Problem and Background
There is a growing rate of homelessness in the United States and it is happening to individuals from all walks of life. Sub groups including veterans, children, families, senior citizens are the collection of homeless individuals. In the 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, 564,708 people were homeless on a given January night. Majority of these individuals (69 percent) were staying in residential programs for homeless people, and 31 percent were found in unsheltered locations. Twenty-three percent (127,786) of all homeless people were children, under the age of 18, nine percent (52,973) were between the ages of 18 and 24, and 68 percent (383,948) were 25 years or older. Societal understanding of …show more content…
has started is the right move to make if you are trying to get rid of homelessness. If we let homelessness grow, then there are economic and social effects that will proliferate. The effects of homelessness on society can be quite costly, not only in terms of tax dollars spent but in the sense of the quality of a community as well. Operating and maintaining homeless support programs such as homeless shelters, day centers, homeless medical services and so forth are costly ventures. The funding for these programs comes from tax payers and private donors. Yet, most of these programs are generally unfunded, which means that only the most basic of services can be offered (SLO, …show more content…
However, many homeless people don’t trust the government. In the book “The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City”, written by Jennifer Toth, she dives into the lives of homeless individuals living in the underground tunnels of New York city, here she obtains real-life stories and memories of individuals staying in the tunnels. One of the things she noticed was that the homeless see the government and society as the ‘others’. They don’t trust the government agencies, homeless organizations, wandering drug addicts or ruthless teens because they feel these are some of the factors that put them into their situation. They tend to lack economic stability and feel it is the government’s fault for taking their homes, cars and
There is a growing rate of homelessness in the United States and it is happening to individuals from all walks of life. Sub groups including veterans, children, families, senior citizens are the collection of homeless individuals. In the 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, 564,708 people were homeless on a given January night. Majority of these individuals (69 percent) were staying in residential programs for homeless people, and 31 percent were found in unsheltered locations. Twenty-three percent (127,786) of all homeless people were children, under the age of 18, nine percent (52,973) were between the ages of 18 and 24, and 68 percent (383,948) were 25 years or older. Societal understanding of …show more content…
has started is the right move to make if you are trying to get rid of homelessness. If we let homelessness grow, then there are economic and social effects that will proliferate. The effects of homelessness on society can be quite costly, not only in terms of tax dollars spent but in the sense of the quality of a community as well. Operating and maintaining homeless support programs such as homeless shelters, day centers, homeless medical services and so forth are costly ventures. The funding for these programs comes from tax payers and private donors. Yet, most of these programs are generally unfunded, which means that only the most basic of services can be offered (SLO, …show more content…
However, many homeless people don’t trust the government. In the book “The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City”, written by Jennifer Toth, she dives into the lives of homeless individuals living in the underground tunnels of New York city, here she obtains real-life stories and memories of individuals staying in the tunnels. One of the things she noticed was that the homeless see the government and society as the ‘others’. They don’t trust the government agencies, homeless organizations, wandering drug addicts or ruthless teens because they feel these are some of the factors that put them into their situation. They tend to lack economic stability and feel it is the government’s fault for taking their homes, cars and