Sample Cause and Effect Essay: Homelessness
The following example of a cause and effect essay illustrates how
this basic structure plays out in practice. Be sure to check out
our other essay examples for more guidance as well.
The homeless epidemic is a serious problem in nearly every major
city across the country. According to the US Department of
Housing and Urban Development, there are over 500,000 people
experiencing homelessness on any given night. It’s a difficult
challenge to tackle precisely because it is so multi-faceted, both
in terms of its causes and its far-reaching effects. Homelessness
affects not only the people who must struggle to survive on the
street, but also the business owners or residents in the
neighborhoods. Petty crime and drug abuse are common. While
many factors have contributed to the rise in homeless rates, one
of the most profound is the lack of adequate social support
services.
By definition, a homeless person is someone without a permanent
home. They may seek shelter in parking garages, ATM vestibules,
and subway stations. On a purely practical level, if a city can
provide enough homeless shelters and other forms of affordable
housing, the people who would otherwise sleep on the streets can
sleep far more safely with a consistent roof over their heads.
Social support services, whether they are funded publicly or
privately, would be able to tackle many of the immediate and
long-term challenges that face people experiencing
homelessness. In addition to providing adequate and reliable
shelter, services like drug counselling, treatment for physical or
emotional abuse, and career counselling can address some of the
factors that lead to homelessness.
The individual stories of each person going through homelessness
will vary. What is often found, though, is that the homelessness
came about because of a series of events. A person may
unexpectedly lose their job, which may lead to family problems at
home, which may lead to drug abuse as a coping mechanism,
which may lead to further financial stress, and so on. Appropriate
social services at any point in this process may be able to prevent
homelessness from becoming this person’s reality.
The effects of homelessness are equally complex and can be
mirror images of the root causes. Because the person is
experiencing homelessness, this may put profound strain on
personal relationships. Drug abuse can become an issue, as the
person seeks some way of coping with the pain and hardship of
living on the streets. This leads to a downward spiral that drives
the person deeper and deeper into the depths of crippling poverty
and isolation.
The impact extends well beyond the individual, too. As
homelessness becomes an increasingly visible issue in a
neighborhood, home values can plummet. Middle and working
class families may move out, providing a bigger opening for
various forms of crime. Businesses may close as the area
becomes too prone to theft and property crime.
Every city, every neighborhood faces unique challenges when it
comes to homelessness. While the specific root causes can vary
between individuals, the lack of adequate social services is a
leading contributor. The right social services can address, reduce
or even remove some of these other underlying causes. With
powerful effects for both the individual and society at large,
homelessness is a pressing issue and one that must be
approached with tact and compassion.
