What About The Homeless People

These people need help.

Our city streets are being crowded with scenes like this. These people have nowhere to go. In many cases, there is not enough room in shelters for these people. They sleep in just about any place they can find to sleep. Housing affordability has worsened. There are many reasons for the homeless problem such as the high cost of living, low or minimum wages, unemployment, dysfunctional family life, mental illness, and substance abuse to name a few. The government at every level has cut back on housing assistance for low-income people and has reduced investments in building and preserving affordable housing. So, how do we fix this?

Not in my neighborhood...

Many people have filed complaints with cities for operating a social service business near a residential area, complaints for trash and debris left around their neighborhoods, and complaints for urination and defecation that causes odors and filthy conditions to exist. Many business owners have complained about the loss of customers and vandalism to their property.

Solutions?

One property owner that I know of actually donated a large vacant lot to be used as a tent city. It operated for only a few weeks before it had to be shut down due to so many complaints filed against the owner who was earnestly trying to help the homeless problem in his area. There are Federal housing programs to reduce homelessness. The two largest federal housing programs are public housing and federal housing vouchers, known as Section 8 vouchers. Permanent supportive housing is another idea proven to be a successful and cost-effective solution to the homelessness crisis. The supportive housing model combines affordable housing assistance with vital support services for individuals living with mental illness, HIV/AIDS or other health problems. Yet another proven solution developed in New York City is the “housing first” approach to street homelessness. The “housing first” approach involves moving long-term street homeless individuals directly into subsidized housing and then linking them to support services, either on-site or in the community.

In 1996, California proposed billions of dollars to be spent on a state sponsored project to develop a high speed rail system that could have instead made a significant difference in reducing the homeless situation. Is putting a project such as this more important than protecting citizens?

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