Homelessness And The Problem Of Homelessness

A 2016 Atlantic article declares, “The government has tried to tackle the problem of homelessness on nearly every level, but comprehensive solutions have proven elusive, despite billions spent over time. The federal government has set a series of goals of ending homelessness for veterans by 2015, chronic homelessness by 2017, and homelessness for families with children and youth by 2020. But reaching these benchmarks appears to be much further off” (Semules) Despite current efforts homelessness continues to be a serious issue in our country. Some reports suggest that currently 500,000 men, women, and children are living without homes in the United States (Johnson). This leaves many people with the question, is there a way to help the homeless across the country? It is impossible completely eradicate homelessness in America because there are people who do not want to be helped; however, there are ways that the number of people living without homes in America can be reduced. Before solutions to the issue can be examined we first must look at the causes of homelessness and the short comings of the current efforts to end homelessness.

There are many different opinions as to what the main causes of homelessness are. There are some who believe that people are homeless because of mental illness, there are others who believe that the cause of homelessness is substance abuse. Both factors contribute to homelessness, but there are many different causes of homelessness. The overarching cause of homelessness is lack of affordable housing. A person who is working a full-time job could struggle to afford housing due to the cost of living in some cities in the United States. A 2014 study by the United States Conference of Mayors believes th...

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...st people believe that putting individuals into housing free of charge will cost exuberate amounts of money. However, the program will save cities money. Placing four homeless individuals in supportive housing in Los Angeles would save the city $80,000 per year (Lewit N.p.) The Housing First program is an effective way for the United States reduce homelessness.

There are varying ideas as to ways to reduce homelessness, and there are multiple ways to reduce homelessness. The first step to reducing homelessness is identifying the contributing factors of homelessness, identifying the failures of the current system, and identifying the programs that help reduce homelessness. It is impossible to end homelessness completely; however, it is important for The United State to continue pushing towards the goal of helping homeless individuals across the country.