Essay about Persuasive Speech: We Must Fight Homelessness

In America’s finest city, vivid thoughts of beaches, sunshine, and excitement all come to mind. Pictures that do not come to mind are the streets that are lined with tents, trash bags full of clothes, old sleeping bags, and items that have value to the owner. All across America, homelessness perpetuates to expand and worsen. Homelessness has been a growing issue these past few years in San Diego and residents are finally speaking out about it. This is a concern that requires to be taken care in one way or another. Components of homelessness include lack of shelter, food, and medical care. One’s who suffer from homelessness are all different ages, races, and have a unique story of their own. It is time for the city of San Diego to find a solution to this matter of contention and pursue to put an end to homelessness.

At present time the minimum wage in Los Angeles is $10.50 per hour. Andrew Woo (2016) identified that the average rent of a one-bedroom apartment is $1,750 in Los Angeles (June 2016 California Apartment List Rent Report, para.4). A family of two working adults earning the minimum wage will invest two weeks of both of their paychecks to pay their monthly rent. Affordable housing is a social justice issue because it affects the most vulnerable individuals of our communities. These families deserve better opportunities for economic growth. Less money invested in housing means that parents can afford healthier foods, quality childcare, and will be able to provide suitable clothing for their children. This proposal will also increase economic growth within the community because families will have extra money to spend. The affordable housing is indispensable problem to solve because many families aren’t able to pay the increasing cost of rents. Families are sharing houses, renting converted garages or are becoming homeless. Parents are working overtime or looking for an extra job to bring the extra income to make ends meet. Children are being neglected, or not given basic necessities because parents don’t have any money

Homelessness has become an evolving epidemic of our time, and the health implications associated with being homeless makes it that much worse. Homeless people are at major risk for premature death and a wide range of health problems such as HIV, skin blemishes, and much more. It is very difficult for homeless people to fix their health issues due to the difficulty of accessing health care possibly because of missing health cards, or simply because of the stigma placed on them when they enter a public facility. Whatever the problem may be that is forcing more people to become homeless, it must be solved, and quickly before our world turns into a travesty.

Statistics show people living in poverty are most at risk of becoming homeless. Economically they are at a higher risk of losing what little they already have.

A substantial percentage of homeless population are individuals who are chronically unemployed or have difficulty managing their lives effectively due to prolonged and severe drug and/or alcohol abuse. Substance abuse can cause homelessness from behavioral patterns associated with addiction that alienate an

Among general population, homelessness has been a social, economic, and public health concern in the U.S. for at least three decades.

Contrary to stereotype, the typical minimum-wage worker is not a middle-class teenager earning pocket money. According to the CBO, based on Census Bureau data, 88% of minimum wage earners are adults 20 or older; 55% are women. For these adults and their families, proper housing is unaffordable, as a February 2015 report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition (based on federal data) shows: A minimum-wage earner would need to work, on average, 2.6 full-time jobs to rent a decent two-bedroom apartment for less than 30% of her or his income.

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 living conditions, and risks of living on the street are critical aspects of why we need to end homelessness and but the issues that are particularly relevant to policy advocates are ending and preventing homelessness in the first place.

The average minimum-wage worker earns more than half of their family’s income (Bernstein & Spielberg, 2015). Naturally, you would assume that although minimum wage workers bring in most of the income for their families, they bring in enough to keep them well fed with shelter. Sadly, this is not true. The National Low Income Housing Coalition

Decades and decades have passed without the resolve to end such an epidemic . . . Homelessness doesn’t end. Year after year, shelters provide refuge, churches and temples provide meals, downtown missions offer care, social service agencies

All in All, homelessness is something that sometimes we can prevent. Americans can open their homes for family members, and help them find a decent job. Families can provide them with food and shelter until they get money saved up to get on their feet. Communities can provide more beds in homeless shelters for Americans living on the streets. Another reason why Americans become homeless is because they do not have enough income to afford to live on their own. Eventually the homeless shelters will see a decrease in people needing to stay because they economy will get better, so there will be jobs

When the issue of homelessness is brought forth in a conversation, many individuals think of drug addicts who are dirty and begging for change on a sidewalk to buy more drugs for their next fix. In some situations, that is not the case. Homelessness is a major issue in America today. Job lost and grieving of a loved one, mental illness and addiction, and domestic violence are recurring factors that can result to homelessness. If we all educate ourselves on the factors that lead to homelessness, as a nation, we would be able to decrease the percentage drastically.

There are many reasons that cause people to become homeless including losing their job, disabilities, addictions and immigration. Homelessness presents itself as a health issue which

C. Link to audience: Imagine that someone in your family, your mom, dad, or sibling were to be killed by a driver who was sending a text message. Was that text worth losing someone you love?