Total Length: 1891 words ( 6 double-spaced pages)
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Homelessness
Is homelessness increasing in the United States?
Homelessness has become progressively more apparent in the United States over the past quarter century. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has amassed a wealth of data that confirm low-income housing is a critical requirement. Even as some communities are realizing a decrease in their homeless population; others are experiencing the opposite. It is disheartening to note that the largest increase in homelessness is families with children. Figures show that on any given night 633,784 people are without a place to call home and of these 239,403 are families. There are multiple causal factors including structural inequalities emanating from America's social institutions. The educational system upon which opportunity is founded as well as the decreased purchasing power of low-wage incomes are antecedents to homelessness as well. Finally, the plain truth is there is a simple lack of affordable low-income housing in the United States.
The pros for this question are: economic growth, increased charity, opportunity to create more jobs
The cons for this question are: formation of extensive low income groups, increased poverty and inflation, increased familial disharmony
Elaboration
Angela Whitaker's Climb, a text by Isabel Wilkerson, poignantly establishes the reciprocity of poverty and education on limited financial opportunity. In plain English the author demonstrates the manner in which impoverished communities are vulnerable to a lower quality of education which exacerbates opportunities for financial gain and the ability to break the cycle of poverty that resonates through generations (Wilkerson p. 224). Low wage jobs are naturally indicative of limited purchasing capabilities that translate to difficulty in maintaining a residence as well. The culprit is minimum wage. Research shows that even full time employment of one parent - or even the combined incomes of two parents who earn only minimum wage - have insufficient income to afford what is considered "fair market rental of a two bedroom apartment" (Anderson 2003). The disastrous result of this reality is homelessness at alarming rates in the United States. Complicating the issue is the fact homelessness is a sign of credit problems that can prevent families from securing new lodging thereby continuing the pattern of homelessness.
Currently the main cause of homelessness can be traced to the increasing chasm between the cost of maintaining some sort of lodging and the income a family can generate; as well as the reality that the availability of low-cost housing in this country continues to recede. Research confirms this posit. According to one study "the number of un-subsidized units affordable to extremely low-income households is currently 1.2 million, while the number of extremely low-income households is estimated at 4.5 million, which suggest a 3.3 million unit deficit of affordable housing units in the United States" (Anderson 2003). Those who lack adequate income due to poverty, financial setbacks or the myriad of problems many face - literally find themselves on the streets each day.
Additionally, there is a wealth of data that has been collected over the past several decades to support the premise that social stratification is one of the main sources of homelessness in different demographics. Sociologists and other parties who are devoted to the subject of homelessness and its eradication state that clearly one third of the homeless population is families with children. Of these another nearly twenty percent are single women and nearly another third are veterans who have served their country. It is difficult to decide wherein lies the greater shame of a country of wealth - the fact that it so handily turns its backs on ther veterans or helpless children. There is no shortage of research on this very weighty topic. One text, Structured Inequality, explains that the limited access of racial and ethnic groups and women to valued resources such as education is emotionally and socially debilitating and all but ensures their confinement to the lowest socioeconomic levels of society by constraining their ability to alter their social position in society. The greatest urgency is for families with children as they are the segment of the homeless population that shows the greatest increase. While the solutions are complex there is little doubt that one valuable response would be to increase the availability of affordable housing. To do otherwise opens up a variety of problems for children in this situation including poor school attendance and performance, medical problems and poverty-related issues such as violence and sexual assault.
Homelessness has been a part of the American fabric since its founding; and will continue to remain so until a concerted effort on behalf of multiple agencies is imposed. The response to resolving homelessness requires a combination of government programs that provide affordable housing, authentic social services to break the cycle of poverty and standardized education. Additionally, the general public's perceptions of those who are poor and homeless must be altered. Too often, those who dwell in poverty are thought of as 'lazy' or 'unmotivated'; as if poverty and homelessness were the fault of the individual. The reality, however, is much different. Many people who fall on hard times are the product of a dynamic economy that is in a constant state of change - downsizing, unemployment and deindustrialization are all examples of causes of homelessness that are beyond the realm of the individual to control. Furthermore, society tends to dismiss the homeless; looking past them as if they are invisible. It is a sad commentary on this country that there are actually more shelters for animals than humans. And talk is cheap. All the lip service in the world will not house a single person. Genuine equality and action are needed to ensure that everyone has access to the American Dream.
Further Support
Research on the scope of the problem finds that homelessness is regularly underreported. The result is a limited governmental response; thereby allowing the pattern to repeat itself from one generation to the next. One excellent resource is the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) which provides honest key data concerning homeless persons in America (NLCHP,