Housing And Urban Development : San Francisco

Homeless people are a vulnerable population in many respects that they always face discrimination and exclusion because of their housing condition. It is a social problem that typically low wages and shortage of affordable housing are the main factors contributing to homelessness. In fact, many poor people face significant barriers to maintain stable housing because they don’t have accessibilities to increase their economic stability. Overall, there are significant factors that contribute to homelessness that many homeless people usually struggle with limited access to resources, lack of information about services, and lack of support systems.

Homelessness is an issue in American society today that affects anywhere from 800,000 to 3.5 million people. There are a substantial amount of people that are without shelter, food, or employment, and there are numerous other people affected by poverty and homelessness. People living in nearly every city in the United States are affected by homelessness due to the large amounts of homeless individuals living on the streets and begging for money, food, and other necessities. The issue of homelessness has been a constant problem since the conquering of the New World, and soup kitchens and homeless shelters have not been able to fully end homelessness. Especially today, with a lack of affordable housing and high unemployment rates, homelessness is prevalent.

“One diverse population that has continued to increase over the quarter of a century is composed of people who are homeless” (Baggerly & Zalaquett, 2006, p.155). Homelessness has become a growing problem in society because more and more people are finding themselves to be homeless and not knowing where to turn. Many people do not

In the United States the homeless population continues to grow rapidly. Homelessness has been a public health issue for many decades. Often times these individuals feel as though society has turned a blind eye to them. This at risk population is seen by society as lazy or chose to live a life on the streets, but if one would examine this population closely would see that there is more to this at risk population than what society has labeled them as. The forces, which affect homelessness, are multifaceted. Social forces such as family breakdown, addictions, and mental illnesses are in combined with structural forces such as lack of low-cost housing, insufficient health services, and poor economic conditions. Many would

There are more than 500,000 homeless individuals all over the United States who are either living inside shelter homes or along the streets according to a survey conducted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Various surveys are being conducted so that the current problems being experienced by these homeless people can be properly addressed and the necessary solutions can be provided. Among the information gathered are as follows:

In 1998, the U.S Conference of Mayors’ survey of homelessness in 30 cities found that children under the age of 18 accounted for 25% of the urban homeless population. A 1987 Urban Institute study found that 51% of the homeless populations were between the ages of 31 and 50; other studies have found percentages of homeless persons aged 55 to 60 ranging from 2.5% to 19.4%. (National Coalition for the Homeless factsheet)

      This is my third year living in San Francisco, I’ve been traveling to different cities and the homelessness is a serious issue that I concerned about. Especially the homeless problem in San Francisco is serious than other cities that I visited. According to the Data Shows San Francisco Has Second Highest Homeless Population in United States by Kristen Sze published on ABC7news, there are 795 people per 100,000 residents in San Francisco are homeless, and ranks to second to New York in homelessness.

The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty currently estimates that each year at least 2.5 to 3.5 million Americans sleep in shelters, transitional housing, and public places not meant for human habitation. At least an additional 7.4 million have lost their own homes and are doubled-up with others due to economic necessity. According to Point-in-Time Count, San Diego had 8,692 homeless people. Almost 3,800 of them were sleeping in emergency shelters or transitional housing. The Count showed more than 5000 people were unsheltered. Some slept in cars, sidewalks or abandoned building. Moreover, 61%of the homeless people in shelters were children and 40% were families and 1157 were homeless veterans. Two advocates put this dilemma of the issue of “falling from the scene” into perspective:

Homelessness does not discriminate. Families with children, single adults, teenagers and older individuals of all races struggle with the devastating effects of homelessness. According to North Carolina Coalition to End Homeless (NCCEH), on one night during the last week of January 2017, 8,962 people experienced homelessness. 73% were sleeping in emergency shelters or transitional housing. 27% were sleeping in unsheltered locations,33% were people in families with children, 67% were adults with no dependent children, and <1% were accompanied children. (NCCEH Data Center) Data plays a crucial role in informing policy decisions about housing and services for homeless persons. Understanding who is homeless and why they are homeless is necessary to end

Many people have gotten to experience what life is like in big cities or small rural communities. Often times, these places have a population of wealthier people and an area of poorer families. What many do not experience is what it is like to be homeless in these places. Homeless men, women and children can be seen under bridges, on front stoops, in cars, and several other locations of “shelter”. This problem is more common and local than a lot of us believe. Whether we know it or not, we have people that are struggling with homelessness in our own communities today. This epidemic is more real than we may ever know. It is very sad to imagine these people living in these conditions but things can be done to help. Homelessness is a reality in local communities and can be improved through schools, educational programs, charity, and helping them overcome barriers or stressors.

What is San Francisco, California known for? Well, anyone would say that it is known for its architecture, the cable cars, the steep rolling hills, and even landmarks such as Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and the Golden Gate Bridge. Did you know that San Francisco is also one of the most expensive cities to live in? Maybe you didn’t know that as you’re looking up at all of the beautiful murals and architecture, you might be stepping over used needles and/or human feces. Residents of San Francisco face more issues than we can even wrap our heads around. This avalanche of need is what causes organizations that help alleviate the stress and pain of the lower and middle classes of San Francisco so important.

San Diego is known for its beaches, numerous attractions, multiple eateries, and scenic views. Even though it is known as “America’s Finest City”, a large problem is occurring all throughout our neighborhoods. With 8,692 sheltered and unsheltered people calling the streets their home, as of January 29,2016, homelessness is one of the largest and most well-known issue throughout the city (Black et al, 1). Likewise, depending on which studies you are looking at, San Diego is ranked number 3 or 4 with the highest homeless population in the country (McElroy,2016). In downtown, where a majority of the homeless individuals reside, this problem not only effects the appearance of the city, but can also have an impact on the local businesses and hotels.

The United States is currently experiencing a homelessness crisis, matched by the Great Depression. An estimated number of sixty-two thousand American citizens are restricted to living in shelters in New York City alone, which also does not include those who are not living in the shelters. Giselle Routhier, policy director for the Coalition for the Homeless, addresses this issue in her in-depth website article titled Rejecting Low Expectations: Housing is the Answer. Published in 2017 by the Coalition for the Homeless website (http://nationalhomeless.org), her primary focus in writing this extensive article was to bring awareness to the homeless problem (as of 2017) in New York City and provide the public with possible solutions. In her website

Imagine feeling invisible not knowing what to do or where to go. Imagine spending each night waiting in long lines to get a warm place to sleep for the night just to be turned down because all the beds are taken, or finding a place to set up a tent to have the police come and tell you that you must leave yet not giving you an alternative place to go. Homelessness is an extremely disturbing social issue that affects the lives of many Americans, and is becoming more and more noticeable in places like San Francisco and Oakland. Before Reagan took office and destroyed Americans safety net by slashing the budget on social services and before the tech boom that hit San Francisco, you could make a minimum wage and afford to live here.

Additional quantitative data that would weaken the argument of the article is the segmentation of housing, whether an apartment or a house. When an area is an urban area, the housing will be generated to buildings. It has a lot of material, particular regulation and standard operation with many specialists involved. When those are blended, it will increase the housing price. We cannot directly compare those urban area housing with rural area housing that less material and building operations. And also between urban areas such as Washington DC and San Francisco, We cannot directly compare those cities, because we do not know what is the segmentation housing in San Francisco. If it is an apartment, it means the cost will have a lower price than