Persuasive Essay On Homeless In America

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

In the United States, homeless people have become a problem phase, as many people view the homeless as a menace to our society. The New Orleans Mission, Volunteers of America, and Ozanam Inn are non-profit organizations that provide services to people who are homeless. The group of people that are included in the category of homeless people includes veterans, people who are mentally ill, families who have lost their job, single parents, or runaway children. The New Orleans Mission, Volunteers of America, and Ozanam Inn are working to address issues of homelessness through cooperations and education.

47,725 or about 8% of the homeless population are veterans and 50% of the homeless people are over 50 years old in the U.S. Homelessness is an unsatisfactory issue that we as humans do not see the importance of the help they need. In our community, we take things for granted and not worry about the importance of helping others. The unfortunate people living in the streets have passed through difficult times and appreciate small or big things. Homeless is a person without a home, and therefore typically living on the streets. Some homeless people have become abusive of drugs, alcohol, and other different type of drugs. Homelessness is a major problem in our society. Homelessness contaminates our city, makes our city look dirty, and it is priority to fix this problem.

Although most American citizens do not typically notice government programs in their daily lives, implemented policies have major effects on American citizens. It is estimated that around 1.35 million children suffer from homelessness due to their families living on the streets (Crook). With this massive housing conundrum, the United States government should increase funding for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Increased funding would decrease homelessness by lowering the crime rate, educating students, and improving American living conditions.

magine feeling lost and misplaced in this huge world around you. Each night you end up on a bench or in a dark alley; a place you call your bed. You wake up each morning deciding which public place you’ll go in to clean up. When you get hungry, you’ll have to beg people for cash. For the rest of the day, you sit in the city hoping people will notice you and help out. Knowing that you are not judged by who you are but what you are, you realize that most people in society don 't understand homelessness, and wonder if the circumstances in homelessness will ever change. Being homeless is a shock to many. It depicts someone just like us that lack the minimum necessities that we take for granted.

Astonishingly, 564,708 people are currently homeless in the United States, according to Social Solutions (Social Solutions, 2016). The topic, “Living Poor,” has only become much more apparent in the news and in everyday life. Two essays, On Compassion by Barbara Lazear Ascher and On Dumpster Diving by Lars Eighner, can be evaluated as discussing two different aspects of the homeless situation in America. After close reading, On Compassion more effectively achieves its purpose of defining compassion than On Dumpster Diving, which describes the wasteful nature of mankind.

People who are suffering from mental illness are more likely to become homeless than a mentally able person. Mental illness affects more than half of homeless adults, as reported by the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. (Donovan, 27) Because of their homelessness, they are often not able to get the care and medicine that they need. People, regardless of socioeconomic status, should have good healthcare readily available to them. In the US Declaration of Independence, it states that every citizen has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, homeless citizens are being robbed of their right to life when they are unable to access healthcare, and be treated for their illnesses.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was originally written in the 1987 to address the increasing epidemic of homelessness in the United States. During earlier years of the 1980’s, homelessness was not seen by the Regan Administration as a problem that needed federal intervention (NHC). Instead, in 1983 the Regan Administration created the first task force to provide information to local communities on how to acquire excess federal property. This did not address homelessness through programmatic or policy actions (NHC). The population was still left with little to no resources or support from the government and the problem continued. In the preceding years, advocates around the United States demanded that the federal government needed to address the widespread problem of homelessness in the country. This lead to the making of the Homeless Person’s Survival Act and it was introduced to both houses of Congress in 1986. “This act contained emergency relief measures, preventive measures, and long-term solutions to homelessness” (NHC). However, only a small part of the act was ratified into law and there was a need for emergency measures to

In order to combat homelessness and restore the people of the united states to their fullest capabilities, the government has to take the initiative to provide more funding for the homeless. This includes providing shelters for the homeless, while also building jobs for the unemployed ,and raising awareness to all that homelessness is a problem that needs to be addressed.

The homeless and those in poverty are social problems that are correlated, though majority of society see them as two different social problems. One can not be homeless, without usually being in poverty financially. This disregard for the two as intersecting relations, is due to the way that these troubling condition are claimed by claimsmakers. Gary Blasi, in his article “Homeless Not Poor” discusses the different effect that the homeless and poverty has when society sees them as two different social problems. According to Blasi the debate over homelessness and poverty have little effect on the underlying cause of ending inequality and discrimination in the American society.

This paper will attempt to explain the plight faced by one of the largest, most vulnerable populations in America today: the homeless, and how the McKinney Act has affected it. This out-group faces many hardships and many different policies have been put into place both helping and harming their overall wellbeing.

Throughout New York or even the United States, there are many people who are homeless and without jobs to help them survive. Many mothers and fathers are struggling to keep their homes while others are already out in New York streets trying to seek help. Those who are already on the streets are seeking charity from others as the walk by them. And to stop this from ever happening there should be more shelters, jobs, and help/supporters.

Homelessness is ever-growing in America and every individual has their own view of how it should be handled. Many individuals think that criminalizing certain actions of the homeless will inadvertently reduce homelessness in the United States. They believe that pushing the homeless out of their cities will make it safer for the “normal” citizens. However, current methods of ridding cities of the homeless population are counterproductive, dehumanizing, and they infringe upon the basic rights of homeless human beings.

Programs can be installed to assist the disenfranchised get back on their feet. These establishments can help people search for jobs and even provide mental care for those that need it. The money to fund this endeavour can come from the military’s six hundred billion dollar budget, rather than bumping up taxes for citizens. Of course it won’t be possible to force the homeless into these programs, as that would be unconstitutional, but it would be a huge step in the right direction in terms of lowering the poverty rate.

     What does this mean to the rest of us? You wouldn’t think it, but we have more to do with it than most people would think. Who pays for the shelters, the government right? Wrong. You pay taxes therefore you pay for them. You are, whether you realize it or not, paying for these people to stay alive. Essentially you, along with every other tax-paying citizen in the United States, are funding these shelters and various “feed the needy” programs. One unfortunate truth in this matter is the issue of prejudice. Most people wouldn’t give the time of day to a homeless person on the street much less help them out.