Needs Assessment

In “Homeless on Campus” author, Kingsborough Community College English Department Instructor, Eleanor Bader explains the increasing amount of homeless students and ways the public can help get them into various necessary living situations. Bader has two main audiences whom she is addressing. The first audience is homeless students. This report helps homeless students feel as if their voice is being heard and that they are not the only ones going through this. The second audience is teachers and college faculty members.

Colleges and Universities could “provide affordable housing and full access to health care” (1) to their students. There are many other things that can be done to help the homeless students. Even a tiny effort can make a huge

According to M. V. Chapman, author of ¨Attitudes Toward Out-of-Home Care Over 18 Months: Changing Perceptions of Youths in Foster Care¨, one-fifth of children in these programs become homeless at least once in their adulthood (3). When children age out at eighteen, these young adults have nearly no support, nobody to turn to, nowhere to go, often leaving them homeless and alone. This statistic shows that young adults are often left without a home they can call their own because foster care programs´ rules and regulations. Frank Ainsworth and Patricia Hanson claim that during the placement precess, one in every five children moved six to ten times and every one in seven were relocated more than ten times during their stay in care (88). They also acknowledge that children who move twenty times or more while being in care is far too common (90).

Homelessness on Campus “Over 58,000 students identified as homeless on the 2013 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) , a 75 percent increase over the last three years”(Dunning). Homelessness on college campuses is damaging to the individuals who are affected by it. Homelessness is damaging to the individual because it makes graduating from college difficult. To find a way to solve homelessness we need to figure out what the causes of homelessness are.

As time goes on, the rate of homelessness rises as the population rises. Homelessness then was mostly caused by a family’s history of being homeless, drug abuse, mental disorders, and tyrannical leaders forcing his people into poverty. In modern times, several organizations are now trying to end homelessness by building cheaper housing projects more affordable to the poor and homeless shelters; these projects usually cost a fair amount of money.

In addition, the social skills with this population of kids are lacking. As a consequence, many of the children do not know how to properly interact with others. It is not a secret that homelessness in America is a growing problem. Each year the number of families displaced

“Homeless on Campus,” by Eleanor Bader is a summary of homeless students on college campuses. Bader taught English at Kingsborough Community College and she was also a freelance writer. This report explains how many students on college campuses are homeless and are trying to continue their education. Bader illustrates her points by writing about students that share their personal stories about their hardships. She also communicates with others who have insight and information about students who have no home and are going to college.

For many years now, the homelessness community has needed a change within the United States. Homelessness is a reoccurring issue that cannot be stopped with the current steps

In her essay “Homeless on Campus” Professor Eleanor J. Bader, writes about students who are attending college while being homeless. She introduces four students whom are homeless and explains their stories. As she described the life of each student it became obvious that stories were similar; students left home due to hardships and abuse from others, and are now moving from one place to another, going to extreme measures to make sure everything is taking care off, and all while focussing on school work. Bader identified three main focus points on the issue of homeless students on campus. She noted that unlike elementary school and high school, universities do not provide any formal help to homeless students.

She moves to connecting her experience to point out the experience of a homeless student in the educational system. Williams points out her exception to the loss of the American life lottery. Becoming a Harvard graduate, an advocate for homeless youth, and a professional in family engagement, Williams addresses a concern in the myth that “anyone in our country can achieve success if they simply want it enough and work hard enough,” and the faults it has. Using her education Williams looks to change the oppression generational poverty students face. Ending the article, Williams writes on practical solutions to change the impact on “communities and generations to

This says that homeless people must progress through a continuum before they can become secure in their environment. In this experiment residents enter an emergency facility and complete the extensive work available there then they proceed to housing and complete the emotional/educational work required there, and then they move onto permanent housing that provides additional securing services. The process ends with these people becoming fully self-sufficient and being able to afford available housing. This shows how homeless find housing first, with support services offered at different times. This indicates that housing, in and of itself, provides stability.

Homless College Students Reading “Homeless on Campus” by Eleanor J. Bader gives an insight into the struggles college students who do not have a home go through. Throughout the story, some young adults struggle to make it to class due to transportation issues. While others have a hard time finding a place to stay. Many people do not understand what it is like to be homeless and attend school at the same time, however, Bader helps us understand the struggles that they have to live with.

With the increased use of housing-based assistance programs being created, there is a positive outlook for homeless looking for assistance getting back on their feet by acquiring affordable housing. The ability to apply and gain benefits through state and federal programs is helping to provide food and some financial assistance to the homeless population as well as a community outreach programs being deployed in cities all over the country. New opportunities for employment and training are available for those who are homeless and looking to get back into the workforce and get off the street. The road ahead for the homeless population is, of course, paved with struggles and detours, but with the continued efforts of our country, states and communities we can work together to aid in the reduction of homelessness with the continued efforts in creating and maintaining affordable housing programs, assistance programs, and workforce development

The homeless crisis within minors continues to increase year by year. 2.2% of enrolled students in the US have reported experiencing homelessness, forced to keep their lives together and balance living and school. Where students that experience homelessness tend to fall behind because they weren't able to get to school, afford needed materials, or have access to the internet or technology to be able to work. The problem continues to increase because of increasing prices, family conflicts, and mental health issues, and it is time for us to take action and save the next generation.

Homelessness amongst the youth is a serious issue in America. Homeless youth, sometimes are referred to as unaccompanied youth. Unaccompanied youth are children and youth who are homeless and on their own that is not living with their families. This group includes runaway youth, youth whose parents encouraged them to leave or locked them out of their home, and independent youth from families where irreconcilable conflicts or loss of contact have made it impossible for them to return home ("Homeless Children and Youth," 2015).