JustinDeible,MattGrubic,DaltonCrosslin,BrockKlutts,andWiltonActa

Mrs.Marron
AcademicEnglish9
1May2014
Homelessness
Justimaginethateverynight,youcomehomefromalongdayatworktoasoggy,damp
cardboardbox,wearingthesamefilthy,smellyclothesyouhavebeenwearingallweekbecause
youdonothavetheextramoneytobuyachangeofclothesorawashatthelaundromat.You
ownnothingelse,andeverynightisdark,cold,andmiserable.Eachandeverymorning,you
wakeupsoreallthroughoutyourbodyandjustastiredaswhenyouwenttobed.Youspend
eachofyourdaystryingtogetbackonyourfeet,butallyoucanmusteristhesmallamountof
changeyougetwhilebeggingonadirtystreetcornersomewhere,hiddeninthecity.Youareall
alone,anditseemslikethereisnooneouttherewhowantstohelpyouorevenknowsyouexist.
Sadly,thisisthetruerealityofhomelessness,beyondthestereotypeswehaveofthese
unfortunatepeople.Everyoneagreesthatthisissueneedstoberesolved,andluckilythereare
solutionsthatcanhelptoeradicatealargepercentageofthesedisplacedpeoplewhilehelping
themgettheirlivesbackontracktolivingsubstantialliveslikeallofus.Thispaperwillexamine
theproblemsrelatingtohomelessnessaswellaswhatcausesitandwhatcanbedonetofixit.
Firstofall,homelessnessinourcommunitycausesamultitudeofproblemsthatneed
tobeaddressedtoimprovethequalityoflifeinPittsburghandthesurroundingsuburbs.Oneof
thelargestandmostobviousproblemsisthecostofcaringforthehomelesspopulationinour
community.AccordingtoAlleghenyCounty,itcostsanaverageof10.3milliondollarsannuallyto
fundandassisthomelesspeople.(alleghenycounty.us)Thisassistancerangesfromfunding
soupkitchenstofundingnonprofitorganizationsandothercityrunprogramsandsheltersforthe
homeless,alongwithmanyrehabprogramsdesignedtohelpthesepeoplerecoverfrom
addictionsorotheradversesituations.Furthermore,Pittsburghandthesurroundingareahave
anestimated2,225homelesspeople,whichis39thmostinthecountry.(3cdn.net)Secondly,
homelessnessposesamultitudeofotherproblemsinourcommunitybesidesabsorbingfunds
thatcouldbeusedtowardssomethingmorebeneficial.Perhapsthemostprominentissuesin
ourcommunityarethelegalissuesinvolvinghomelesscitizens.(nationalhomeless.org)Inmost
cases,thecrimescommittedbyhomelesspeopleinvolvethetheftofsimpleitemsthatare
usuallynecessitiesforeveryoneelse.Theyaresodesperatethattheyhavenootheroptionthat
tostealthings,becausetheyliterallyhavenomoneyorothermeanstosurvive.Ontheother
hand,acontrastingmotiveforthesehomelesscitizenstocommitmisdemeanorsliketheftisto
getfreeshelterandfoodinjail.(HowStuffWorks)Bygettingarrested,theyareessentially
gettingfreenourishmentandshelterandareprotectedfromtheelements,unliketheywouldbeif
theywerescrapingbyoutonthestreets.Subsequently,thiscreatesyetanotherproblem,which
isovercrowdingofthecountyjailandfurtherincreasingthecostofcaringforthehomeless.
(nationalhomeless.org)Ifhomelessnesswasmostlyeradicatedorreducedsignificantly,itwould
costalotlessforthecityofPittsburghandcutdownthecrimeinourcommunity.
Besidesanincreaseincrimeandalotmoremoneybeingspent,homelessness
increasesthelikelihoodofspreadinganinfectiousdisease.Thesepeoplepromotethespreadof
