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Homelessness Persuasive Essay

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According to Spencer Green’s article “By the Numbers,” he states, there are “553K estimated number of homeless people in the United States on a given night in 2018.” (Green, 2019). Homelessness is the title given to people that do not have a home or permanent place of residence. The length of time of homelessness can last anywhere from a few days to many years. The reason behind homelessness is a controversial topic. Some people believe homelessness to be an individual’s choice, while others argue it is the result of society’s failures. The purpose of this position paper is to argue that homelessness is an individual’s choice due to alcoholism and drug addiction, but can be accompanied by societies failures. Homelessness is an individual’s …show more content…

Individuals can have drug addictions to illicit or pharmaceutical drugs. Whether it is illicit drugs like methamphetamine or pharmaceutical drugs such as opioids, they can all have the same consequences on people’s mind and health. As stated above with alcoholism, individuals do not choose to have drug addictions. They choose to use drugs in nonmedical helping ways and develop addictions. In the article “Substance Abuse Recovery among Homeless Adults in Atlanta, Georgia, and a Multilevel Drug Abuse Resiliency Tool,” it states, “Drug abuse is both a symptom and cause of homelessness that generally hinders homeless persons from making positive changes in their lives.” (Flanagan, 2016, p. 90). Drug addictions can be seen present in individuals who are already homeless or those who are entering homelessness. It is hard for those to receive the proper care to overcome their addictions when they do not have the motivation to help make the change. Along with alcoholism, drug addictions are one of the leading causes of homelessness, “Drug addiction and mental illness were two leading causes of homelessness in Monroe County, New York, according to survey results from the Homeless Services Network.” (Briefly Noted, 2004, p. 7). Drug addictions are the result of an individual’s choice, which can be a cause of

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It is indiscriminate and has no concern for one’s status, race, ethnicity, background, religion, and so on. Therefore the fear of homelessness is the fact that it can happen at any time.. As a result of the United States economic situation, there is a lack of jobs and livable wages provided for growing communities. The insufficient provision of financial aid is among the factors that cause homelessness. Unable to be financially independent, the homeless tend to meet their financial needs through illegal avenues. These avenues involve the interaction with drugs and

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The issue of homelessness in America has been evident since the early 1600’s. Across the country men, women and children spend their nights on the streets not knowing when or if they will ever find a permanent home. States and federal officials or city councils have tried to alleviate or at least reduce the number of homeless over the last several decades at a city, state or national level but it continues to be an ongoing problem. There is a multitude of factors that account for the growing homeless population that affects each state in the country differently. Though there are many contributing factors that contribute to the amount of people living on the street at any given night in the U.S.

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