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Haley Grace Agbayani

Mr. Ryan Smith
English 11 Section A
May 2020
Homelessness: The Reality Behind it

The United States has been dealing with a complex problem for many years and has not

found a permanent solution that is overall beneficial for its communities: homelessness. Though

the homeless population has slowly decreased over time, as of 2019, there was an estimate of

567,715 homeless individuals in the United States, which is the highest population amongst other

countries. Within this homeless population include military veterans, unemployed or

underemployed individuals, those with substance abuse or mental illnesses, women who

experienced domestic violence, and low-income families (Correll). However, with being

homeless comes with daily challenges, one being quite evident: where to sleep. Many homeless

individuals struggle to find affordable housing and temporary places in a city with an expensive

housing market (Potts). That eventually leads to living on the streets, but it can’t just be

anywhere. The trepidation of getting noticed from a police officer and receiving a citation or a

warning. The fear of getting robbed at night or getting violently assaulted by others. Another

challenge includes health problems. According to the American Public Health Association, in

2016, about 20% of homeless individuals were reported with severe mental illnesses while 17%

were reported with chronic substance use problems. These people lack the resources to receive

proper treatment and services. These obstacles cause their chronic conditions to worsen, which

lessens their opportunity to apply for housing or income stability. These examples are a few of

many and it should emphasize the demand that the U.S and state government need to focus on to

make their communities safer for future generations to come.

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Homelessness has become a lingering social issue in the United States. Our nation and its

federal government must create policies and long-term resolutions that address the lack of access

to proper health treatment, the failure of affordable housing, and the rising of the economy, to

ensure the health and safety for those in the homeless community.

The government should address the lack of proper health care for the homeless

Individuals who struggle with mental health problems or diseases. People who are homeless are

more susceptible to certain diseases and some suffer from severe mental health problems

(Napper). This is crucial to understand as they’re more likely to develop diseases such as HIV or

tuberculosis and conditions such as hepatitis C and diabetes. Some may suffer from drug or

alcohol abuse, have a lack of support system, have had bad experiences with prescribed

medications, hospitals, doctors, or healthcare providers and have grown suspicious towards them

(Institute of Medicine Committee on Health Care for Homeless People). As for those who have a

mental illness, they need to have regular mental health checkups. However, mental healthcare is

extremely expensive. The average cost for those without insurance is $8,509 for 11 days

(Stensland). Additionally, if homeless individuals receive emergency services (from both

intentional and unintentional actions), costs for treatment are beyond what homeless individuals

can afford (American Public Health System). It has been stated that 9 percent of low-income

persons have been in situations in which they had been discouraged from seeking medical care

for financial reasons or had sought care and had been turned away (Institute of Medicine

Committee on Health Care for Homeless People). Though it’s unaffordable, people who are

homeless and have infectious diseases must receive treatment. If not, the chances of it spreading

and society contracting the disease is higher, which isn’t ideal, as the recent pandemic COVID-

19 has been affecting everyone around the world. Some may argue that we can’t afford to treat
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all of those who are homeless. However, we can’t afford disease to spread, which isn’t safe for

anyone. Therefore, with the reasons provided, the homeless should be able to access proper

health treatment without having to worry financially.

Secondly, the federal government should provide affordable or low-income housing for

the homeless. According to the Council of Economic Advisers, as of January 2018, around

“194,467 homeless people were unsheltered”, living in places that aren’t for human dwellings

like sidewalks, parks, cars, or abandoned buildings. The Council of Economic Advisers is a

United States Agency within the Executive Office of the President. In 2019, they wrote an

analytical research paper on the state of homelessness in America and found that the overall

homeless population represents 0.2 percent of the U.S population. Sleep is one of the biggest

issues as a homeless person. The risk of personal belongings being stolen or being assaulted is

high and to prevent that, many become sleep deprived. However, sleep deprivation may result in

an increased risk for mental illness, drug abuse, and higher rates of violence and aggression

(Olsen). Some question why the homeless don’t seek shelter. Yes, it would help and benefit

them, but shelters have structure and rules regarding curfew, schedules, and other basic

limitations. In other words, the homeless don’t seek shelter because it takes away their freedom.

Furthermore, some people who are homeless believe that shelters are more dangerous than the

streets. “It’s chaos in there, man. I froze last night, and my phone got stolen,” said a homeless

individual. Some individuals have been violently assaulted to the point where they have been

sent to the hospital (Bertoli). Also, creating affordable urban housing options are less expensive

than relying on law enforcement and medical interventions for people who are homeless. For

example, in 2017, a RAND (research and development) corporation analysis concluded that the

Los Angeles country saved about 20 percent by providing supportive housing for people with
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mental health issues through the use of the Housing for Health Permanent Supportive Housing

Program (Yglesias). This explains that they were able to reduce the cost of service use,

especially for medical and mental health services by about 60 percent. This idea should be

implemented in states with a severe homeless population as it was deemed a success. Overall, the

federal government should help homeless individuals and families in their own homes as it

benefits the community financially and morally.

