ANT1024 >>>PROF. SCOTT SHEROUSE

Welcome to The Homeless Project

Here you will find the research project Homeless in Miami for the class Cultural Anthropology of Prof. Scott Sherouse at Miami Dade College. You can see the PowerPoint Presentation, as well as the Research Paper.

Introduction

Many homeless people have completed high school, some college and some even graduate school. Some have lost their homes to fires and others have lost their jobs. Many suffer from physical disabilities, HIV/AIDS, mental health problems, alcohol and substance abuse. They are children, men, women, white, black, Asian, Latino, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish. All in hope of a safe home, a secure job, an opportunity for independence.

WHAT IS A HOMELESS?

How homelessness is defined by HUD (The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development):
A homeless person is:
An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and
An individual or family who has a primary nighttime residence that is:
A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill);
An institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or
A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, regular sleeping accommodations for human beings.
This term does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained under an Act of Congress or a State law.

WHO ARE FLORIDA’S HOMELESS?

Age Profile	Statewide Percentage
Children under 18	35.2%
Adults, age 18-59	57.2%
Elderly, over 60	7.6%

Gender
Males	66.4%
Females	33.5%

Family Status
Single, never married	60%
Divorced or separated	22%
Married or have a partner now	18% .

Other Characteristics
Domestic abuse victims	10.9%
Military Veterans	14.2% .
Unemployed	61.7%
Employed full time	17.8%
Employed part time	10.8%
Day labor	9.7%

Race
White (not Hispanic or Latino)	53.6%
American Indian	1.3% .
Black (not Hispanic or Latino)	33%
Hispanic or Latino	9.0% .
Asian	.5% .
Other	2.9% .

Education level completed
Grade school (to grade 8)	21.2%
Some high school	26.5%
High school diploma/GED	30.4%
Some college	7.9% .
College degree	9.2% .
Vocational or trade school	4.9% .

Length of Time Homeless
1 week or less	3.7% .
1-4 weeks	13.7%
1-6 months	22.9%
6-12 months	31.8%
1 year or longer	28.0%

Prior Episodes of Homelessness
Never	29.2%
1 time	30.2%
2-5 times	30.3%
6-9 times	6.4%
10 times or more	4.0% .

Florida’s homeless population continues to be dominated by adult men. However, the numbers of homeless families are growing, and the numbers of homeless children under 18 years of age make up approximately 35% of that population.

Even more striking are the variations among the coalitions around the state. There is not a standard profile. Wide variations in the makeup of the homeless populations are reported among the 28 homeless coalitions as reflected in the range of percentages reported. What this means is the nature of the need will vary from community to community and with that, so will the strategies to address this need. It will require helping each homeless person and family individually.

In 2001, 19% of the homeless were employed full time and 18% were employed part time. Data for 2002 indicates that 17.8% of Florida’s homeless were employed full time and 10.8% were employed part time. A possible explanation for this decrease may be the effects of the recession resulting in a loss of tourism and the concomitant reduction in service industry jobs in which the homeless are often employed.

CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS

Just as the populations vary, so do the contributing causes and characteristics of the homeless.

Homeless Profile Statewide	Percentage	#Coalitions Reporting
Substance abuse disorders	37%	21
Mental health disorders	25.5%	20
Dually diagnosed substance abuse/mental health disorders	3%	3
AIDS or HIV (diagnosed) Physical, developmental disabilities, or	15.1%	18
primary health care problems	19.6%	17

As already noted, the individual homeless person or family has their own set of experiences or reasons contributing to their homeless episode. The core underlying issue in nearly every case is economic. Florida’s homeless lack the financial resources to afford a place to live, while trying to meet their other financial demands or needs. The lack of financial resources was reported by all 28 coalitions as a leading cause of homelessness in their respective areas.

This economic factor as an underlying cause of homelessness can be rooted in a range of situations. Those in poverty must devote a larger portion of their incomes to afford housing. The causes of poverty include unemployment and underemployment, lack of education and job skills, lack of job opportunities at wages that will support the family’s needs, lack of life skills including money management, emergency financial crisis resulting from sudden loss of income, catastrophic illnesses, death in the family, chronic medical conditions, or disasters impacting the family.

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Miscellaneous

> contribution of Rafael Mendiola

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			Instructor	Scott Sherouse
			Office	1527 Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus
			Phone	(305) 400-6133
			e-mail	caribbeanscottie@hotmail.com

Myth	Fact
Not many children are homeless.	Children make up at least 20% of the homeless population. Families with children is the fastest growing group of homeless. Nationally, one in five people in a soup kitchen line is a child. Many homeless children are alone and homeless, either runaways or "throwaways".
Most of them are mentally ill.	The mentally ill comprise about 25% of the national total homeless. Many are unable to access mental health services and are too ill to stay in a shelter.
They are heavy drug and alcohol users.	Some homeless are substance abusers; research suggests one in four. Many of these are included in the 25% who are mentally ill.
They want to be that way.	Less than six percent of the homeless are homeless by choice.
They don't work.	30% of the homeless are employed on a full-time or part-time basis. Someone who works full-time at a minimum-wage job takes home about $900.00 per month and is at great risk for homelessness. Many people in the Grand Traverse Region pay 50%-60% of their income for housing.
They are to blame for their own situation.	Most homeless people are victims. Some have suffered from child abuse or domestic violence. 20% are children. Many are mentally ill. Many have lost their jobs after years of employment. All have lost their homes.
They are dangerous.	In general, the homeless are among the least threatening and most vulnerable group in our society. If anything, they are the victims of crimes, not the perpetrators.
The homeless are only in large urban areas.	The homeless are found not only in large cities, but in small towns, rural areas, and affluent suburbs. There are many homeless in northern Michigan.
The homeless are uneducated and unemployable.	Many homeless people have completed high school; some have attended college and even graduate school.


Go to the PowerPoint Presentation	Spring 2004
Go to the Research Paper

	\| Miami-Dade College \| Wolfson Campus \| Scott Sherouse: caribbeanscottie@hotmail.com \| \| webmaster: Rafael Mendiola \|
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Gender

Family Status

Other Characteristics

Race

Education level completed

Length of Time Homeless

Prior Episodes of Homelessness

Miscellaneous