Introduction
Homelessness refers to the situation whereby an individual or a person lacks stable, safe, permanent, and proper housing. Furthermore, it refers to the condition where one cannot acquire a living place due to circumstances such as poverty and other circumstances. In the United States (US), more than 550,00 people experience homelessness on a certain night as of January 2017 (Cole, 2020). The figure is approximately 17 persons out of every 10,000 people experiencing homelessness in the general population of the US (Cole, 2020). New Jersey (NJ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic lying on the northern side of the US, and it borders New York on the east.
Homelessness is a significant issue that is evident in the US. According to the Continuums of January 2020, there were around 9600 people experiencing homelessness on a given day as of Care in the US Department of Urban Development (NCDAS, 2022). Of the total number, about 1080 people are from family households, 590 are veterans, 510 are unaccompanied youths between 18 and 24 years (Pacaol, 2021). The rest of the number comprises people with chronic homelessness in the region. Many young adults in New Jersey have been associated with drugs and alcoholism. In NJ, 7.71% of youths are involved in drugs, with 9.48% of young adults indulging in alcoholism (Pacaol, 2021). The reason why young adults in New Jersey get involved in drugs and alcohol after becoming homeless is to manage their situations in an attempt to attain the tentative pleasure of life despite their problems.
Reasons Young Adults in New Jersey Indulge in Drugs After Being Homeless
There is a connection between homelessness and addiction to drugs and alcoholism. Reports suggest that more than 30% of homeless people of young age battle mental illness. Due to homelessness, these people fight mental problems, which often lead then to drugs and alcoholism. For example, many young adults in NJ are struggling with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia (NCDAS, 2022). Others who are teenagers have been affected by severe anxiety as they do not know what is next afterlife they are living does not show hopes of becoming phenomenal people. It is essential to mention that homeless people who have psychological tortures in NJ are likely to be victims of physical assaults, which further necessitates the comfort they seek in harmful substances.
Research indicates that alcoholism and drug abuse are notably more common among the homeless than in the general population in New Jersey. About 66% of the homeless young adults in NJ abuse alcohol (NCDAS, 2022). About 46% of the homeless youths likewise abuse other substances, and drug abuse is a problem among the young people in the region (NCDAS, 2022). When young adults indulge in alcoholism, their chances of stopping the behavior are low if they are not well guided. A report by the United Nations Conference of Mayors suggests that the correlation between homelessness and alcoholism is clear, as many young adults remain homeless when they start taking these harmful substances. Once drugs and alcohol are introduced to a young person’s life, the user becomes more entrenched in substance abuse. The downward spiral set against the backdrop of the homeless makes this category of people in New Jersey not have a substantial lifestyle (Patt & Barnhart, 2021). Therefore, it is clear that homeless young people are among the affected groups by drugs.
Many young adults in NJ have turned to drugs and alcoholism after becoming homeless. The situation of lacking shelter is tough to bear and makes someone have psychological distress. As a result, these people often get stressed, and they look for ways in which they can manage their problems. For example, a young person who sees their peers doing well in urban areas will feel frustrated in life and look for a way to relieve their problems. According to research done by Kang (2021), consuming alcohol has a chance of reducing the magnitude of an organism’s reaction to stress. The reaction is known as stress-response dampening and has been proved by many. Thus, many youths in NJ find it easy to relieve their problems by taking alcohol, which makes them feel overwhelmed and temporarily forget their hard situations.
Additionally, many young people in the State of NJ indulge in drugs and alcoholism due to exposure to the substances. When one is homeless, they often find themselves loitering up and down and eventually close to alcohol and drug points. Therefore, due to this factor, young adults in NJ get involved in drugs as they can easily find them in many corners of the urban point. It is important to mention that the culture of alcoholism is learned, and therefore, the way a personal interaction with the environment determines how they react to the surrounding factors (Kang, 2021). The fact that homeless people have no limit in terms of places they can sleep makes them advance the culture of assimilation to drugs and alcoholism when they find a region with such traits. If the homeless youths in NJ would have a permanent stay, the chances of stopping use of drugs unless due to peer pressure or self-exploration would be below.
