Essay On Homelessness In Tempe

Taylor Timms - Homelessness in Tempe

According to the Homelessness in Arizona 2011 Annual Report there were 25,000 individuals who experiences homelessness in 2011 (Homelessness in Arizona 2011 Annual Report, pg. 3). I personally, along with other students and faculty of Arizona State University, take the valley light rail to campus every day to class and often at night. As a result, we have become accustomed to seeing and interacting with the homeless community; whether by choice or they [homeless individuals] come(s) up to us. I have nothing personally against the homeless but they do create hostility and cause students such as myself to feel unsafe and uncomfortable. Another thing that can come into play when dealing with the homeless people of Tempe is the fact that they travel on the light rail from all over the valley. We as a
Census, “Arizona 's population has grown to 6,392,017 and one of every 250 Arizonans experienced homelessness in 2011.” (Homelessness in Arizona 2011 Annual Report, pg. 10) Maricopa County, where Tempe is located, is home to 58% of the state’s population (Homelessness in Arizona 2011 Annual Report, pg. 12) In addition to this high rate of homelessness, the majority of homeless individuals suffer from some sort of mental illness or substance abuse. For example, veterans account for over 20% of the homeless population, and one in every five veterans suffer from PTSD (Homelessness in Arizona 2011 Annual Report, pg. 7). What I’m trying to illustrate is that there is a large number of homeless individuals accounted for in the city of Tempe. Also, the majority of the homeless suffer from illness. As a result, they could possibly pose a threat to citizens, such as violent acts and crime. Although high, I feel as if the homeless “problem” in Tempe could easily be resolved. There is already awareness of the issue but it is going to take some