The Pros And Cons Of Homeless Shelters

“Will work for food.” “Homeless need help” These are only a few examples of the signs you may see while driving down your local busy street. But do you help? Do you provide assistance? Yes, many of us have given a few dollars to help, but what does a few dollars buy? A warm jacket? A warm meal? These individuals are known as being “homeless.” You are classified as homeless if “you an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g., shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing.” (National health care for the homeless

Shelter homes provide “temporary residence for those that can no longer afford to pay rent themselves.” (Homeless shelters community outreach programs and services). Homeless shelters are not meant as a permanent residence, homeless shelters are there to help individuals or families for a short amount of time before they find a permanent residence. Homeless shelters can also not be an option for many homeless individuals because many homeless shelters have many restrictions to be admitted this includes a valid form of ID. There are many reasons a homeless individual will not have an ID, “Some are lost or stolen, others are seized when crews enforce city ordinances.” (Hawaii News now) When a homeless individual cannot present an ID they do not receive the benefits they can normally receive such as “general assistance, medical coverage, food stamps, and social security disability benefits.” (Hawaii News Now) While having homeless shelters is helping a decent percent of homeless individuals, it is still not solving the

In Ohio we do not have “on-site pantry that serves as an opportunity to help families in our community and explore strategies to build capacity throughout our network. However, the main responsibility of the Foodbank is as a liaison between the food industry and feeding programs. The Foodbank distributes food to more than 550 feeding programs, which then give it to hungry Ohioans.” (Mid-Ohio food bank) For this reason alone, this is why this solution will not solve homelessness or hunger in Ohio. If the Mid-Ohio food bank would have an on-site pantry that would serve different individuals or families it could help