There is a various amount of people in the United States that are homeless and there is nothing the people can do about it. Statistics show that there are more “two-parent families in the West and Southwest than in New York and other large Eastern cities” (Homelessness).This happens because they move together to try and make a living and end up not finding a job and get stuck there not being able to afford anything, therefore they become homeless. In the United States, one of the main reasons people become homeless is because there is less job opportunities due to their mental state or personal status. There are some places that will provided for the homeless only if they are in desire need. “Only those programs that reduce poverty or increase the supply of affordable housing will be effective in decreasing the total number of homeless families in the United States” (McChesney). This shows that the United States does have some kind of shelter for the homeless but not for all. These shelters are there for them if they are hurt or being abused only. The shelters will also let you in if you have any kind of health issues or disabilities. The United States is trying to do as much as they can to make the homeless lives better so they feel like there is hope in their future. They try to make getting jobs easier so we will have less homeless people in the world, but there are still rules and regulations that they have to pass. The unsheltered still have to try and put forth the effort so they can have a job to maybe make enough money to support their family and or life.
Governmental Solutions to the Problem
The government has passed many laws to help the homeless but they have not necessarily done there best job at keeping up with it and providing for them. It was said that “Fire, Flood, or natural disaster could render people homeless by destroying their dwelling” (Helping). The government has not done anything to try and fix this problem. There are laws for the special needs and the ones that are in desire need of care but when it comes to natural disaster, they do not realize that not all people could afford insurance and are barely making it by to even pay the bills on their houses. Many homeless people will start with a home but have to end up living on the streets because either the family will reject them or they are in so much debt, they cannot afford a home. The homeless need shelters but it is not always easy to get in. The government makes it hard for them to find places to live because they want them to show a stable working job and or know that they are only homeless because they are special and no one wanted them. Due to the hardships of shelters, it leaves many on the streets in the dangers of the world. The United states came up with a definition of homelessness which says “The official definition is meant to hep providers determine who to serve, and to help planners calculate levels of service to provide.” (Helping).
This meaning that the government whats the homeless to put in the work to receive the good. If they work and have a steady job, they will allow then to stay in these shelters. This has been proven to work because so many are desperate to just sleep with a blanket and in a bed. The government has done so much to help the homeless. “Emergency shelter grants were awarded on a formula basis to government agencies in most communities eligible for Community Development Block Grants” (Helping). This grant is to help the homeless stay in a safe place and have somewhere to go to at night when they have nowhere else to go. The government has tried to get places for them but they can only do so much. The homeless still have to be able to show that they are dedicated to a life and trying to live a better one. All the government wants is to help but they also want them to put forth the effort into showing them they are trying to live a better life. “O’Flaherty, (1996), researched that increasing income inequality is behind the increased homelessness” (D’Souza). He shows that by raising the price on your income, the higher the rates go up on living. Therefore, it is hard for the homeless to afford to live because they are working minimum wage jobs but the rent on apartments is extremely high so they still cannot afford to live on their own.
The government has also put laws in the school system that will provide them places to live it is called “ The No Child Left Behind Act, requires that school districts designate a ‘homeless liaison’ to coordinate services and provide transportation to allow such students to stay in their original schools” (Street). This states that kids with no home should be allowed to stay in school and be provided shelter especially as a minor just trying to get an education. This was passed so that the kids may continue to go to school to get an education and be able to possible go to college that way they could get a degree and hopefully make money to later on in life afford a house and no longer be homeless. The government wants kids to get and education no matter how you live or what you do because they want all people to be successful in life. Many acts have been passed within the years to help the homeless out as much as possible. They may not be the best but it is a start. Many people think that they do nothing for them but that is because they do it all behind the scenes. The government has done alot for these people so that they could live their lives just like the rest of the people in this world.
Personal Solution
In today’s society there seem to be a greater accumulation of homeless people due to the fact there are fewer free homeless shelters. Homeless shelters are no longer a free site where people without homes can recover and rest from the heat or from a day of work. Most people without a place to live did not choose to be in the position they are in. For example, homelessness is caused by the need to move into a large city for a job but without a high income job it is difficult to live in cities because of the price of living is extremely high. Another possible solution is to have more easily acquired high paying job that would allow people to stay in their homes while working to support possible families. Federal housing should include the special needs individuals that work for a living instead of asking people to be sorry for them without having a job. Hard working people that just simply cannot afford housing in certain areas should not be punished for the inability to afford housing along with everything else that every American has to pay for. With this mentality permanent supportive housing would be a sensible solution for helping the hard working poverty of the world. Having permanent assisted living for the homeless workforce would benefit those without homes immensely in order to have a normal life. This enables people to work for a living without having to think about being kicked out of their homes and onto the street without being able to afford another place to live. Another permanent solution is to teach kids in school to be smarter with their money so they will not spend their money irresponsibly to get to the point where they have no money where they cannot afford a place to live. With these classes they could learn how to save and have better money managemet.
Works Cited
- “Homelessness, Health, and Human Needs.” Google Books McChesney, Kay Young. “Family Homelessness: A Systemic Problem.” Journal of Social Issues, Wiley/Blackwell (10.1111), 14 Apr. 2010
- “Helping America’s Homeless.” Google Books “Editorial Board.” Endocrinology, vol. 156, no. 5, 2015, doi:10.1210/endo.2015.156.issue-5.edboard.
- “Street Paving.” Scientific American, vol. 5, no. 32, 1850, pp. 253–253., doi:10.1038/scientificamerican04271850-253d.
