of divorce or escaping domestic abuse. Abandonment is also a key contributor to homelessness in women. After the Great Depression, divorce rates dropped but abandonment rates rose suggesting that couples simply split rather than pursue a costly divorce. Decline of the welfare state, and lack of affordable housing have also led to the increase of homelessness in women.
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[edit] Domestic violence and divorce
Women who experience domestic violence may be at an increased risk of homelessness or be compelled to live with a former or current abuser in order to prevent homelessness. In a study of 777 homeless parents, the majority of them women, in 10 U.S cities identified domestic violence as primary cause for leaving their homes. In 1998, 46% of cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as the number one cause of homelessness. In addition, battered women are usually with men who discourage them from pursuing their education or otherwise gaining marketable skills that would be useful in the workforce. This results in women not being able to make a living to support themselves and their family in the case of relationship dissolution. Divorce rates have risen drastically since the 1970's. The United States has the 3rd highest divorce rate in the world. The Census Bureau released a report showing that there were 957,200 divorces in 2000. The Census Bureau also cited that 50% of marriages will end in divorce. There are many factors that lead to divorce such as lack of communication, financial problems, and lack of commitment, but recently physical, sexual, and emotional abuse have been frequent contributors. When the woman decides to leave the marriage, she usually has few alternatives when it comes to living arrangements and financial support. Also, during a divorce, if there are children involved, custody is usually granted to the mother. At first battered women helped one another individually by setting up informal safe homes and apartments free from their abusive partners. In the 1970's there was a handful of safe shelters for battered women such as the Woman's Advocate and Haven House established in Pasedena, California. Today there are over 1,400 shelters, hotlines, and safe homes, but most of the programs are inadaquately funded and they must turn down as many women as they accept.
[edit] Decline of the welfare state
Participation in the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and food stamp programs began to decline dramatically after the enactment of the Federal Welfare Law enacted in 1996. In 1996 President Clinton endorsed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act which was basically stating that a person had to work in order to receive government assistance and support. The bill converted AFDC to a block grant- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)-with fixed funding. This is where the federal government gives the states “blocks” of money to distribute for income support and work programs based on what they spent in 1994. According to the Congressional Budget Office that bill included nearly $55 billion in cuts in low-income programs in a six year time period. Other provisions made it possible for states to withdraw substantial amount state resources from basic income support and work programs for poor families with children to divert federal TANF block grant funds to other uses. The legislation allowed states to deny aid to any poor family or category of poor family. Also, the legislation prohibited states from using block grant funding to provide aid to families that have received assistance for at least five years, but the state could also cut that time limit shorter- including availability to cash aide and work slots. The bill cut out $28 billion in food stamps cutting the benefits by almost twenty percent. These reductions affected the working poor, disabled, and the elderly. In the legislation the food stamp provision affected the poor in between the ages of 18-50 who had no children. The bill reported that these individuals were limited to three months of food stamps while unemployed in any three year period. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that all of these provisions would deny food stamp benefits to an average of 1 million people a month who are willing to work but can’t find a job and are not offered a workfare. The lack of food eats into the housing budget.
[edit] Lack of affordable housing
Many people believe that affordable housing is an urban or welfare problem, but it is a problem for people with and without jobs, and it happens in every ethnic background. People in poverty have been increasing due partly to declining minimum wages, and government assistance such as welfare cash assistance and HUD. In the 1970’s Congress increased funding for housing assistance due to the dramatic increase of homelessness. But after the 1980’s HUD assistance fell at an alarming rate. In 1996 through 1997,Congress allowed zero funding in budgets for new section 8 certificates. Section 8 is a housing program that allows low-income renters to pay 30 percent of their income to rent in unsubsidized units on the private market. Due to the fact that the “one-for-one” rule had been demolished, the federal government doesn’t have to provide new or additional Section 8 certificates for every unit demolished. The private market is to the point where they are unwilling to create and keep affordable housing through the government. Reports show that 30 percent of low income people receive housing subsidizing. This condemns most people to live one paycheck away from living on the streets. Furthermore, as the number of people in or near poverty increases, affordable housing has declined due to the decrease in government housing assistance, the rising cost rent, high-end new construction, condominium conversion, and old projects being torn down. Most homeless people rely on shelters until they can find a permanent abode, but due to the increase of homeless people, shelters have had to deny people and families a place to stay because they are over the limit and don’t have room for them.
[edit] References
- Butler, Sandra S., 1957. Middle-aged, female and homeless.
- Bulman, Philip Michael. Caught in the mix.
- Arrighi, Barbara A. America's shame.
