Homelessness An American Crime - 1276 Words

Homelessness: An American Crime Imagine that you are homeless. You live on the streets, roaming from place to place. The only clothes you own are the ones on your back and all your possessions fit neatly into a single trash bag. Your daily worries consist of where your next meal will be coming from, or if you are going to be able to find somewhere to sleep that night. You cannot even find a bench in the park to sleep on for fear that you will be arrested. You cannot ask kind strangers for money to buy food because the city you live in has now passed a law that bans begging for money. The charity group that you relied on for a free meal every day can no longer operate because the city passed an ordinance that made it illegal to feed the homeless in public. This daily struggle is what life is life for homeless people in America. Homelessness is ever-growing in America and every individual has their own view of how it should be handled. Many individuals think that criminalizing certain actions of the homeless will inadvertently reduce homelessness in the United States. They believe that pushing the homeless out of their cities will make it safer for the â€Å"normal† citizens. However, current methods of ridding cities of the homeless population are counterproductive, dehumanizing, and they infringe upon the basic rights of homeless human beings. Over the past few years, several cities have allowed police roundups of homeless people in public areas, while dozens of others haveShow MoreRelatedArgumentative Essay On Homelessness1485 Words   |  6 PagesAlthough most American citizens do not typically notice government programs in their daily lives, implemented policies have major effects on American citizens. It is estimated that around 1.35 million children suffer from homelessness due to their families living on the streets (Crook). With this massive housing conundrum, the United States government should increase funding for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Increased funding would decrease homelessness by lowering the crime rate, educatingRead MoreUnrealistic, Unconstitutional, And Unhelpful : On Homeless Criminalization868 Words   |  4 PagesYork City’s homelessness rates have reached record-breaking heights. Reading his report, I was not surprised by the trend; the real-estate market has no regard for low-income families and individuals, and according to Wang’s report, this is especially true in New York. (Wang) The Coalition for the Homeless describes housing affordability in the city as a crisis, disproportionately affecting African-American and Latino people. Children have been hit the hardest by the rising homelessness rates. (Markee)Read MoreHomeless Research Paper1487 Words   |  6 Pagesmillion people experience homelessness in the US every year (NCH,1). But what is homelessness? Jim Baumohl, a noted author, explained in Homelessness in America, the most common definition of homelessness used by researchers is the â€Å"absence of belonging to a specific place or to people† (NCH, 3). However, there is no set definition, due to the variety of living conditions a homeless person encounters, and the opinions of the researchers. As Baumohl pointed out, â€Å"homelessness is but the latest of manyRead MoreHomeless in The United States 1309 Words   |  6 PagesHomelessness is a problem that happens in many different countries around the world. Definitions of homelessness are defined in different meanings by different people. However, the Stewart B. McKinney Act defines a homeless person as â€Å" one who lacks a fixed permanent nighttime residence or whose nighttime residence is a temporary shelter, welfare hotel, or any public or private place not designed as sleeping accommodations for human beings† (McNamara 1025). It is impossible to find out exactly theRead MoreSocial Issues Of The Community And One Of Them Is Poverty986 Words   |  4 Pagesissue that needs to be stopped as it leads to crime, hunger, and homelessness. It can rot communities from the inside out. If people could tackle this at home then they could more easily help with global issues. People should get involved in helping these people. Poverty can be felt everywhere whether a person is rich or poor. People should help those in poverty after being fortunate to have what they have (NIV Bible). The first effect of poverty is crime. This is an effect that can be found everywhereRead MoreHomelessness And The Tampa Bay Area1234 Words   |  5 PagesHomelessness is a prevalent social issue that many countries are trying to resolve. One area that has a high rate of homelessness is the Tampa Bay Area in Florida. According to a homeless count carried out by the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative (THHI) in 2016, in Hillsborough County alone, there are, â€Å"at least 1,817 homeless men, women, and children† who have to resort to unorthodox housing, such as spaces behind buildings, encampments, sidewalks, and cars (â€Å"About Homelessness†). MoreoverRead MoreEssay about Reasons to help reduce homelessness in Canada935 Words   |  4 PagesReasons to help reduce homelessness in Canada 200,000; That is the amount of Canadians who become homeless every year. The truth might be shocking, but homelessness is an ongoing crisis. The inhumane environment outside makes people angry and aggressive towards other people. As unfortunate as this occurring problem is, according to the human rights act, it is a citizens job to be respected, trusted Canadian citizens and help solve the problem rather than witnessing it from afar. As humanity continuesRead MoreEssay about The United States Homeless Population879 Words   |  4 Pagespopulation continues to grow rapidly. Homelessness has been a public health issue for many decades. Often times these individuals feel as though society has turned a blind eye to them. This at risk population is seen by society as lazy or chose to live a life on the streets, but if one would examine this population closely would see that there is more to this at risk population than what society has labeled them as. The forces, which affect homele ssness, are multifaceted. Social forces such asRead MoreI Am A Retired Army Veteran Essay1607 Words   |  7 Pagespeople actually lived in public housing. Public housing isn’t as great as many may think it is, there is homelessness, non-educated children, and it is an unhealthy living environment. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, â€Å"on any given night over 600,000 people are homeless; it is estimated that approximately 2.3 to 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness annually.† (6) Public housing started under the U.S. Housing Act of 1937. It all started with Franklin DelanoRead MoreThe Serious Issues of Poverty and Homelessness in the US1313 Words   |  5 PagesPoverty and homelessness are serious issues in the U.S. today, especially because of the current recession, with levels of poverty and unemployment higher than at any time since the 1930s. Blacks and Hispanics are being affected disproportionately by homelessness, as well as poverty and unemployment in American society. This is just another example of the racial caste system and institutional racism that goes far beyond that of social class, and has always been the case in recessions and indeed with