Problem Solution Essay on Homelessness

Introduction

In yet another incident again, the Orange County Sheriffs were involved in moving the homeless people from their settlement. Reporting from the OCR website, Theresa narrates that in early Friday the police arrested a few people for trespassing when they defied the orders to move from the Fountain Valley area. For so long, over a hundred people have been calling the trail along the river in Fountain Valley home. The eviction caused outrage among the homeless people prompting one of the homeless people to confront the police with slurs. It is absurd that a great nation with abundant resources and power is losing a battle against homelessness. The casualties are evident not only in Orange County but every city all over the country. Shelters for homeless people or the rescue missions are overcrowded. Equally, there is no space at the inns. In every instance, it is clear that this problem is a tragedy and no one deserves to be homeless. Scholars who have dug into the issue of homelessness claims that it is a complex problem. However, it stands out clear that some economic and social factors cause the issue. As a result, some ideas can help solve the problem. This paper will explore some of the possible solutions to homelessness.

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Ask any homeless person what prompted them to live on the street, and one answer will without doubt emerge. They are unable to afford themselves a house. Raising the welfare so that these people can afford to pay rent can be helpful. Casually, this idea seems to be expensive, but in reality, it is cheap. A recent study in Vancouver discovered that homelessness is costly to the taxpayer. According to Gaetz, Provincial taxpayers spend amounts more than $40000 annually on each homeless person (23) . This is in funds related to emergency services, hospital visits, and police calls. For the 2174 homeless people in Vancouver, the British Columbia tax papers spent more than $86.9 million a year to help homeless people stay alive. Raising welfare so that homeless people can afford rent would cost less than this. People who stay at home have few emergency cases than those who stay in the street. They equally go to jail and hospital less than people on the street. In the end, little taxpayers' money will be spent on incarceration and hospitals once homeless people get housed. The average rent is $10000 a year which is by far cheaper than $40000 spent on street services.

Another solution that can help end the problem of homelessness in to train these people and give them work equipment. In a study, Somerville discovered that the majority of homeless people are individuals recently discharged from foster care or jail (390). Also, a majority of the homeless people are people recently retired from the forces. Most of these individuals lack the necessary employment skills making it hard for them to acquire a job. Also, getting a hard labor job can be difficult for a person who lacks the required protective wear such as helmet or boots. The best practice is to initiate programs to train homeless people on technical skill and related trades. Upon graduation, giving them equipment and protective wear can get a person absorbed in a hard labor job. During the Homeless Awareness Week in Canada, there was an advert that called for people to donate boots to homeless people. A few days later, Lafarge Cement gave a couple of used boots. Among the first three homeless people to receive the boots all are still working and are off the street.

Besides this, making it easier to access social services for drug addicts and mentally ill can help solve homelessness. If you observe casually, you will find that most people living on the streets are either mentally ill or addicted to drugs or both. In a study, the United States Conference of Mayors asked 25 cities to submit answers to what is the top cause of homelessness. The report indicated that 68% of the 25 towns stated substance abuse is the number one cause of homelessness among adults. In similar research, Padgett et al. interviewed a number of homeless people where two-thirds confirmed that the reason for their homelessness was alcohol and drug abuse (333). The problem lies in the fact that these people are unable to navigate the maze of procedures and programs that can help them. Making it easy to access mental health program such as counseling can help get some people off the streets.

Conclusion

To sum up, homelessness is a problem that is experienced in every city all over the country. In order to end homelessness, the first step requires an understanding of the social and economic causes of homelessness. Inability to afford rent, lack of employment, and mental illness and drug abuse lists as some of the causes of homelessness. Correcting the above stands as the first step in solving homelessness.

Works Cited

Gaetz, Stephen. The real cost of homelessness: Can we save money by doing the right thing? Homeless Hub, 2012.

Padgett, Deborah K., et al. "Social relationships among persons who have experienced serious mental illness, substance abuse, and homelessness: Implications for recovery." American journal of orthopsychiatry 78.3 (2008): 333.

Somerville, Peter. "Understanding homelessness." Housing, theory and society 30.4 (2013): 384-415.

Theresa, Walker. Homeless people pack up and leave Fountain Valley river trail encampment under county enforcement. 10 November 2017. 29 April 2018. <https://www.ocregister.com/2017/11/10/homeless-people-pack-up-and-leave-fountain-valley-river-trail-encampment-under-county-enforcement/>.