diseasesbecausetheydontliveinsanitaryenvironmentsandlackevenbasicpersonalhygiene.
DiseasessuchasHepatitisA,B,andC,Tuberculosis,andothervirusesorbacteriagetscaught
andspreadbecausethesehomelesspeoplearenotabletotakecareofthemselvesandget
helptocuretheirailmentswhentheydoinevitablygetthem.Thereasonthisissueisso
detrimentalisbecausetheyarealwaysincontactoraroundalargeamountofpeopleinthe
urbansetting,whichistheidealsituationinwhichaninfectiousdiseasewouldspread.(PBS.org)
Allinall,thehomelessareunfortunatelymorepronetoillnessandinfectiousdiseasewhenthey
areforcedtolivetheywaythedo,whichisanevengreaterreasonthisissueneedsaviable
solution.
Whatexactlycauseshomelessness?Therearemanyproblemsthatcontributetothe
issue,somebeingpreventable,whileothersnot.Homelessnessprimarilyaffectsfamilieswhove
livedthroughunexpectedlifetragediessuchasthelossofafamilymember,divorce,orthe
unplannedlossofajob.Manyfamilieswhoareonorbelowthepovertylineareatriskforbeing
forcedoutintothestreets.Evenbothparentsworkingatminimumwageissometimesnot
enoughtosustainafamilyoffour.(nationalhomeless.org)Somethingassmallscaleasa
speedingticketornotbeingabletopaymortgageorrentareenoughtodriveentirefamiliesout
oftheirhomes.Domesticviolenceandunstablerelationshipswithinfamiliesingeneralarehuge
factorsthatpushmanychildrenoutoftheirownhomeandintotheunknown,becausetheir
parentsjustcantaffordtotakecareofthem.(familyhomelessness.org)Also,anotherfactor
suchasonesphysicaldisabilitymakeonemoresusceptibletohavingtoliveonthestreets.
Havingadisabilityisexpensiveandtoughtolivewith,especiallywhenyoudonthavepeopleto
supportyouandhelpyouthroughit.Sadlyenough,veteranswhosufferedinjuriesduringwars
areparticularlyvulnerabletothisbecausetheyhaveoftenbeenawayforyearsatatime,and
whentheycomebacktheydontreallyhaveanyone,exceptmaybeafewfamilymembers.Itis
estimatedthat40%ofhomelessmaleshaveservedinthemilitary.(nchv.org)Alargeamountof
veteranshaveenduredmanyphysicalandmentalbattles,sotheirinstabilitiesmakethem
especiallysusceptibletobecominghomeless,suchasPostTraumaticStressDisorder,which
maymakeithardforthemtofitinand/orgetagoodjob.Despitethemanycausesof
homelessnessthataresomewhatuncontrollable,byspreadingawarenessofwhatcausesthe
issuewecanevenstarttopreventhomelessnessbeforeitevenhappensbyrecognizingthe
problemearlyon.
Afterevaluatingwhyhomelessnessisaproblemandwhatcausesit,theprimary
solutiontobefocusedonisbuildingmoreshelterstohouseandsupportthehomeless,and
providingsupportfromwithintheseshelters,suchascounselingorrehabprograms.Proper
food,shelter,andallotherbasicnecessitiesshouldbeprovidedtoall,regardlessofwhat
situationsomeonehasgottenthemselvesinto.(nationalhomeless.org)Withallofthese
resourcesavailableforthosewhoarehomeless,theywillhaveareliablesourceofcaretohelp
themgetbackontheirfeetagain.Havingsomeoneattheseshelterstomotivatethemtoturn
theirlivesaroundwillplayahugeroleinreducingthenumberofpeopleinthehomeless
population.Inthelongrun,thisassistancewillgetmoreandmorepeoplebacktolivingnormal
livesandcleanupthecity.Anorganizationthatfocusesprimarilyonthisaspectwouldbeperfect
