How To Reduce Homelessness In The United States

In the 1640’s homelessness began to be an issue in the United States, and over time the homeless population continues to grow. During this time period not having a home was seen as god’s way of punishing the people. According to most religious folk as long as you didn’t disobey god your needs would always be met (Fischer). Youth homelessness first appeared in the 1850’s, the biggest reasoning for this is because parents could not afford to care for their young adults anymore. During the Industrial Revolution many people that moved to cities quickly became homeless, causing many people to turn to panhandling and prostitution. The Great Depression in the 1930’s was responsible for a large mass of people going homeless, due to a lack of income and available jobs in the market. Natural disasters such as the Great Chicago Fire and Hurricane Katrina can cause mass homelessness. Since houses have to be rebuilt and locals lose their money and possessions some are forced to be homeless for extended amounts of time. People born into poverty lack the confidence in improving their lives, so instead of getting an education and trying to better themselves, they continue with the only life they know, usually on the streets. Did you know that more than six hundred thousand families sleep on the streets every night in the United
States? One hundred thousand of which are chronically homeless. The majority of homeless people are older, white, urban males that usually struggle with some sort of an addiction. But those with the highest risk of becoming homeless are young adults, especially those recently released from juvenile centers or foster care. Children that are homeless have an increased risk of missing school and not receiving proper meals. During 2013 about two and a half million children were homeless at some point during the year. Homeless individuals are negatively impacted every day, but their living situations effect everyone else around them. There is an increased probability of those without a home to participate in the use of hard drugs. Weather conditions and no health care also means that they have a higher risk of getting ill or injured and not be able to pay the bills. On a daily basis the risk of getting robbed or raped is also heavily increased, not having the security of a house and being exposed makes them easy targets. Communities are harmed by the homeless population because there is an increase in the potential of getting robbed, which makes it harder to get a peaceful nights rest. While pan handling and prostitution take over the streets as they attempt to make some money. Tax payers are forced to cover shelters, medical expenses, and arrest fines for homeless people that are not able to afford it themselves, taking away valuable money from the government. You may not think this is a lot of money in total, but did you know that seven out of ten ex-convicts that are homeless are reconvicted. An array of obstacles can push anyone into a situation where they are without a home. One major contributor is a lack of a living wage, minimum wage was designed to be the lowest wage you can make but still be able to live on. However we all know that that is not a true statement. Outrageous medical bills after a serious accident or an illness can sometimes overwhelm families. These become the most important to pay for, sometimes resulting in late house payments. Similarly mental illnesses and developmental issues can also leave a person on the streets. Family members will sometimes make the decision to abandon family members with special needs because they can no longer manage to afford the expenses. People who feel depressed find it hard to maintain a job and keep a steady income, while also pushing those close to them away. After being sexually, emotionally or physically abused can push someone to a point or put them into a position where they no longer have a place to go. The best thing for someone in one of these situations to do is to seek out a support group or family member to lead you to the right path. The choices we make always have a direct impact on our future and where we end up in this world. Drug use and gambling are horrible addictions that consume the user’s life and often take priority in their decision making, which is usually impaired. During divorces it’s also common for one person to take the house, leaving the other with no place to go. Stay at home parents have a difficult time attaining a job post-divorce, this is because most have no previous job experience. Young adults are most often kicked out of their homes because they make a choice that conflicts with the views of their elder. Examples of this are the use of drugs or the abandonment of religious beliefs. In order to solve the majority of the homelessness problem in the United States we must invest in more sustainable permanent housing options that they can actually afford. Sam Tsemberis managed to nearly eliminate homelessness in Utah by buying up lots and giving them to these people. Tsemberis figures that the hardest part about staying off of the streets is to attain that dependable housing, then it’s easier to make the necessary changes (getting help with drugs, or getting hired somewhere) to be able to afford housing. After filling all of the open lots, those in need can be expected to pay a small amount of money for rent, this amount is usually determined by income or a standard low cost. Currently the United States has a few effective programs to offer long-term housing. The housing choice voucher plan is available to families, the disabled, and the elderly with a low income to provide clean and affordable housing. For people struggling with mental illnesses and diseases like AIDS, permanent supportive housing is the best choice. On top of housing you are supplied with medical help to keep you from returning to the streets. Lastly the housing first program offers its help to those suffering with chronic homelessness, which is usually drug addicts, and offers them the necessary help to maintain a good living situation. In this case the occupants pay a small fee or a percentage of their income every month. When thinking about solutions for homelessness, there’s a right path to follow, and a misguided way to go.
Shelters offer temporary housing, which is good but that means it’s also a temporary solution, not a way to stop homelessness completely. This is also one of the most expensive solutions, on average almost $5,000 a month is spent per family (The Atlantic). Since the occupants do not pay rent, the tax payer’s money is spent to run the facilities, are care for the people’s needs. The amount of violence and crime in shelters also makes them unsafe for the elderly, and women and children, forcing them to stay on the streets which is also very
dangerous.