Anti-Homeless Laws and Their Effects on Mental Health
Abraham Maslow, the psychologist who created the "hierarchy of needs" chart, believed that those who are unable to attain their most basic physiological need (i.e. shelterJ will not be able to successfully achieve other needs such as feelings of belongingness,love, self-esteem, and selfactualization. The National Coalition for Homelessness reported that out of all the cities they surveyed, 160/o of averall emergency shelter requests and32o/o of requests made by families that are homeless went unmet If not enough shelters are being provided, what alternative does a person who is homeless have to sleeping in a public park? Laws that put harsh restrictions on loitering and sleeping in public places force people who are homeless to move to much harsher
conditions. When imagining these scenarios, keep in mind that 40olo of those who make up Florida's homeless population are families (2). Without adequate sheltet those who are experiencing homelessness are at the constant mercy of the elements. There are much more serious threats than just those that nature can provide. Often people who are homeless are forced to retreat to more hidden areas, thus making homeless individuals more susceptible to being raped, abused, or a victim of homicide. Women who are homeless are far more likely to experience physical attacks than any other women in the U.S. and are far less likely to report the attack due to a lack of satisfactory responses from authorities [3). Long exposure to violent conditions and a ruthless environment cause people who are homeless to become more at risk for developing a mental illness.
These anti-homeless laws, along with limited health care and education, have created everlasting effects on the children in this population.
Children who are homeless are sick twice as much as other children and are four times more likely to have asthma. These children are also twice as likely to repeat a grade and three times more likely to suffer from behavioral issues. Health reports have also found that one in three children who are homeless form a major mental disorder by the age of (7), Numerous studies have also shown that the rate of morbidity and mortality decreases with each increase in education and income [10J.
I
bb