With the recession in economy, more and more people are losing their jobs and homes. These homeless people are wandering off the streets and are trying to find a place to live. Recent laws passed by some cities have allowed these people to live in camps and shelters. Some people have even found permanent housing thanks to the city and local nonprofits such as charities and church ministries. However, most of them are not that lucky. More help needs to be done. These so called "shelters" are only a temporary solution and not that good. Cities and counties are unwilling to spend a substantial amount of money to aid these homeless people. Some cities are actually shutting down these tent cities. Neighbors believe that a tent city devalues the quality of the community and actively argue against it.
I believe that cities should legalize these camps and allow people to live in organized tent communities. Wherever you go, there will be people who are homeless. Forcing these people to be rousted and cited by the police is not a solution to this problem. Allowing these people to live in organized communities would be much more cost-effective and less time-consuming than chasing after them. Also, federal assistance is necessary for these homeless people. Tent cities can lead to crime and unsanitary conditions. Some homeless people have a mental illness or addiction, or both. The government should serve to help the people, just like we let the government govern us. We cannot just abandon these people.
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"One approximation of the annual number of homeless in America is from a study done by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, which estimates between 2.3 and 3.5 million people experience homelessness. According to a study released this month by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, an estimated 744,313 people experienced homelessness in one night in January 2005. Some 56 percent of them were living in shelters and transitional housing and, 44 percent were unsheltered." My classmate's blog about the effect of homeless people in shelters is very true and thoughtful. I really think cities should set aside money to take care of people living in shelters. With our current economy, people are losing their jobs and homes left and right. Fox news reports that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is doing the exact opposite, he is buying homeless people a one way ticket to another city. "Families have been sent to 24 states and five continents, mostly to Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. City officials say none of the relocated families have returned to city shelters." I strongly agree with what my classmate says, "Some homeless people have a mental illness or addiction, or both. The government should serve to help the people, just like we let the government govern us. We cannot just abandon these people." Homeless people are people too, sometimes they just need a little help.
ReplyDeleteSetting aside "substantial" money for homeless people is a waste of money. Where will these cities and counties get the resources to fund these homeless camps and shelters? From tax dollars. The problem with having local governments support these people is all the legislation and bureaucracy that comes along with it. Most cities can't keep up with standard maintenance on their roads much less the people begging on each corner. Do all homeless people deserve to be homeless? No. Has some unfortunate event caused them this unfair situation? Sometimes. But giving these people a government handout to continue on the way they are, gives these people no reason to change. There is no carrot to aim for. It's only to go without, to really know that you don't want to be that way. People in jail respect freedom. Homeless people accustomed to being cared after will never want to change and be a contributing member of society, to maybe one day BE the person paying property taxes. Only then will that person understand what it means to support someone who is essentially a parasite. I don't mean for that to be a derogatory term, only a succinct one. Homeless people prey on the goodwill of others, tug at their heartstrings, seek sympathy. This is why you'll see plenty of wheelchairs and pets in your larger cities. It saddens me to see them but at the same time, there are also scammers who pose as the homeless because it's easier than a real job and it's tax free. (Google shows 669 stories matching "homeless scams") Cities should be aware of their homeless rate. They should care. They should do what they can to address the situation but they should not feel forced to promote it with such things as tent cities and other sponsored endorsements. It's time to let people be people and live their own lives, not have Big Brother take care of them.
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