At the same time, the rate of deaths of homeless is rising rapidly. 53 homeless person died in New Orlean in 206, but in 207, the number became 60, which was a 3 percent jump than the previous year. In New York, homeless deaths also jumped 30 percent in 207 in comparison to 206. Moreover, in King County, Washington, the deaths found in abandoned homes and cars, under elevated highways, in motels, shelters and hospitals nearly doubled in three years (Richard A. Webster). In fact some of the deaths can be avoided if we are able to find some proper and effective solutions to help this suffering homeless population.
These deaths have many reasons. A majority of homeless people have substance use and mental health problem, which would definitely be fatal after years or even decades without treatment. However, even if some addicted homeless want to get rid of the substances, it is always not easy to get help. According to the article Our streets are our mental wards: New Orleans homeless deaths are rising, impatie
nt beds are in shortage and we dont have enough resources for the indigenous. In a city that historically has high rates of alcohol and drug abuse, however, there are only 8 inpatient beds provided by the non-profit Odyssey House for indigent people in need of medically-supervised detoxification. Withdrawing from alcohol or heroin can often be life-threatening, which is why addicts looking to get clean need to be placed under the care of doctors and nurses. (Richard A. Webster and Katherine Sayre) In this article, Dr.Peter DeBlieux, who is a chief medical officer said, there were only three times that they have been able to offer free impatient beds to people in emergency department during the three years since the University Medical Center opened because of the shortage of resources (Richard A. Webster and Katherine Sayre). Theses people who suffered from substance or mental health issues could have led healthier and longer lives but now they have to die in despair due to the inadequate help for the poor.