Street Lawyer-Homelessness

The Street Lawyer and Homeless
Name
Institution
Street Lawyer and Homeless
Abstract
The way Grisham depicts the aspect of homeless is validly enough to undertake research in it. Also, the story presented by Grisham has pathos and wondrous understanding. For instance, Street Law serves the purpose of assisting those persons who lack homes through offering them legal services and connection with other clients for services. The service offered is free here. Meanwhile, individual risks of being homeless where he or she lacks the capability to have access to both safe and secure mode of housing. The circumstances here entail where the housing of this particular individual is either damaged or risks leading to damages on his or her health, unsafe by failing to offer the necessary amenities, does not offer the support needed from home or may be expensive to afford by the said individual. Due to this reason, this paper will evaluate on the aspect of homeless as portrayed by Grisham in his novel, The Street Lawyer by following the scopes concerned with the issues, stages, symptoms, behaviors, diversity factors, risk factors, theories, protective factors and the macro solution towards it.
The Issue of Homeless
The issue of homeless may be the main visible component of the homelessness according to Grisham but rough sleeping also still forms part of the story (Grisham, 2001). At times, young people may find themselves sleeping on the filthy areas such as streets, at one point in life; they may find themselves leading decent lives in permanent housing structures.

For this reason, homeless may mean the kind of unsuitable living that is unsafe with an accommodation that is overcrowded.
The majority of young people often lead temporary living with friends or relatives. In such situations, they lack security on knowledge of their permanent area of stay and in the long run when they deplete their options; they find no place for living. Also, many people are leading lives in only what are considered as temporary solutions like bed and breakfast kind of accommodation or the night shelter cases (Rice, 2005). The options here are only for short-term basis since they do not have the guarantee for a bed of the next night. Added to the same, many people risks being homelessness by losing their accommodation. The reasons due to this could be because of rental balances, loss of employment or illness. For those who stay with their relatives, they are also at risk of becoming homeless due to personal disagreements that may lead
Stages of Homeless
According to the novel The Street Lawyer, there are five stages of homeless as follows;
Eligibility
Homelessness
Priority wants or needs
Deliberate homelessness
Local connecting
The process that leads to the consideration of the above criteria is the homeless investigation, after that the conclusion of the process of investigation, a written decision on the decision on homeless is issued.
Homeless Behavioral Characteristics
Youths who are homeless stand a higher risk of substance abuse and also engaging sexual behaviors that are unsafe. Grisham in his research noted that both personal and social networks that youths are endowed with tend to associate with risky behaviors (Slesnick & Erdem, 2012). From an interview conducted among a sample of youths in Washington DC in the age bracket of 14 to 21 years, it found that these youths were leading their lives in streets or offered accommodation by service agencies. Though majority of these youths pot rayed present social relationships, some also did not have the same (Bassuk & Beardslee, 2014). Youths endowed with up to date social network have higher chances of engaging in the illicit use of drugs, engaging with many sex partners and also leading life through prostitution.
Family Profile about Homeless
Most young people not face the problem of handling the homelessness problems but also have to tackle its associated effects such as mental health complications, drug reliance or use and physical health complications. Most of these people ever live in debts where some of them are desperate in getting expensive loans in order find out if they can improve their living standards (Spicer, Schwartz & Barber, 2010). Many at times, the combination of either one or more of these problems make it much harder for this young generation in reaching the needed help or making progress to the paths of success. The result here may be the devastating effect on the completion of their studies, getting an employment opportunity and also leading a stable and secure lifestyle. Young people who find themselves in this scenario always have a feeling of let down, rejection as well the feeling of lost hope in life.
Causes and Contributing Factors
One of the principal causes of homelessness, especially among the young generation, is the relationship breakdown in their families. The instance here often takes place when the family experiences change dynamically (Cauce, Paradise, Ginzler, Embry, Morgan, Lohr, & Theofelis, 2000). Conflicts within the family may sometimes become a prolonged issue and as in consequence resulting from violence as the major contributing factor. The young people who are vulnerable here often find themselves remaining minus the needed support from their families and in the long develop the feeling of lacking the place to seek refuge (Bassuk & Beardslee, 2014). Though family breakdown remains to the major cause of homelessness among young generations, there also some other causes such as lack of job opportunities, financial debts, and health issues that are also contributing factors to the homelessness problem altogether.
Risk Factors
The risk factors (Bassuk & Beardslee, 2014) associated with homeless either in an individual, society or community levels as they exist in the ecological model are;
Experiences or witnessing of incidences of effects of abuse right from childhood
Substance abuse such as alcohol that often leads to increased incidence of violence
organizational structures or management
Low education levels that is likely to lead violence perpetration among boys and experience of violence among girls
Economic opportunities that are limited in nature leading lack of employment opportunities and the long run, violence eruption
Marriage or intimate partner relationship conflicts
The increment in insecurity among women in managing properties or land rights
Males dominating over the decisions in asset management
Protective Factors
Protective factors (Wakin, 2005) have the capability in the reduction of risk of homeless among youths. The factors here are;
Both boys and girls finishing their secondary education
Age of marriage delays up to eighteen years
Women gaining the accessibility to training skills, credit, and employment opportunities
Adoption of social norms that support gender equality
Service response that is of quality regarding security, medical, social and judicial appliances from those personnel with high levels knowledge and skills.
