Homelessness is often assumed to be the product of either laziness or an inability to work. There is the thought that if the men and women living on the street had jobs they would be able to afford at least basic housing. However, “one out of five homeless Americans do work, either full- or part-time” (Molloy). They are not homeless because they do not work enough, they are homeless because the amount they are paid is not enough to support them. As of July 24, 2009, the minimum wage in America is $7.25 an hour. A study by the National Coalition for the Homeless revealed that “a minimum wage worker would have to work 83 hours per week” to afford the rent of an average priced two-bedroom apartment and still be able to afford food, clothing, healthcare and other necessities (Molloy). It has not always been this way. In 1967 the minimum wage was the equivalent of $10.04 today and “a person working full-time at minimum wage earned enough to raise a family of three above the poverty line” (Molloy). While they would still be lower class, the family would have a roof over their heads and they would not starve. Now, this is not a realistic option; even if the family has two sources of income, the cost of child care often equals or exceeds the income of one of the parents. The current minimum wage creates many hindrances for the poor and the homeless and, unfortunately, a tremendous number of Americans are encompassed in these groups. “More than 28 million people” make less than $9.04 an hour, giving them an annual income “that marks the federal poverty line for a family of four” (Conlin and Bernstein). 28 million people is a quarter of America’s workforce. This means that a quarter of our workers cannot or can just barely afford to suppor...
... middle of paper ...
...hile passing a law linking minimum wage and inflation sounds nearly impossible, all of the other options that could also help minimum wage earners are equally impossible. The current minimum wage is not enough to live on and leaving it as it is will only force more of our fellow Americans out of their homes and into the streets. Increasing it to a living wage not only has no adverse effects on employment, but it is also the humane thing to do.
Works Cited
Conlin, Michelle, and Aaron Bernstein. "The Working Poor Are Not Getting By in America." Opposing Viewpoints in Context. 31 May 2004. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Molloy, Aimee. "Low Wages and Limited Employment Opportunities Cause Homelessness." Opposing Viewpoints in Context. 2002. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Sklar, Holly. "Raising the Minimum Wage Will Help the Poor." Opposing Viewpoints in Context. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
According to a 1997 report of the National Coalition for the Homeless, “nearly one-fifth of all homeless people are employed in full or part-time jobs”. In the book Nickel and Dimed, On Not Getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich, the author goes undercover in order to investigate and experience first-hand how life is for America’s “working poor”. The “working poor” are defined as individuals who have a full-time job, sometimes more than one, but still cannot afford the basics of shelter, food and adequate healthcare. As one can imagine, this led to many public health concerns. In each of the three locations visited, Ehrenreich realizes that for many, “getting by” in America can sometimes be a daunting task.
Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. From “Raise the Minimum Wage to $10 in 2010.” Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign. 2009. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Wells, E. (2009). Counterpoint: Solving homelessness requires more than housing . EBSCOhost . Retrieved February 5, 2011, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=p3h&AN=28674968&lang=en-ca&site=pov-can
This paper will examine a subgroup of the homeless population, homeless families. It will explore the multiple causes of family homelessness and the consequences homelessness has on family life. The three main reasons for the abundance of dispossessed families within America are the following: 1) the lack of affordable housing, 2) low wages in the job-market, and 3) insufficient federal aid. In today’s society, these causes are the main contributors towards the heartbreaking condition of family homelessness, which often leads to family breakups, health issues, and educational obstacles. This paper will also give possible solutions to family homelessness and improvement plans for the future.
According to a recent New York Times article, there are people in New York with multiple jobs that still cannot afford to pay the rent on a apartment in the city. Therefore, many remain homeless and must find relief in one of the city’s shelters. (nytimes.com) The New York Times states that, “Advocates of affordable housing say that the employed homeless are proof of the widening gap between wages and rents — which rose in the city even during the latest recession — and, given the shortage of subsidized housing, of just how difficult it is to escape the shelter system, even for people with jobs….the jobs aren’t enough to get people out of homelessness” (nytimes.com). What we see modeled in New York City is a disturbing ...
Many people against raising the minimum wage create arguments such as, “it will cause inflation”, or, “ it will result in job loss.” Not only are these arguments terribly untrue, they also cause a sense of panic towards the majority working-class. Since 1938, the federal minimum wage has been increased 22 times. For more than 75 years, real GDP per capita has consistently increased, even when the wage has been
Take a drive down town and the problem will be apparent, take a look to the left and there one stands, take a look to the right and there’s another. Homelessness is a term used to define a person who does not have a home to go to at the end of the day. Homelessness does not discriminate against age, sex or gender. What is startling to many people is that reasons why so many people succumb to homeless ness in their life; people assume that when someone is homeless it’s because of bad choices that that individual made in their life, which might be true but not for all, “approximately 1 and 5 Phoenix residents live below the poverty line” and that in itself has a lot to do with the current
This great nation of awesome power and abundant resources is losing the battle against homelessness. The casualties can be seen on the street corners of every city in American holding an ?I will work for food? sign. Homeless shelters and rescue missions are at full capacity. There is no room at the inn for the nation?s indigent. Anyone who has studied this issue understands that homelessness is a complex problem. Communities continue to struggle with this socio-economic problem while attempting to understand its causes and implement solutions. The public and private sectors of this country are making a difference in the lives of the homeless by addressing the issues of housing, poverty and education.
‘Homelessness’ is when an individual or family cannot afford permanent housing. Homelessness is a common problem in human history. There are many reasons why people reached the state of homelessness such as; physical, economic, social and political. These problems continue to interfere with people’s lives. In the early stages of the American colonial settlement, homelessness became a huge problem in America. Most recently homelessness has been caused by the high cost of housing, alcoholism and drug addictions, mental health issues, joblessness and military veterans coming home. Many people who have jobs here in America still cannot afford permanent housing because the minimum wage which is $7.25 is not enough money to make a good living. The people who gets pay $7.25 an hour struggles because by the time they’re done paying all their bills they have very little to buy groceries, so most of the times people buy food for them and their family which means eventually they’re going to owe a lot of money for rent, which is going to lead to eviction. The United States needs a comprehensive plan to end homelessness in the richest country in the world once and for all.
It is estimated that, “each year, more than 3 million people experience homelessness, including 1.3 million children” (NLCHP). Clearly poverty and Homelessness come hand in hand, and the economy downfall has only contributed to this growing crisis. “Homelessness stems from a lack of affordable housing. Increasing rents, destruction of traditional low-income housing, and cuts in federal housing programs threaten affordable housing with extinction” (NLCHP). Most people in poverty have a housing affordability crisis, which means that they pay more than half of their income for rent, so therefore they have to buffer to deal with unforeseen expenses.
The economic component of the homelessness situation can be broken down into two interrelated parts: housing affordability and a low income rate. The economic recession that followed the financial crisis of 2007 left many individuals unemployed during a time that saw a spike in the price of housing. So not only did the cost of living increase, the rate of income also decreased accordingly. Unsurprisingly, during these same years homelessness rose from 24.2 percent in 2007 to 29.4 percent in 2009 (citation).
Shipler, David K. The Working Poor: Invisible in America (Vintage). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition, 2008.
“Homeless is more than being without a home. It is tied into education needs, food, security; health issues both mental and physical, employment issues, etc. Don’t forget the whole picture.” (“Boxed In” 2005 pg. 108)
Wittner, Lawrence. "The Minimum Wage Should Be Raised." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 10 Nov. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Since its inception, the minimum wage has been a hotbed for debate. If today’s leaders could manage to increase minimum wage, millions of families would benefit.