Due to mental issues, young adults in New Jersey have been associated with self-medication with drugs that strengthen the link between homelessness and substance abuse. The condition in which a homeless person is addicted to alcohol and drugs is known as a dual diagnosis, co-occurring disorders (USICH, 2022). Although it might seem that drugs and alcohol can curb difficult mental issues, the matter is that it distorts in terms of the cycle of dependency. Thus, homeless people in NJ, specifically the youth, often find their way into drugs due to mental illness resulting from the day-to-day problems they face.
Many homeless youths in NJ are victims of alcoholism and drug abuse. Young adults aged 20-28 years are at significant risk of homeless than adults in the region (USICH, 2022). For example, a child who grows up in a homeless setting will be probed to join the traits of alcoholism that they find in society. That factor has contributed to the extent to which people or the youths are becoming obsessed with alcoholism and other related substances. When a person uses drugs at a tender age, they continue with the behavior until they reach adulthood. That has been a disturbing issue not only in New Jersey and the US but similarly in other parts of the world. Homeless young adults with substance abuse are more vulnerable to any issue that overwhelms them, even if it is harmful to them (NCDAS, 2022). Thus, many homeless young adults in NJ get into drugs due to the family setting in which they find themselves raised in homeless families.
Many homeless youths in NJ have indulged in drug and substance abuse due to high levels of idleness. As many would say, an idle mind is a devil’s workshop meaning that when people lack a constructive matter to do, they easily get absorbed by other unnecessary issues. It is vital to say that they have a few matters to attend to when one is homeless, and therefore, they will be free most of the time (Patt & Barnhart, 2021). When one has set their mind that they are not useful in society, they tend to lose self-esteem and turn to anything that comes on their way to make themselves appear happy. Drugs being a highly sensational subject, it becomes a matter that probes one to attempt while solving their problems.
Homeless people have for a long time been neglected in society, more so in urban centers where people are busy with their activities. The neglecting factor makes the victims lose hope and see alcohol as the only way to gain morale in life. New Jersey young adults lack opportunities that enlighten them to work despite being homeless (Patt & Barnhart, 2021). Thus, the fact that idle people are less critical leads them to make decisions that are not helpful in their lives. For example, a homeless person will not have a guarantee to get food and basic necessities, and that makes them keep lying around corners of NJ as they wait for a ‘good Samaritan’ to intervene. However, these people do not get assistance due to societal neglect. There is a need to intervene and solve these problems to ensure there is equity and equality in society.
How the Issue Can Be Combatted Among the NJ Homeless Young Adults
A Coordinated System Approach
To combat the issue of drug abuse among the young adults in NJ, there is a need to have a coordinated system approach that addresses homelessness. Without getting into the root of the problem, it can be difficult to have control measures that can reduce alcohol and drug abuse. The NJ community should move from a collection of individual programs to a society-wide response that creates a strategy from the data at hand about the connection between homelessness and drug abuse (Doran, 2019). The allocation of resource allocation and services to these homeless people need to be a priority in the State to ensure that the number of people experiencing the problem is reduced. For example, there can be a coordinated entry that is equally referred to as a coordinated assessment or intake, designed to fix the issue quickly. This framework aims at connecting people in crisis to housing and assistance when they need help (Doran, 2019). Through coordinated entry, young adults can be assisted to move to houses under community-based efforts.
A coordinated systems approach can end homeless and drug addiction by using local data to guide how to allocate resources and services.A shared data system such as Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) can be useful in leveraging the program (Maguire, 2018). Without the existing information and details on homelessness in New Jersey, it can be difficult to establish a helping ground for people affected by these matters. Under the coordinated system, there is a contribution to a seamless process of matching individuals, more so the young adults and their families, on problems that they face (Maguire, 2018). However, under the same paraphernalia of systems, approach New Jersey as State to have a plan that can help to set goals about what is required in this matter. For example, it can be through the development and formation of statutory organs by legal affirmation to combat homelessness in the State. Thus, when homelessness is addressed, the effect of the issue to lead young adults to take drugs will not be there, creating a solution that can be effective on a long-term basis.
