Society believes that marginalized homeless people are responsible for their living situation. American culture judges that the homeless are either mentally ill, drug addicts, lazy, or dangerous. Although those can be some of the reasons why people end up on the street, it is not always the circumstance. “Concerning the rise of homelessness, no one can specify a singular, universal and generally true cause of homelessness since this phenomenon is affected by several factors of both an objective and subjective nature” (“Homelessness And Its Perception By Society”). Many people who end up on the street are hard-working individuals, some with degrees and at one point in their life held important roles, but due to hard times or bad luck, they
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“Today, an estimated 12 million renters and homeowners pay more than 50 percent of their annual incomes for housing, a substantial amount and more than the 30 percent of income recommended by HUD" ("Homelessness"). Mortgages and rent cost more than half of people's monthly income putting them at risk of becoming homeless, especially low-income households. This affects citizens already living in poverty the most; sometimes the people who need help do not always qualify for low-income housing, which makes a situation more difficult for an individual. "Furthermore, a report by Harvard University found a recent trend in rising rent and the decreasing availability of affordable housing, with low-income renters outnumbering the supply of housing they can afford by nearly two to one" (Homelessness"). People who are not considered low-income still are making enough just to get by, and working just to pay bills. Although some individuals have come out of poverty within the last few years many still do not have a roof to live under ("Poverty and Homelessness"). Emergency shelters are beneficial some of the time, but what people really need is permanent housing. Housing is important, and many of the homeless population stay away from shelters for different reasons. Communities are encouraged to propose “permanent housing solutions” to help get families off of the street. (“Homelessness Requires Different Solutions for Different
“Today, an estimated 12 million renters and homeowners pay more than 50 percent of their annual incomes for housing, a substantial amount and more than the 30 percent of income recommended by HUD" ("Homelessness"). Mortgages and rent cost more than half of people's monthly income putting them at risk of becoming homeless, especially low-income households. This affects citizens already living in poverty the most; sometimes the people who need help do not always qualify for low-income housing, which makes a situation more difficult for an individual. "Furthermore, a report by Harvard University found a recent trend in rising rent and the decreasing availability of affordable housing, with low-income renters outnumbering the supply of housing they can afford by nearly two to one" (Homelessness"). People who are not considered low-income still are making enough just to get by, and working just to pay bills. Although some individuals have come out of poverty within the last few years many still do not have a roof to live under ("Poverty and Homelessness"). Emergency shelters are beneficial some of the time, but what people really need is permanent housing. Housing is important, and many of the homeless population stay away from shelters for different reasons. Communities are encouraged to propose “permanent housing solutions” to help get families off of the street. (“Homelessness Requires Different Solutions for Different