free essays on homelessness

Essays About Homelessness: Top 8 Examples Plus Prompts

Everyone has heard of homeless people at some point in their lives; if you are writing essays about homelessness , read our top essay examples and prompts.

Poverty is one of the greatest evils in the world. Its effects are seen daily, from people begging on the streets to stealing to support their families. But unfortunately, one of the most prominent and upsetting diversity is homelessness . Homelessness is a significant problem in even the most developed nations, including the U.S. and Canada. Despite all the resources used to fight this issue, countries often lack the means to reduce homelessness significantly. With the proper aid, homelessness can be entirely eradicated in the future.

If you want to write essays about homelessness , keep reading to see our essay examples and helpful writing prompts.

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2. A journey with the homeless by Sujata Jena

3. i chose to be homeless: reflections on the homeless challenge by emily kvalheim, 4. my experience being homeless by scott benner, 5. what people get wrong when they try to end homelessness by james abro, 1. causes of homelessness , 2. how can homelessness be reduced, 3. mental illness and homelessness, 4. reflection on homelessness, 5. is homelessness a “personal problem”.

Are you looking for more? Check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays

1. That Homeless Man is My Brother by Megan Regnerus

“But the subtext of my friend’s statement is really Why should I give money to someone who’s lazy; who isn’t willing to work for money like I do?’ And to that I say, her opinion that people who ask for money are freeloaders who could work but choose not to, is based on assumption. It relies on the notion that the two things that shape us into able-bodied adults who can hold down a regular job, nature and nurture, are level playing fields. And they’re not.”

Regnerus writes about a friend’s claim that the homeless are “lazy,” reminding her of her homeless brother. She cites genetics and circumstance as contributing factors to homelessness . Despite the other woman being her friend, Regnerus strongly refutes her belief that the homeless are non-disabled freeloaders- they should be treated with empathy. For more, check out these articles about homelessness .

“I realize that the situation of poverty and homelessness is a huge social problem around the world. But when I meet them, I face fellow human beings, not some abstract “social problem.” The very phrase, “What would Jesus do at this scene?” haunted me. I ventured to ask their names, age, where they came from, where they live (street, bridges, cemetery) and the reason they are on the streets . Their stories are poignant. Each one has a unique story to tell about his/her reason to be homeless, how they were forced to leave distant rural villages to live on the city streets . I tried to listen to them with empathy.”

In her essay, Jena remembers the homeless people in Manila, Philippines. She can see them beyond some “aspect of society” as human beings. She empathizes with them extensively and recalls the words of Jesus Christ about loving others, particularly the neediest.

“I, too, have not been compassionate enough, and I have allowed my prejudices to distort my view of the homeless. One woman, who sat across from me at a feeding program, talking to herself erratically, may have seemed strange to me before the Homeless Challenge . But when I really saw myself as her equal, and when I took the time to watch her get up and laugh as she danced to the music playing in the background, I thought she was beautiful. She had found her own happiness, amidst despair.”

Kvalheim details her experiences during an immersion challenge with the homeless. She recalls both the discrimination and generosity she experienced and her experiences with other homeless people. She was amazed to see how they could stay positive despite their terrible circumstances. We should be thankful for what we have and use it to help others in need.

“As my funds dwindled, and the weather got colder, I sought shelter at Father Bill’s in Quincy Ma. When you are homeless, sometimes very small things mean a lot. A dry pair of socks, shoes without holes, a pocketful of change. You begin to realize how much you value your personal space. You begin to realize other people want space too. A lot of people have issues or have suffered in one way or another and you can see their pain. I think that there are people who for a variety of issue are chronically homeless and a larger portion of homeless are transitioning through a series of bad events.”

Benner’s essay, written for the company ArtLifting, reflects on his experience of being homeless for a brief while. Then, he and his wife grew ill, and Benner sought refuge at a homeless shelter after his company shut down. After that, he realized how his struggles were very different from those of others and the value of the more minor things he previously took for granted. Luckily, he escaped homelessness by making art with the help of ArtLifting.

“The court denied my sister’s request and named me our mother’s legal guardian, but it appointed my sister as guardian of her property. In 2009, when my mother passed away, my sister evicted me. The day I was scheduled to move out, I stood in a convenience store, dazed, as I stared at microwaveable meals. These would be my new staple when I moved into the motel room. My phone rang—my sister. She told me she needed me out of the house in a couple of hours—she was a real estate agent and a client wanted to see the house. ‘No hard feelings,’ she said.”

Similar to Benner, Abro narrates the circumstances surrounding his homelessness . After his mother’s death and a conflict with his sister led to his eviction, he ended up homeless. While his situation was unfortunate, he believes that there are many people worse off than him and that something must change to address the housing and poverty crises in America.

