Saturday, September 19, 2015


Nwana, Florence

Amanda Reyes

English 105

September 19, 2015

Homeless in California (Rough Draft)

       The homeless have been a problem in our society for as long as the nation's existence. When one thinks of a homeless person, they see a middle-aged male figure, Worn clothes, scruffy beard, lazy, and alcohol on breath all spark the characteristics of the average homeless person in the mind of people. There are many stereotypes attached to homelessness, but are they really true? Can a homeless person be put into a single stereotype? Some of these negative impressions are so ingrained into our society that even some people who are trying to help may believe some of them. Like the story of John Roger was I typical example. Losing his parent at the tender age and was raised by his only brother, who was later killed in the war. John later joined armed, after the death of his brother. However, John could not forgive himself of all he did, during the time he was served as a military and also end up as psychiatric patient. But when people passes by they ignore him, whenever he talk to them, they just walk out without looking at him. The irony of veteran who fight for their country, in order for them to live a better life, but instead they are out on the street. I think something need to be done. While almost half of all adult homeless people in America are unemployed, it doesn't indicate laziness. Many of them lost their jobs through no fault of their own, or through corporate downsizing or due to injury, illness, old age or disability.

      Those well enough and young enough to work have many high barriers in gaining employment. They may be putting in dozens of applications a day but never get a bite due to the prejudice created by the strong and commonly held negative beliefs about homeless people.

Those with jobs are often don't earn enough to afford rent or qualify to rent. Another issue is

even if the person works full time, he or she may not earn enough to afford an apartment but find themselves unable to rent one.

       This is a harmful stereotype because it closes many doors for about a quarter of all homeless in Americans. Those who are mentally ill, are mainly ill in ways completely harmless to anyone but themselves. There's also some question as to whether or not those people who are mentally ill or emotionally disturbed became mentally ill as a consequence of trauma, violence, and other stresses experienced while living without adequate shelter.

This belief about homeless people is dangerous because it again, creates fear and leads to suggestions that they should all be rounded up and institutionalized instead of helped.

I think our legislation need to act fast on these issue, because many people have lose their live as result of this issue called homeless. They need to build many homes for veteran especially and for many who equally need the help. Create jobs for them, and also create a center where they can learn to do something.

        To further gain an insight into the predicament and reality of the homeless. I interviewed a homeless man named Mark. Mark is a forty years old man, who has been homeless for 3 years. We met Mark at a Starbucks. My  own experience with a homeless man, that approach me for some money, which I do gave some money , because of what he told he has no eating for the past two days. I sympathized with him by emptied all my remaining change on him.

While circumstances can vary, the main reason people experience homelessness is because they cannot find housing they can afford. It is the scarcity of affordable housing in the United States, particularly in more urban areas where homelessness is more prevalent, that is behind their inability to acquire or maintain housing.

According to the National Alliance to end homelessness online, “By the numbers:

  • In January 2014, there were 578,424 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States.
  • Of that number, 216,197 are people in families, and
  • 362,163 are individuals.
  • About 15 percent of the homeless population – 84,291 - are considered "chronically homeless” individuals, and
  • About 9 percent of homeless people- 49,933 - are veterans.”     

These numbers come from point-in-time counts, which are conducted, community by community, on a single night in January every other year. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires communities to submit this data every other year in order to qualify for federal homeless assistance funds. Many communities conduct counts more regularly.


                                                      


 



Work Cited

 Soul Pancake, prod. “John-Stories From the Street."  You Tube. Toutube, 12 November 2013.Web. 19 September.  2015.

"Snapshot of Homelessness." 1 January 2014. National Alliance to End Homelessness. 19 September 2015.







   


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