What Can Be Done to Help the Homeless Essay - 583 Words

Did you know that there are 5 times as many vacant and empty houses than there are homeless people (Truthdig)? That’s right, homeless people are sleeping and living on the streets, unknowing of the hundreds upon thousands of empty homes they could be occupying! But alas, they sleep on the streets, beg for money, and scavenge for food in dumpsters, hoping for a way to pull through for the night. Homelessness is important because there are 3.5 million homeless people on the streets, maybe even more (National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness). They are starving on the streets, desperate for a job and a warm place to sleep. Of those 3.5 million homeless people, 1.7 million are teenagers. 75% of all homeless teens use drugs or†¦show more content†¦The U.S. can also raise the minimum wage to help end homelessness if they decide not to lessen the prices of houses (National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness). There is nowhere in the U.S. that th e minimum wage is high enough to afford a market-rate one bedroom apartment (Family Promise). They could also improve health care, not only for the homeless people, but for the people in need of health care (National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness). In 2009, Barack Obama created a program to help end homelessness (National Alliance to End Homelessness). It focused on rapid re-housing and prevention of homelessness rather than soup kitchens and shelter (National Alliance to End Homelessness). But realistically, what can we do to help end homelessness? There are many things you can do to help homelessness today. One of them is volunteering at a soup kitchen to help feed the homeless (Do Something). You could tutor homeless children at shelters (National Coalition for the Homeless). You could also donate items such as food, clothes or even survival kits (National Coalition for the Homeless). Maybe you could work at a shelter to help the people running the shelter (Nat ional Coalition for the Homeless). You could even convince friends and family to help end homelessness by having them come with you (National Coalition for the Homeless)! The next time you see a homeless family or person, don’t just ignore them as ifShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Jonathan Kozol s Untouchables 879 Words   |  4 Pagesthe homeless what do you think about? Do you see them and feel disgust or are you someone who wonders how and why they are where they are, or maybe, you are one of the few who want to help and who are able to. In the U.S., more than 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year and that number is growing. They are families with little children, people who are trying to escape domestic violence, people with mental illness, veterans who have served our country, and many more. From what I readRead MoreHomelessness And The United States863 Words   |  4 Pagesessay describes the hardships of homelessness and what can be done to help these peo ple. Helping the Homeless Many people have gotten to experience what life is like in big cities or small rural communities. Often times, these places have a population of wealthier people and an area of poorer families. What many do not experience is what it is like to be homeless in these places. Homeless men, women and children can be seen under bridges, on front stoops, in cars, andRead MoreCauses of Homelessness Essay1298 Words   |  6 Pagesdown upon those who are poor. Stereotypes include poor people who are viewed as lazy, jobless, criminals, or un-educated. When I think of a homeless individual, I would agree with most of the stereotypes and find within the reading and researching that there is more to just the mental perceived thoughts. I think one big cause of being in poverty or being homeless is by the choices people make. By choices I mean the way that people choose to spend their money. A budget is hard for many in this typeRead MoreThe Problem Of A Program1465 Words   |  6 Pages200 million people that are homeless, which is including the recorded 1 million children as well. This is an obvious issue because there is no need for there to be homeless when there are available resources to help them. They have programs put in place to help out the homeless, but it is not working because they do not have the resources to do everything that needs to be done.. We need to create a system or a program that receives donations that will help out the homeless individuals in China, adultsRead MoreHomelessness : Is It Difficult For People? Essay1191 Words   |  5 Pagesfood, and the government should step in to help control the growth of homelessness in America. Firstly, why is it difficult for people to escape homelessness ? â€Å"Because of our housing shortage, rents have gone up 28% since 2000. Over the same period, renters median incomes fell 8%. The result is an untenable situation: More than 250,000 households in Los Angeles pay 90% or more of their income on rent.† maybe drug test should be administered to homeless people for a house and food to maintain balanceRead MoreThe Problem Of Senior Homelessness1360 Words   |  6 Pagesreflects those born in this era. Being homeless, especially in these late years of life, causes for many problems related to health and mortality. Individuals under these circumstances lack mobility resulting in disability, lack health care and necessary resources such as food water and shelter, and are also put at risk to mental illnesses as well as substance abuse. While identifying the major risks associated with homelessness in the elderly population, a plan can be addressed and put into actio n toRead MoreThe Problem Of The Lgbt Homelessness852 Words   |  4 Pagesonly certain races are homeless but that is not true. Thirty nine percent of Non-Hispanic whites are homeless compared to seventy six of the general population. Forty two percent of African-Americans are homeless compared to eleven percent of the general population. Thirteen percent of Hispanics are homeless compared to nine percent of the general population. Four percent of homeless are Native-American compared to one percent of the general population. Two percent of homeless were Asians (â€Å"facts†)Read MoreThe Licking County Coalition For Housing870 Words   |  4 Pagesaverage of about 13,000 homeless people in Ohio and the number has continued to rise since then. Nearly 300 people are homeless in Licking County during any given night.(LCC Housing, 2011) The most outstanding statistic from the Licking County Coalition for Housing in 2011 was that the average age of a homeless person is the age o f only nine years old. That means, for every homeless man or women that is seen on the streets, there is two to three children who are also homeless. Families are the majorityRead MoreMental Illness, Drug And Alcohol Abuse1476 Words   |  6 Pagesalcohol abuse. These are considered to be some of the main problems associated with homelessness. According to Hertlein, (2010) when it comes to the homeless, they should be able to participate in â€Å"critical role of decision-making both in leading to homelessness as well as recovering from homelessness becomes apparent in the first year of being homeless. And, the major factors underlying their decision-making include â€Å"emotional reactivity, negative entitlement, emotional/relational wounded, impulsivityRead MoreThe Problem Of Homeless People1278 Words   |  6 PagesHomeless people are one of the major problems with america today, it is a very big problem that needs to be dealt with. There is more than 3.5 million homeless people in america, this includes men, women, kids, veterans, and the elderly (Home aid). 44,359 homeless people and the 26% of Angeleno residents who live in poverty -- and who are falling into homelessness at the rate of 13,000 a month† (Homeless. Hungry. Help.) ,lozz.oThis quote is important because it is true. There isn’t enough housing