homelessness in rural communities

Homelessness in Rural Communities
Author’s Name
Institution

Abstract
The term homelessness has various definitions, and each will depend on the circumstance of an individual. A homeless individual is one that stays in an unstable place. For instance, living in a vehicle, doubling up with friends, living in abandoned buildings, or living on the streets denotes situations of homelessness. A person may become homeless due to the cost of housing or the lack of income. Homelessness is perceived as an urban challenge, but it should be noted that it also experienced in rural areas. However, it is challenging to estimate the rate of rural homelessness due to the lack of or the presence of inadequate records. Factors that contribute to rural homelessness include domestic violence, addictions, mental health problems, and immigrants. Some of the ways that can be used to address rural homelessness include service delivery to rural areas, support groups, job creation, and policy formulation. The aspect of rural homelessness has not been adequately studied hence calling for further research to fill this gap.

Annotated Bibliography
Schiff, J. W., Schiff, R., Turner, A., & Bernard, K. (2015). Rural homelessness in Canada: Directions for planning and research. Journal of Rural and Community Development, 10(4), 85-106. Retrieved from journals.brandonu.ca/jrcd/article/download/1230/293
Most research has focused on identifying homelessness in urban Canada while ignoring the possibility that it might be present in the rural areas.

The central focus of this study was to ascertain the dimensions of homelessness in rural Canada. This study points out that not less than thirty-thousand Canadians experience homelessness every night. The researchers go ahead to indicate that it is difficult to estimate the number of Canadians experiencing rural homelessness since there are no specific services for the homeless that could be used for data collection. The researchers go ahead to point out that mental health, addictions, domestic violence, and immigrants contribute to rural homelessness in rural Canada (Schiff, Schiff, Turner, & Bernard, 2015). In finality, this study indicates that there is a gap that needs to be filled when it comes estimating the rate of rural homelessness in Canada.
National Health Care for the Homeless Council. (2013). Rural homelessness: Identifying and understanding the “hidden homeless”. A Quarterly Research Review of the National HCH Council, 1(4), 1-4. Retrieved from https://www.nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/InFocus_June2013.pdf
This study indicates that homelessness is perceived as an urban issue that is not likely to impact the rural communities but in reality homeless is a rural challenge, in the same manner, it is an urban menace. One challenge encountered during the study is in identifying and quantifying the actual population of rural homelessness. Some of the commonplaces of residence for individuals experiencing rural homelessness include shelters, units in tribal lands, doubling with family or friends, substandard structures that do not meet the urban standards, abandoned buildings, vehicles, and couch surfing. The study also indicates that organizations face several challenges when delivering services to the rural homeless and they include geographically dispersed populations, culture, and the organizational environment (National Health Care for the Homeless Council, 2013). In finality, the study indicates that some measures such as transportation assistance, increased outreach, and employment initiatives among many others could be used to improve service delivery among the rural homeless.
Jackson, A., & Shannon, L. (2014). Examining social support in a rural homeless population. Journal of Rural Social Science, 29(1), 48-74. Retrieved from http://journalofruralsocialsciences.org/pages/Articles/JRSS%202014%2029/1/JRSS%202014%2029%201%2048-74.pdf
Homelessness is a challenge that cannot be ignored in the United States since a study conducted in 2011 estimated that 636,017 Americans were homeless. According to the study, homelessness arises due to two factors; affordability of housing and income. In the United States, rural homelessness accounts for about 7% of the total homelessness in the nation. The focus of this study was to ascertain the importance of social support in ending homelessness, and it established that social support groups are important for the rural homeless. However, the study indicated that apart from social support, resources and policies are needed to end homelessness (Jackson & Shannon, 2014).

References
Jackson, A., & Shannon, L. (2014). Examining social support in a rural homeless population. Journal of Rural Social Science, 29(1), 48-74. Retrieved from http://journalofruralsocialsciences.org/pages/Articles/JRSS%202014%2029/1/JRSS%202014%2029%201%2048-74.pdf
National Health Care for the Homeless Council. (2013). Rural homelessness: Identifying and understanding the “hidden homeless”. A Quarterly Research Review of the National HCH Council, 1(4), 1-4. Retrieved from https://www.nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/InFocus_June2013.pdf
Schiff, J. W., Schiff, R., Turner, A., & Bernard, K. (2015). Rural homelessness in Canada: Directions for planning and research. Journal of Rural and Community Development, 10(4), 85-106. Retrieved from journals.brandonu.ca/jrcd/article/download/1230/293