The Homeless Epidemic
Homelessness can be defined in many ways. For example, relating to a feeling of not having a home, but there is a much more relevant and understudied topic that we will be referring to. It both directly and indirectly affects everyone whether they’re conscious of that fact or not. The issue of homelessness is a sociological phenomenon that I feel is limited more so to the United States than anywhere else; which gives a sense of irony seeing as it is the, “Land of Opportunity.” The paradox of opportunity subsides when we realize that there are no opportunities to be had anymore. There is a disproportionate amount of jobs available in accordance to those who are unemployed. (stateofworkingamerica.org, 2015) Be that as it …show more content…
The operating and maintaining of homeless support services such as homeless shelters, day centers, homeless medical services and so forth are costly to all classes. Whether one is in the upper class or in the lower working class, you will pay taxes. With this being said, the funding for these programs comes in the form of taxpayer dollars and private donations. Yet, most of these programs are generally unfunded, which means that only the most basic of services can be offered to those in need. This in turn means that many homeless are forced to seek alternate methods of getting their basic needs met. Subsequently, those who are homeless and cannot find employment will turn to recycling or panhandling as a means of putting money in their pockets. The numbers of homeless who dig through garbage cans and dumpsters in search of recyclable items and as the number of homeless who panhandle increases there are the inevitable complaints to the community’s government to "do something about the homeless." This usually causes the city to adopt stricter laws concerning – and in some instances, prohibiting – these activities. Then, because of the need to enforce these ordinances, local law enforcement must be on the lookout for violators. This then leads the deviants struggling to survive to receive a ticket from an officer, which is also paid for by tax dollars. The ticket will in turn cost money that the poor individual does not have; because of this it then has to go through the local court system. Paperwork has to be filled out, court appearances must be set, and for those homeless who either don’t pay the fine or show up in court, additional paper work is created. If a warrant is issued, then the next time the person is caught, there is a possibility that they will be given a trip to the local jail, at taxpayer’s expense of course. This just continues to lead in a domino effect, because it leads into the
Homelessness can be defined in many ways. For example, relating to a feeling of not having a home, but there is a much more relevant and understudied topic that we will be referring to. It both directly and indirectly affects everyone whether they’re conscious of that fact or not. The issue of homelessness is a sociological phenomenon that I feel is limited more so to the United States than anywhere else; which gives a sense of irony seeing as it is the, “Land of Opportunity.” The paradox of opportunity subsides when we realize that there are no opportunities to be had anymore. There is a disproportionate amount of jobs available in accordance to those who are unemployed. (stateofworkingamerica.org, 2015) Be that as it …show more content…
The operating and maintaining of homeless support services such as homeless shelters, day centers, homeless medical services and so forth are costly to all classes. Whether one is in the upper class or in the lower working class, you will pay taxes. With this being said, the funding for these programs comes in the form of taxpayer dollars and private donations. Yet, most of these programs are generally unfunded, which means that only the most basic of services can be offered to those in need. This in turn means that many homeless are forced to seek alternate methods of getting their basic needs met. Subsequently, those who are homeless and cannot find employment will turn to recycling or panhandling as a means of putting money in their pockets. The numbers of homeless who dig through garbage cans and dumpsters in search of recyclable items and as the number of homeless who panhandle increases there are the inevitable complaints to the community’s government to "do something about the homeless." This usually causes the city to adopt stricter laws concerning – and in some instances, prohibiting – these activities. Then, because of the need to enforce these ordinances, local law enforcement must be on the lookout for violators. This then leads the deviants struggling to survive to receive a ticket from an officer, which is also paid for by tax dollars. The ticket will in turn cost money that the poor individual does not have; because of this it then has to go through the local court system. Paperwork has to be filled out, court appearances must be set, and for those homeless who either don’t pay the fine or show up in court, additional paper work is created. If a warrant is issued, then the next time the person is caught, there is a possibility that they will be given a trip to the local jail, at taxpayer’s expense of course. This just continues to lead in a domino effect, because it leads into the