Kim Allen
Amanda Reyes
English 105
September 10, 2015
America. Home of the brave, land of the free. Her flag symbolizes hope and freedom around the globe. Yet, some of her children are not being embraced by some of her promises. America has forgotten some of her children. The ones most of us see but rarely take notice. The invisible children may be otherwise known as the homeless. When most people think of the homeless, they think of drug addiction, alcohol abuse, criminals, indolent and crazy people. These stereotypes, are not always the case and to me, seem a bit unfair. Some homeless people have chosen to be homeless, and for that reason, we should accept their decision by not classifying them as homeless. Homelessness is situational and is not always caused by our stereotypical viewpoints.
Homelessness in California
I believe these negative stereotypes come from what we have consistently seen over the years,
when we see homeless people. We don't know their true story as to why they are homeless, we only
see the end result, which is them asking for food and or money. I see the same homeless people in
the neighborhood that I live in asking for money, while looking and smelling as if they have been
drinking and or using drugs. I am reluctant to give money out of fear of supporting a drug or alcohol
addiction.
Homelessness is sometimes brought on by unforeseen circumstances that have led individuals young and old to the streets. Reasons for homelessness other than what our stereotypical beliefs are range from lack of family support, loss of employment, loss of one income due to divorce, teen beliefs conflicting with parents religious beliefs, individuals unable to work due to a debilitating illness and in some cases, individuals escaping physical abuse. "In January 2014, the U.S. Department of Housing reported the following:
- 69% or 578,424 people we homeless on any given night
- 31% were found in unsheltered locations
- 23% or 135,701
- 10% or 58,601 were between the ages of 18 and 24
- 66% or 384,122 were 25 years or older
I interviewed a homeless man named John, a prime example of my before mentioned unforeseen circumstances. During my interview with John, I learned that John’s homelessness was brought on by several different reasons. John was raised by his brother because his parents were often too busy to spend time with him, due to trying to remain above poverty. When John was a teen, his brother was drafted into the military. John’s brother promised him that he would return in a year, unfortunately, John’s brother was killed while serving in the military. The death of John’s brother was devastating to him. To escape the pain of losing his brother, John enlisted himself, while just a teen, in the military. John served several years as a sniper in the military. During John's service in the military, John killed numerous people and he has not been able to forgive himself for the lives he took while serving in the military. Because John has not able to forgive himself for the killings, he now suffers from mental illness and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. While interviewing John, he mentioned that he spent 35 days on a psychiatric ward. Finding it hard to overcome his traumatic life experiences, John, has ended up with a life of homelessness. John's story is an example of a homeless person that is more than just a homeless person. John is an American citizen, who fought for our country and has fallen on hard times.
The following are policy priorities set by legislation "The National Alliance to End Homelessness"
Federal Policy Priorities February 2015
- To expand successful efforts to prevent and end homelessness in communities across the country
-The Alliance is devoted to working with the Administration, Congress, and our local, state, and
national partners to improve federal policies that will prevent and end homelessness”.
Top policy priorities for work with Congress
- To provide $2.480 billion for the Homeless Assistance Grants program within HUD in FY 2016
- Fund Department of Veteran Affairs homeless assistance programs at the level necessary to house
every homeless veteran by the end of 2015
- Empower a system that ensures that there is never another homeless veteran
- Increase HUD’s ability to serve and stably house low-income individuals
- Increase the capacity of Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs through re-
authorization funding
- Increase the availability of services linked to housing for people experiencing homelessness
While I am hopeful that Congress can provide some help and shelter to the homeless, I feel uncertain that homelessness will end anytime in the near future, due to the steady rise in our economy.
The homeless in America have been stigmatized by negative images from various media sources. I believe we all have some form of addiction we use to cope with our own daily life situations. It is believed that many homeless people are homeless due to drug use and alcohol abuse. Many working class citizens have addictions, also. They turn to caffeine, nicotine, sex, video games, drugs and alcohol. The biggest difference between the two classes is that the working class may have some form of a support network. Many working class people could be one or two steps away from knowing what it’s like to walk a mile in their shoes. What does that say about the richest country in the world?
Work Cited
The Alliance, The National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2015, <www.endhomelessness.org>
SoulPancake - Stories From the Streets. 12 Nov 2013 YouTube. Web
Meghan Henry, Dr. Alvaro Cortes, Azim Shivji, and Katherine Buck, Abt Associates.
Meghan Henry, Dr. Alvaro Cortes, Azim Shivji, and Katherine Buck, Abt Associates.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Community Planning and Development. The 2014 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. October 2014. <https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2014-AHAR-Part1.pdf>
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