Top 5 Prompts On Essays about Homelessness

Essays about Homelessness: Causes of homelessness

For your essay, it would be interesting to write about how people become homeless in the first place. Research the different causes of homelessness and elaborate on them, and be sure to provide sources such as statistics and anecdotes.

What solutions to homelessness can you think of? In your essay, propose at least one way you think the homelessness problem can be solved or at least reduced. It must be concrete, realistic, and defensible; be sure to explain your solution well and defend its feasibility, backing up your claims with facts and logic.

Homelessness and mental health can be linked—research into declining mental health and how homelessness can impact a person’s mental well-being. Make sure to use research data and statistics to show your findings. Conclude whether poor mental health can cause homelessness or if homelessness causes poor mental health.

You can write about what homelessness means to you in your essay. Perhaps you’ve heard stories of homeless people, or maybe you know someone who is or has been homeless. Use this essay to highly the effects of homelessness and how we can work together as a society to eradicate it.

Many say that homeless people “choose to be homeless” and are underachievers; otherwise, they would simply “get a job” and lift themselves out of poverty. Is this true? Research this topic and decide on your stance. Then, write about whether you agree with this topic for a compelling argumentative essay.

If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

Essays on Homelessness

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Homelessness Essay Examples

The top reasons for homelessness in america.

Poverty impacts the quality of life for people all around the world. In fact, thirty-nine million seven hundred thousand Americans lived in poverty at some point throughout the year 2017, according to the U.S Census Bureau. This equates to one in eight people in the...

Peter Singer’s "The Singer Solution to World Poverty"

Some may say that the homeless are lazy and just looking for handouts, but that is a dangerous stereotype that we must put an end to. This is Peter Singer’s “The Singer Solution to World Poverty,” summary paper where he claims that it is our...

Combatting Poverty: Strategies for Effective Solutions

Poverty and issues like homelessness can really happen to anyone, even without warning, this is why it must be ensured that their is sufficient support, reliable help and adequate solutions in place to prevent poverty and those in need of assistance. This is how to...

Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger: Poverty in Ghana

Ghana so far has been dealing with its poverty rate well but could be improved obviously, but according to UNICEF (The United Nations Children's Fund , the Ghana poverty rate fell from 56.5 percent to 24.2 percent between 1992 and 2013, but unfortunately Ghana has...

The Poverty Paradox: an Argument for Addressing Poverty in the USA

The number of homeless Americans is growing. Rates of homelessness jumped by nine percent in 2017. The U.S. financial set up for 2019 has $8.8 billions of projected budget cuts for the Department of Housing and Development. Therefore, the issue does not appear to be...

The Root Causes of Poverty in the Philippines

To reveal the problem of poverty, first of all the causes of poverty in the Philippines should be addressed in this essay. Poverty is not just about being poor and does not have the capability of providing their own basic needs such as food, clothes,...

Fighting Poverty in the Philippines: Challenges and Solutions

This is poverty in the Philippines essay in which the topic of battling poverty in the Philippines will be discussed. The Sustainable Development Goals or SDG are a collection of 17 goals that can impact the certain countries, nations or even the world positively. These...

A Modest Proposal to Help Homeless People

To start with, this is a modest proposal essay in which this topic is described. We need to make modest proposals for preventing the poor people on streets, from taking our sidewalk side space and money, and making them beneficial to the economy. When you...

Cause and Effect of Poverty on Society Essay

In the work 'Cause and Effect of Poverty on Society Essay' we talk about what is poverty and it conceptualizes. Poverty encompasses a range of deprivations that result in the state of living below a certain standard, materially or otherwise. Discourses on poverty have often...

Homelessness as a Complex Social Problem

Homelessness stands as a poignant testament to the social inequalities and systemic challenges that persist in our modern society. This essay delves into the multifaceted issue of homelessness as a complex social problem, exploring its underlying causes, far-reaching consequences, and potential solutions. At its core,...

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About Homelessness

The new definition includes four broad categories of homelessness: People who are living in a place not meant for human habitation, in emergency shelter, in transitional housing, or are exiting an institution where they temporarily resided.

Transitional Homelessness; Episodic Homelessness; Chronic Homelessness; Hidden Homelessness

Rent and eviction Economics Medical Discrimination Human and natural disasters Foster care Choice

Homelessness is a global issue. Although a safe home should be considered a fundamental human right, nearly 31 million children around the world are left unhoused. Many of these children and their families are forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution, and natural disasters. Some are left without shelter due to circumstances beyond their control. One-quarter of homeless people are children. Domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness among women. One in five homeless people suffers from untreated severe mental illness.

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