“‘If there is going to be feces on the street, if there’s gonna be needles strewn about, if there’s gonna be rotting garbage and moldy clothes, we’ve got to deal with that and make it somewhat acceptable,’” (Sze, par 13). Clearly, the mass number of homeless on the streets has caused the accumulation of waste and pollution in cities. The homeless problem is encroaching on the peaceful lives of everyday citizens. This prompts a long-called analysis of just why there are so many homeless people on the streets. From mental illness and substance abuse to job loss, there are many issues that cause people to lose their homes and end up homeless. That brings about the issue of how the government should interfere and improve the situation. The government should target areas of mental illness, job loss, and …show more content…
7). Continuing to fund these programs that have proven to connect the homeless with sources of income will help many, many people get jobs. If the government pays attention to these basic problems, they can get rid of the causes that prevent the homeless from getting out of the streets. If many of the homeless can get back on their feet, there will be a lot less homeless on the street, giving officials the ability to tackle more complex problems like substance abuse. The overwhelming problem of substance abuse among the homeless needs the government to reform the access to treatment. The problem of substance abuse is very complex because there are a lot of reasons and ways that it happens. Some ways that substance abuse emerges in the homeless population is through people coping with stress, mental illness, and other possible hardships of life. Mosel, et al. al., par. 3). The wide range of possible reasons to come into contact with substance abuse makes it hard for the government to actually address a “root” problem, unless they decide to illegalize all drugs, which is unlikely. However, the government hasn’t done anything to help treat the affected people,