Goodman 4
Richard Goodman
English Comp II
S. Cravens
14 March 2018
Ending Homelessness Homelessness is everywhere and it’s a growing problem in the United States. There are many reasons in which a person can become homeless, and many of us ask ourselves should we help the homeless. We fail to remember that they are people too, and that sometime or another in life we all need help, even the homeless. Fortunately, there is a way in which homelessness can be prevented and eventually to an extent ended, it starts with housing. When someone mentions the homeless we tend to picture the old man in dirty rags asleep on a bench or begging for change, but what we fail to realize is that there is a wide scope of people affected by homelessness. On
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All we think of we see a homeless person is some that just doesn’t want to work, or that they are on drugs, we act as if it’s their fault when many times it’s not. There are many reasons in which a person can become homeless such as poor physical or mental health, lack of affordable housing, unemployment, poverty, domestic violence and physical and/or sexual abuse. According to the “National Alliance to End Homelessness” there are four main cause of homelessness in the United States, Housing, income, domestic violence and …show more content…
A person who is disabled can easily find themselves homeless if it becomes difficult for them to maintain stable housing without help. Those who have mental health conditions or suffer from substance abuse are more subject to life-threatening physical illness and to live in dangerous conditions. Approximately 16 percent of the single adult homeless population suffers from some form of severe and persistent mental illness (NationalHomeless.org). There is help for those who face these problems, although many of the programs such as Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act require a physical address. Therefore, housing is yet another key component in solving this issue, not only does it give them the means to receive health care, but it also allows them the stability needed to engage in treatment fully without the additional stress of living on the streets. As mentioned before the permanent supportive housing program would provide housing stability and the supportive service needed for those who are chronically homeless, while also providing a cost-effective solution for those with severe physical and mental health