forourgoal.Buildinghomelessshelterswillhelpsolveourprobleminamultitudeofways.For
example,oursolutionwillserveasanincentiveforhomelesscitizenstocometotheseshelters,
wheretheywillbesupportedandnourishedbacktohopefullybeingaproductivecitizenwitha
stablejobandlivingsituation.Thiswillgraduallyreducetheamountofhomelesspeoplelivingon
thestreet,whichinturnwillmotivatethehomelesspeopletogetthemselvesgoingbyproviding
thecaretheyneed,suchasfoodandpersonalhygiene.Itwillalsogivethemthesupporttobe
abletosavemoneyandgetaplacetoliveoftheirown.(familyhomelessness.org)Asmentioned
earlier,theshelterswillalsoprovideawiderangeofemotionalsupporttohelpthemgetbackon
theirfeetandbestableenoughtogooutandsocializewithothers.Tostartoutinitially,fund
raiserswouldbeagreatoption,as100percentofthemoneymadecouldgotowardsthis
project.Inadditiontothat,spreadingawarenessaboutthisproblemwillbebeneficialsomore
peoplefeeltheneedtodonatetowardsthiscause.Thiswasthemainandmostfeasible
solution,andthereisalreadypreexistingprooftoguaranteesuccessofthisplan.
Wehavealreadyseenmanyimprovementsmadethroughhomelesssheltersthat
alreadyexist.Itjustseemsliketherearenotquiteenough,ortheyarenolongeradequateforthe
growinghomelesspopulation.(PBS.org)Accordingtosalvationarmyusa.org,overhalfofmany
urbanfamilies/peoplesincomeisspentonrentalone,notincludingothernecessities.Theuse
ofthesesheltersisagreatoption,andsometimestheonlyoption,forfamilieslikethesewhoare
strugglingtogetbyandareforcedtokeepupwithcostlyrents,duetothevarietyofreasons
discussedearlier.(howstuffworks.com)Thesesheltershavealreadyhelpedsomanypeople
returntoastablefinancialsituation,buttheproblemisfarfrombeingfixedasofnow.Thegood
newsisthattheyarebecomingmoreandmorepopularamongthesepeople,butonthe
contrary,thedemandisnowincreasingmoreandmoreduetotherougheconomicconditions,
whichiswhyimplementingmoreshelterswillhelpkeepupwithsupplyanddemand.(3dcn.net)
Implementingthissolutionreallyhasthepotentialtoeradicatealargepercentageofthose
currentlyhomeless,andithasalreadybeenprovensuccessful.Evenifitseemsunfeasiblefora
groupofninthgradestudentstoachievethis,itreallywouldnotbetoooutofreachbyteaming
upwithapreexistingorganizationthatiswillingtohelpmakethissolutionareality,andalready
hasasourceofdonationsandpeoplewhoarewillingtolisten.

WorksCited:
www.alleghenycounty.us.DepartmentofHumanServices.n.d.Web.02May2014.

AppendixOne|HomelessnessinLargeMetroAreas.b.3dcn.net.NationalAlliancetoEnd
Homelessness.January2012.Web.01May2014.

www.nationalhomeless.org.NationalCoalitionfortheHomeless.21December1990.Web.01
May2014.

Watson,Stephanie.HowHomelessnessWorks.www.howstuffworks.com.N.p.09November
2007.Web.28April2014.

FactsandFigures.PBS.org.PublicBroadcastingStation.26June2009.Web.01May2014.
BackgroundandStatisticsaboutHomelessVeterans.nchv.org.NationalCoalitionfor
HomelessVeterans.n.d.Web.1May2014.

www.familyhomelessness.org.NationalCenteronFamilyHomelessness.n.d.Web.01May
2014

TopCausesofHomelessnessinAmerica.www.homeaid.org.BlueTangerineSolution.n.d.
Web.28April2014.

www.salvationarmyusa.org.TheSalvationArmy.n.d.Web.01May2014.