Supportive Housing program
In the efforts to combat homelessness in the US, there is a need to expand the current Supportive Housing Program (SHP). The program has been evident in the provision of housing and services that aid the less fortunate in the society to have economic independence hence, assisting people in making ends meet. Through SHP, more than $400,00 has been provided for constructing new structures that house homeless individuals (Tremblay et al., 2020). The authorities in NJ must borrow a leaf and develop a plan that meets these requirements hence getting the homeless out of their current problems. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development must ensure equal distribution of resources allocated toward the homeless. It means that the affected groups in NJ shall benefit from expansions which are a key milestone towards combatting the challenge (Tremblay et al., 2020). People must be willing to embrace plans that change their region positively.
Addressing homelessness with data analytics
For people to be aware of the youth’s issue in New Jersey, digital tools must be utilized to show data that concerns homelessness. In this case, it means researching the extent of the matter so that the government and private agencies will realize the need to act in time. There can be the creation of a framework, as shown in Figure 1 below, that allows comprehensive analysis to call for action (Kelkar et al., 2019). For example, the visualization of data and optimization can lead to an economic and policy toolkit that can record the resources required for preventing evictions. To prevent homelessness, care coordination must be practiced while making efforts to get grants in terms of money or land. Thus, the coordination of the homelessness ecosystem can work as insights that enable the authorities to make plans to lower the number of homeless people.
More Opportunities for the Homeless
Many young adults in NJ have gotten involved in drugs because they lack a constructive issue. Opening job offers to these people can keep them busy and forget or ignore the urge to take alcohol and other harmful substances. In this case, a legal order can be announced that seeks to give the young homeless people a chance to be cleaning cities and towns or assist in carrying luggage to people in town at a fee (Doran, 2019). When young adults get an avenue to generate money, they can start building themselves and avoid drug abuse. These people will be transformed and have a chance to think about owning lands that can be used for agriculture and settling in the future. It is vital to mention that most homeless young adults in NJ turn to drugs due to idleness. Thus, when they have a task to do every day, it can help change their lives, which is what the report recommends to the State government of New Jersey.
Sensitization Programs for the Young Adults who are Homeless
There is a need to enlighten the victims of drug abuse about the dangers of alcoholism and substance abuse. The NJ authorities need to allocate time and budget to hold live talks with these young homeless adults about the need to have change (Maguire, 2018). For example, mentioning that drug abuse can lead to health complications and eventually losing life can be phenomenal in turning the victims from the problems. Additionally, these programs must be accompanied by the provision of people with information and expertise power when it comes to drug abuse. When the victims of drug abuse are exposed to the reality of the matter, it can be a source of motivation for changing their behaviors (Maguire, 2018). Therefore, sensitization programs enable the community to experience what is expected in the future when they keep the same traits. NJ should be fighting to end drugs and alcoholism among the young as one way of guaranteeing the future generation of sustainable development in all aspects of life.
Conclusion
The US is one of the countries that have people who experience homelessness. There are many people who are caught by the dark side of poverty that leads to homelessness. The State of New Jersey has many young adults who have turned to alcoholism and drug abuse after becoming homeless. The reason why these victims of homelessness get into drugs is to solve the situation of desperation that they have every day. Additionally, they get into drugs due to the absence of duties to undertake and psychological issues. To combat the issue, New Jersey State must develop system approach programs that will create opportunities for the homeless and teach them how to avoid being drug and substance abusers.
References
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USICH. (2022). Homeless in New Jersey Statistics 2019. Homeless estimation by State | US Interagency Council on Homelessness. Usich.gov. Web.