They get kicked out of their homes and are too ashamed to go to their families because of their illness, so they are often seen on the streets struggling to stay warm. There are many other people that become homeless for many different reasons. Some of these people cannot help becoming homeless. Some of these people are the illegal immigrants that come here from other places to get a better life, but they end up not having enough money to make it in this hard world that we live in. Relationships that break up can also cause someone to become homeless. There are also individuals that seem to reveal a continual homelessness. .
According to "Homeless Increasing all over the World" (2005), the number of homeless families with children has increased significantly over the past decade. They are among the fastest growing segments of the homeless population. In rural areas, the largest groups of homeless people are families, single mothers, and children. In a 1998 survey of 30 cities, it was found that the homeless population was 53% African-American, 35% Caucasian, 12% Hispanic, 4% Native-American, and 3% Asian ("Homelessness in America", n.d). The ethnic makeup of homeless population varies depending upon geographic location. Nearly 8% of Americans have been homeless some time during their lives. Presently, it is believed that somewhere between 2.5 million and 3.5 million people experience homelessness at some time each year (Peters & Roche, 2005).
What should the role of the government be in struggling with the homeless problem? Some people believe it is the duty of the government to take care of all citizens in times of need. Some other people declare that people in trouble should solve their problems themselves. There has been homeless in America ever since the colonial times and not much progress has been made in the past 200 years in helping these people (Paulsen, 2009). In the United States each year, there are around 3.