Accessibility to support groups
Presence of safe shelter needs
Diversity Considerations
About homeless, diversity considerations exist where people show the relationship to each other following a utilitarian perspective where each of them has the objective and purposes that seek for the best attainment of unity with one another (Wakin, 2005). According to this human relationship mode, the distribution principle about a desert is much relevant. The mode itself reiterates that each enters into the association on free will basis where he she has with him or her both skills and talents that are applicable in realizing the advancement of goals before him or her. Meanwhile, the kind of a desert where a person belongs to have fixed objectives and purposes connected with the association where he or she is part of at the same time (Wakin, 2005). The aspects here offer a measurement tool based on the terms that may lead to reaching the relativity of the kind of judgment to be made.
Theories of Homeless
Supportive and mutually developing relationships are credentials to the end of the homelessness cycle. Several factors exist that find their ways in homelessness such as loss of employment opportunities, either mental or physical health complication, instances of domestic violence, drug abuse and many others (Levin, 2015). However, the main factor that is often ignored is the relationship breakdown that when it happens in a community, people end up being homeless. People may not necessarily become homeless when they become bankrupt though it also remains to be one of the supportive theories towards the same.
The obvious factor is that people end up becoming homeless when they turn their back against their relationships. In this case, it signifies that the probable solution to the situation of homeless is the reconstitution of the relationships that exist both in the family and the community as a whole (Levin, 2015). Indeed, people who are transiting or moving out from the situation of homelessness may require very many items such shelter, clothing, food and employment. However, what these people may need much more are healthy, supportive and positive relationships that have the capability of creating the difference of either being in a home or resorting back to the homeless situation. People who were at one time homeless initially lacked the support of the community they live in and as a result not able to sustain their housing conditions. In the end, they find themselves depressed, resorting to leading unhealthy affairs (Levin, 2015), drug abuse or trying to cope up with other mechanisms and at along last finding themselves back to their homeless situation.
Practical Macro Solution
As at now, the proven policies that have the solution to homeless situation are as stated below;
Federal housing assistance
The housing programs developed by the federal government have emerged to one of the successful initiatives towards solving the homeless problem. As it stands, the program includes the public housing and federal housing vouchers (Finnie, 2002). The housing vouchers enable the households on low income to be in a position of renting modern houses of their choices plus also offering flexible subsidy that matches with the income of the family for a long period. In consequence, the initiative leads the reduction of the homeless situation and also ensuring that the families stable in stable housing environments.
Permanent Supportive Housing
The initiative here since its adoption in New York City in the period of 1980s has emerged to be successful and effective in the cost reduction of the homeless crisis. In this model, it offers assistance to those persons with mental illness, serious health complications including those who even have HIV/AIDS. Also, the permanent housing program is less costly in comparison to other kinds of emergency or intuitional assisting programs or care
iii) Housing First
The approach here targets those who lead a life in streets by building for them permanent housing structures for them. In this case, it entails the movement of the prolonged homeless persons especially those with mental illness (Lee, 2005), under drug influence and any other serious health complication to a housing facility that is subsidized. Also, the move also ensures that these persons get linked with support service that is within reach to these people.
References
Bassuk, E. & Beardslee, W. (2014). Depression in homeless mothers: Addressing anunrecognized public health issue. American Journal Of Orthopsychiatry, 84(1), 73-81. HYPERLINK “http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0098949” http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0098949
Cauce, A., Paradise, M., Ginzler, J., Embry, L., Morgan, C., Lohr, Y., & Theofelis, J. (2000). The Characteristics and Mental Health of Homeless Adolescents: Age and Gender Differences. Journal Of Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, 8(4), 230-239. HYPERLINK “http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/106342660000800403” http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/106342660000800403
Finnie, A. (2002). Health on the streets. Nursing Standard, 17(11), 14-15. HYPERLINK “http://dx.doi.org/10.7748/ns.17.11.14.s33” http://dx.doi.org/10.7748/ns.17.11.14.s33
Grisham, J. (2001). The street lawyer (1st ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education.
Lee, B. (2005). Danger on the Streets: Marginality and Victimization Among Homeless People. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(8), 1055-1081. HYPERLINK “http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0002764204274200” http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0002764204274200
Levin, B. (2015). Reassessing Laws on Hate Violence Against the Homeless. American Behavioral Scientist, 59(13), 1715-1728. HYPERLINK “http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0002764215590604” http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0002764215590604
Rice, E. (2005). The Effects of Peer Group Network Properties on Drug Use Among Homeless Youth. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(8), 1102-1123. HYPERLINK “http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0002764204274194” http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0002764204274194
Slesnick, N. & Erdem, G. (2012). Intervention for Homeless, Substance Abusing Mothers: Findings from a Non-Randomized Pilot. Behavioral Medicine, 38(2), 36-48. HYPERLINK “http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2012.657724” http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2012.657724
Spicer, S., Schwartz, A., & Barber, M. (2010). Special Issue on Homelessness and the Transgender Homeless Population. Journal Of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 14(4), 267-270. HYPERLINK “http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19359705.2010.509004” http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19359705.2010.509004
Wakin, M. (2005). Not Sheltered, Not Homeless: RVs as Makeshifts. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(8), 1013-1032. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0002764204274197