Wake The H*ll Up America: We Need to Do Better Assisting the Homeless

    Her dull, almost grey- looking eyes pierced right through me. Her raggedy clothes hung loose off her frail body, and her hand, black with dirt and grime, reached out. Her once blue jeans now looked like black denim and were full of holes. Her shoes were severely battered, and the edges of her toes were sticking out of them. As I slowly walked closer, I could hear her faint voice crying out. Her tone carried a touch of sadness and was hard to hear, cancelled out by the life of the city. A desperate tone lingered through her words, and a helpless demeanor consumed her.

   That was my awakening moment, and I knew that something needed to be done to reduce the homeless population in the United States. Over the last few years, homelessness rates have reached an all-time high and many ask why. The answer being that the government does not provide enough federal funding or raise enough awareness to help reduce the homeless population altogether. 

Givingcompass.org

  The government needs to step up and help get these people off the streets. Nobody knows what these poor people are going through especially when it comes to baring the elements or just finding necessities such as food to survive. In a comparison article talking about the difference in the homeless population between Denmark and the United States, it is stated, "The presence of this large group of homeless poor people can be related to general characteristics of the USA, with its relatively high level of poverty, a weak welfare system without universal access to support and services, and with only very limited provisions of social housing." The article talks about how the homeless population is lower in countries that tend to have a more financially stable and giving government. 

     Homelessness may affect more people than you realize, and it doesn't just affect adults. The sad reality is that there are children who live in, or in some circumstances are even born into a family that does not have access to a home or other necessities such as diapers, clothes, or even a warm place to sleep. A peer reviewed article states, "Approximately 1.3 million K-12 public school students across the United States were identified as experiencing homelessness in 2019-20. In all cases, the stress, instability, trauma, and school mobility created by homelessness increase risks to physical, social, and emotional health and to educational engagement and achievement." Now just let that sink in. Government funding can help this mass number of children even if it is through schools. Programs now such as The Good Samaritan Misson are just one small regional step in the right direction. The funding would allow children to have a hot meal at school and even further, a warm and safe place to sleep at night if more funds went to helping these innocent souls.   

   

Harforccaa.org

 Now I know what you may be thinking, the government already provides enough aid for the homeless through shelters etc. However, there is a fact sheet provided by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council that doesn't give an exact number but "offers current high-level mortality estimates." Overall, there are "tens of thousands of homeless" that die each year. So yes, the government is providing some aid, but it sure isn't a hell of a lot if that many individuals are dying due to factors beyond their control once they are on the streets such as sickness, the elements, and lack of food. The least the government can do is create organizations through funding that allow for more housing/shelters and overall necessities to keep a person a live for god's sake. Others might say that those on the streets did it to themselves and they need to fix it themselves. However, it is not that easy, when housing costs are extremely high it is hard to get ahead in life due to the economy. Some sympathy and extra help never hurt anyone and that is the least we can do for those who are struggling due to circumstances beyond their control. 

Startribune.com

The lack of aid and money in general goes to show that the government needs to get its shit together and start allocating more funds to those who need it. By even raising awareness through nationwide or local news, the issue could be highlighted more and in turn raise civilian support which could also raise awareness higher up in the government to hopefully get more resources out. If all these things could happen, which is more than possible with just a little extra attention and money from the government, it would not only reduce the homeless population, but it would also prevent some individuals struggling to make ends meet from ending up on the streets.

   

inspiredpencil

    After I saw that homeless woman, I handed her a couple bucks. Unfortunately, I knew that was just one little step in the right direction and it may ease her pain for a day, that's it. From that moment on, I knew that the homeless situation was a crisis that tends to get overlooked in the United States. So, I am going to say it one more time, America we need to wake the hell up! And I am going to leave you all with a question, what are you going to do to ensure more helpless individuals don't die alone on the streets?