Homeless Population Problem

Words: 1947
Pages: 8

Can you imagine living day to day and wondering if you will have the money to eat or if you will be staying in a shelter or sleeping in the streets that night? Some Americans do not have to worry about having a warm bed to sleep in or food on the table every day, but others do. For the homeless population, things like that are constantly uncertain. That is why it is so important to pay attention to this issue because poverty is a huge problem in the U.S. These people are living in conditions that are inhumane and they need help getting the training they need to get a good job so they are not trying to afford rent and the other necessities living on just minimum wage. City governments around the U.S. must find a way to fund programs and take …show more content…
While this may prove to be true, it is very likely it will work for others and they deserve the chance to get off the streets, or out of shelters, and into a home of their own. No plan is foolproof: things are not completely predictable. For example, the mentally ill may end up needing more help than others and more benefits might need to be added, meaning the monetary aspect of the situation would need reconsidered with modifications or additions. With the additional costs of the added benefits this could become another big issue of those opposing the idea. Despite the hesitation to spend more money, people living on the streets are humans just as much as anyone else is, and basic necessities like having shelter, food, and water. The U.S. government currently spends $3.2 billion on homeless programs every year (Triplett). Asking for more sounds a little ridiculous; that is a large sum of money, but when thinking about the long term investment it makes sense. Continuing to spend money on old plans that have failed is not beneficial to anyone, it is a waste of money. Spending money to find a new way that is successful is a lot smarter. If this plan works the way it should, less people will be homeless and so there will be less people to provide money for; in the long-run, that amount could be lowered significantly. Unemployment …show more content…
Each program would need to be helpful to the locals and what is helpful may vary within different cities. The cities’ governments would likely have to provide funds to help get the programs started and keep them working, while overseeing them to make sure their money is being spent on something successful. If the programs were advertised in some way so others were aware, donations may also be given to support the cause and lessen the funds needed from the city and national governments.The process of putting it all together would take time because it needs to be functionable before people start trying it out. Qualified people would need to be hired to be counselors, housing agents, career trainers, and others who specialize in helping the homeless citizens become employed. After the system is working smoothly, it will then be time to try out the program to see how successful it is. Shelters will be targeted first to try to bring in the first round of “guinea pigs” to the program because that is the easiest place to reach. After people from the shelters start coming in to be a part of the program, people living on the streets will then be targeted for possible candidates to become part of the program. Helping every person will presumably be a lengthy process, so it may take a five to ten years in order to know how