Lastly, the government should recognize a rising economy and a low unemployment rate,

which allows for homelessness to persist. There is a significant number of homeless individuals

who have struggled to achieve stable housing because of the lack of employment or because they

have a low-paying job. Furthermore, many spend a larger amount of their income on rent.

According to Zillow, about 15 percent of the U.S. population are communities that are the most

vulnerable to rising rents. A rising economy offers both beneficial and detrimental intentions.

For example, it raises tax revenue and reduces the government on unemployment. However,

most of the growth goes to certain people. It depends on one’s financial and employment

situation. The benefits aren’t equally distributed and are focused more on those who’re wealthy

or have a high-income (National Coalition for the Homeless). It’s unfair because the benefits

should be given to those who’re low-income or homeless, which could ultimately keep them off

the streets. Most people wonder why people who are homeless aren’t applying for jobs to receive

income. First, in order to get a job, the basic expectations include being sober and having

cleanliness. Without access to showers or laundry services, how are the homeless able to have

proper hygiene? Plus, as the homeless population increased over the years, owners of fast-food

restaurants began to lock their restroom doors or included a code to order to open it (Schanes).

Secondly, not every homeless individual can work due to mental illness or other health problems.
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Also, a rising economy also means rising rent, which puts some individuals in a difficult

situation. According to Vox News, those who live and are employed in big cities like New York,

Seattle, and Los Angeles tend to earn more money than people in other cities. However, rent

prices in big cities have overpowered wages. It affects everyone, but it greatly affects low-

income families. It removes the residents who live in apartments, condos, or houses and those

who can’t afford rent, pushing them into eviction notices or worse, homelessness (McCusker). It

is saddening to say that even work can’t prevent homeless or low-income individuals and

families from poverty. It’s important for our federal government to notice the changes within the

economy and how it affects everyone, especially the homeless community. They should provide

solutions that could potentially help the homeless to overall decrease the population.

Solutions to eradicate the homeless population within the United States is an extremely

complex problem. In fact, there have been many attempts in solving the problem, but it has failed

due to many factors. For example, according to Curbed Los Angeles News, about 3,260 income-

restricted or subsidized low-income rental apartments in Los Angeles County will no longer be

affordable and will soon become market rate. Low-income residents in California save about

$320 per month by living in affordable housing, which allows room to pay for food,

transportation, healthcare, and education. In the past couple of years, low-income residents have

sought help from the Legal Aid Foundation because their rent is rising, which is something

landlords strive from. The Legal Aid Foundation is a nonprofit law firm that protects and

advances the rights of those who’re low-income, making sure they have access to a proper justice

system (Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles). Especially in a growing economy that causes

housing developers to be motivated by the money, it makes it difficult for affordable housing to

be available for those who need it. However, there have been some successes in decreasing the
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homeless population. According to Geek Wire, Colombus, Ohio was one of the first cities to

adopt a Housing First Model. The housing had no requirements for sobriety or income, which

proved to be effective when helping people who are homeless. They have a 70 percent rate of

successful housing outcomes meaning that most homeless individuals have leases for close to

market-rate housing (Nickelsburg). With the influence of Columbus, Utah was able to reduce

chronic homelessness from 2,000 individuals (in 2005) to less than 200 (in 2015), which is

equivalent to a 91 percent decrease. (Nickelsburg).

My partners and I have come up with an idea that may not necessarily solve

homelessness, but it may help aid it. We forethought on splitting preliminary costs between us

three which will act as our contribution to our cause. We were planning on baking cookies and

brownies and will package them in cellophane bags and pastry boxes. It would’ve been funded

by using the proceeds we receive from selling these baked goods to family members, peers,

teachers, or the community. About 40 percent of the profit earned would be donated toward

homeless shelter organizations in Hawai’i like the Institute for Human Services, Family Promise

of Hawai’i, or Hawaii Food Bank. The remaining 60 percent would’ve gone towards purchasing

items being put into shoeboxes such as toiletries, canned goods, socks, or necessities. Once the

items in the shoebox are packaged, my group and I would distribute them to most families who

are homeless but also homeless individuals on the island of Oahu. This solution may be feasible

for those who’re currently homeless because it provides them a sense of worth. It’ll make them

realize that there are people who care about their well-being.

Our nation and its federal government must create policies and long-term resolutions that

address the lack of access to proper health treatment, the failure of affordable housing, and the

rising of the economy, to ensure the health and safety for those in the homeless community.
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People who are homeless are more susceptible to certain diseases and some suffer from severe

mental health problems, however, healthcare is extremely expensive. Those who are homeless

may not have the opportunity to live in affordable or low-income housing, especially in a rising

economy. Despite the efforts the federal agencies and the states have done to implement

proposals and programs to help eliminate homelessness, the growth of the homeless population

in the United States has proved that more is to be done to solve this social issue. With the help of

everyone, ideas should be put forward, making it possible to find the best strategy to combat this

crisis that may benefit those who’re homeless and the rest of the community.