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AlexBloss
Mr.conrad
English4
November4,2015
HomelessnessInAmerica
Dohomelesspeopleloiterandhangaroundinyourcity?IfyouliveInplacerville,then
theansweris,yes.Homelessareconstantlyhangingaroundourlocalfastfoodrestaurants,
especiallyMcDonald's.IntheparkinglotofthelocalDollarTreesparkinglotyouwillfind
groupsofhomelesssittingaroundandaskingforsparechange.Thehomelessproblemisnot
onlyinplacervilleitisagrowingproblemallaroundthenation.Alotofthehomelessyousee
areChronicallyHomelessmeaning:anunaccompaniedhomelessindividualwithadisabling
conditionwhohasbeencontinuouslywithoutahomeforayearormore.
HomelessnessisaprobleminAmericathatneedstobedealtwith.Moreandmore
homelessbegintoshowupinourcitiessleepinginourparks,goingthroughallthegarbage
cansforrecycling,andloiteringdailyatlocalestablishments,forexampleMcDonald'sishome
toalotofhomelessactivity.Somestatisticswouldsaythathomelessnessisdownfourpercent
thesestatisticsareinaccurate,theydonottakeintocountpeopleinplacesnotmeantfor
humanhabitation,suchasstreets,parks,alleys,subwaytunnels,allnightmovietheatres,
abandonedbuildings,roofs,stairwells,caves,campgrounds,andvehicles(Gale).Insteadthey
onlylookatpeoplewhoareinsheltersortransitionalhousing.Anothervariablenottakeninto
countisthefamiliesthatareexhaustingalloftheiroptionstostayoffthestreets,familiesthat
areforcedtomoveintorelativeshousesbecausetheycannolongersupportthemselves.
Higherhousingcostsisafactortoincreasedhomelessness,Nationwide,some9.6million
familiesspendmorethanhalfoftheirincomeonhousing(Gale).Spendingmostofyourincome

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onhousingcanmakeitastruggletopayforotherlivingexpenses,suchas,Electricity,water,
gas,andcarpayments.
GovernmentInitiativescanreducehomelessnessinAmerica.Overthepastfewyearsa
bodyofresearchhasbeendevelopedthattellsusGovernmentInitiativeshaveanimpactonthe
homelesspopulation.Forexample,Outcomesofdifferentofmodelsofsupportivehousing
effortsinNewYorkCity,Columbus,Ohio,andSanFrancisco,demonstrateastrongsuccess
rateofhousingstabilityandretentionforthosemostvulnerableandlongtermshelterandstreet
inhabitants(Gale).SomearejustnotcapableofsurvivingontheirownandtheseGovernment
Initiativesprovidesupportandshelternecessaryfortheseindividualsrecovery.Itissimply
morallywrongtoignorethehomelesspopulation,alotofthehomelesshaveseveremental
disordersandareincapabletothriveintodayssociety.Onestudyof5,000homelesspersons
withseverementaldisordersinNewYorkCityfoundthattheyuseanaverageofover$34,000a
yearinpubliclyfundedhospitalizationandcorrectionalservices(Gale).ThatisonlyinNewYork
Cityifthesestudieswereconductedincitiesnationwidethenumberswouldberidiculous.Cost
effectivehousingstrategiesprovidedbythegovernmentisbeneficialtopreventinghomeless
andshouldbeaddressedmoreintently.
OntheflipsidesomeindividualshaveadifferentopinionaboutGovernmentprograms.
JohnDerbyshirearguestheGovernmentshouldnothelpthehomeless.Hegoesfarenoughto
sayGovernmentprogramsarejustFundingtheHomeless.Hesays,Indigentadultsreceive
cashpaymentsof$320to$395amonth,withonlyanominalworkrequirementfor
ablebodied(Gale).Yes,itistruethattheseprogramsgiveoutcashpayments,buttheseare
notjusthandoutstheseareforthepeoplethataretrulyinneedofsupport.Alotofthe
individualssufferingfromhomelessnesshavehadatraumaticeventintheirlife,orhandicap,
preventingthemfromprovidingforthemselvesandworkingforincome.

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InConclusion,HomelessinAmericaisamanageableproblembutneedstobedealtwith
andnotignoredbytheGovernmentandthenationspopulation.DoyoulikeHomelesspersons
loiteringandsleepinginyourcities?Theywreckthereputationofourcitiesandposealingering
threatinourstreets.GovernmentinitiativescanhelpmanagetheHomelesspopulationand
cleanupourstreets.Doyouwantyourchildrenplayinginthesameplaysetattheparkthata
homelesspersonsleepsinthroughthenight?

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WorksCited
Derbyshire,John."GovernmentInitiativesWillNotReduceHomelessness."
TheHomeless
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Gerdes.Detroit:GreenhavenPress,2007.OpposingViewpoints.
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Nov.2015.
Mangano,PhilipF."GovernmentInitiativesCanReduceHomelessness."
TheHomeless
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Gerdes.Detroit:GreenhavenPress,2007.OpposingViewpoints.Rpt.from"TestimonybeforetheHouse
VA/HUD/IndependentAgenciesAppropriationsSubcommittee."2004.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
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Web.3Nov.2015.
Vestal,Christine."HomelessnessIsaSeriousProblemNationwide."
Homelessness.
Ed.Tamara
Thompson.Detroit:GreenhavenPress,2012.OpposingViewpoints.Rpt.from"StatesCopewithRising
Homelessness."
Stateline.org
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