Sociological Focus: Personal Reflections
Although quite a few initiatives have been taken by the US governmental agencies such as the US Department of Housing and Urban Development [2], the US Department of Health and Human Services [2], the US Department of Veteran Affairs [3], and several non-governmental agencies, homelessness still remains a menace which is largely unattended and untreated. According to the National Coalition for Homeless (NCH) [4], “…in a recent approximation USA Today estimated 1.6 million people unduplicated persons used transitional housing or emergency shelters. Of these people, approximately 1/3 are members of households with children, a nine percent increase since 2007. Another approximation is from a study done by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty which states that approximately 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year [5].” The National Coalition for the Homeless states that, “under the age of 18 accounted for 39% of the homeless population; 42% of these children were under the age of five” (“Who Is Homeless”). [6] As many as 3.5 million people experience homelessness in a given year (1% of the entire U.S. population or 10% of its poor), and about 842,000 people in any given week. Most were homeless temporarily. The chronically homeless population (those with repeated episodes or who have been homeless for long periods) fell from 175,914 in 2005 to 123,833 in 2007. [7] Seeing these little children out on the street and been mistreated by people four times their age was a shock to me and I felt that these kids had a right to a better life.
社会学的焦点：个人思考
虽然不少项目已被美国政府机构如美国住房和城市发展部[ 2 ]，美国卫生和人类服务部[ 2 ]，美国退伍军人事务部[ 3 ]，和一些非政府机构，无家可归者，仍然是一个威胁，主要是无人值守的，未经处理的。根据国家联合为无家可归（NCH）[ 4 ]，”……在最近的一次近似今日美国估计有1600000人无法匹敌的人使用过渡住房或紧急避难所。这些人中，大约有1 / 3是有孩子的家庭成员，一九相比增加2007。另一个近似的研究通过对无家可归和贫困的状态，约3500000人，国家法律中心，其中1350000人是儿童，有可能在某一年[ 5 ]无家可归的经历。”为无家可归的美国国家联盟，”18岁的无家可归人口占39%；42%这些孩子的年龄在五岁以下”（“谁是无家可归的人”）。[ 6 ] 3500000人无家可归的经历一年多（全美人口的1%或10%的差），和在任何给定的一周约842000人。大多数无家可归的临时。长期无家可归的人口（有反复发作或谁已经无家可归的长时间）从175914降至2005 2007 123833。[ 7 ]看到这些孩子们在街上被虐待的人的四倍，他们的年龄对我来说是一个冲击，我觉得这些孩子有权利享受更好的生活。
