Homelessness in the USA-A Growing Crisis
Posted: Sunday, October 02, 2011
by Jessie I Snyder
TRUE INSPIRATIONS
Ever since I was 13 years old, I have looked at homelessness in a whole new perspective. You see that's when my family first became homeless. We were living in Sam Levy projects in East Nashville. My mother was doing washings and ironings out of our home for people in our neighborhood. Even the project manager brought his clothes to be cleaned and ironed. My mother was the best laundry lady in East Nashville. She knew how to starch a pair of jeans so stiff that they would stand up on their own, which is how all the guys like them to be in that day and time.
The following year I broke my neck, and my mother had to quit her job to take care of me full-time. So we became homeless again, however, this time I was also pregnant with my daughter. Then from the time I was seven months along until I gave birth to my daughter we were homeless. After I gave birth to my daughter I wasn't allowed to go home from the hospital until we had a home to go to. That's when we got emergency housing back in the projects. A church had paid our old bill and our first month’s rent. This experience has taught me that being homeless was not always the person’s fault. It gave me a whole new perspective about homeless people.
In the United States there are about 3.5 million US residents (about 1% of the population) including 1.35 million children, have been homeless for a significant period of time. Over 37,000 homeless individuals (including 16,000 children) stay in shelters in New York every night. According to the Urban Institutes, but the number might be higher. There is still no accurate information of the number of homeless people in the US.
The shortage of cheap housing and housing assistance programs are the main factors in the rising number of homelessness in the US. Domestic abuse is another factor of homelessness. According to the Ford foundation about 50% of all homeless women and children were victims of physical and other abuse by their own family. (Source: Washington Profile)
So as you can see from the statistics, homelessness has become a real crisis in the United States. While there are some who choose to be homeless, the majority of homeless individuals become homeless due to extenuating circumstances. Personally, I have been homeless on several occasions. Twice as a child under the age of 18, and at least four times since I had been an adult. Neither time was had by my choice. Being that we are one of the richest countries in the world it doesn't make sense that so many people are homeless. The question is what we can do to stop the number of homelessness from rising in America. I believe that we need to get government officials to help in the fight against homelessness; however, this crisis also has to be addressed by the community at large. "A problem as daunting as our current homelessness situation is going to require the examination from all levels of the society. I firmly believe it can be improved greatly, if not solved out right. But often as the case, it is partially going to fall on the nation to improve this situation as it has already been demonstrated that our leaders and lawmakers are not able, or willing to solve this problem on their own volition." (Roger Gaddis, Yahoo! Contributor network, associated content)
Personally, I believe that if there were more government assistance programs for the homeless people that it would greatly reduce the number of homeless people in America. But we as a nation need to encourage lawmakers and legislation to create these government assistance programs. Programs that can help them get better housing, better employment, better education and support. Then maybe we would have a fighting chance of stopping the homeless situation in America.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)It's awful that you've had so much first-hand experience of being homeless, Jessie. I live in South Africa, but I watch what's happening to America and I wish some of the wealthy people who spend millions on the homeless in other countries cared as much for their fellow citizens. It bothers me that there's so much wealth tied into so few people. If they all pooled their efforts, they could resolve the homeless problem in America. Since they won't do that, I think your solution is the next best thing.Thanks Jennifer, for your comment. Eventhough I have been homeless on a number of occacions, it has made me look at life with a whole new prespective, being more apreciaative for the things I have, and not looking down upon those less fortunate than I am. I totally agree that if all the wealthy people in America would just put as much emphisis on their fellow citizens as they do in sending money to other countries, that the homeless situation in America could be greatly improved.I think it's a tribute to you, Jessie, that you've allowed these experiences to make you more generous-spirited.Thanks Jennifer, I try to find the good in every situation.
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