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Haylee OHara

Professor Watkins

Comp I

May 11, 2017

Helping the Homeless

Homeless people are everywhere and are not going away anytime soon unless we take

action to help them. In order to help them, we must first educate ourselves while educating

others. Homelessness is a major issue in the United States, the dominant nation. People are not

aware of the issue therefore they do not see an issue.

The number of people that are homeless in America is shocking. According to statistics

provided by Ortega, there were approximately 407,966 homeless people. That number

increased to about 640,000 homeless people in 2012. (Ortega). It was stated that these numbers

only represent the homeless people that were lucky enough to find shelters. According to the

National Coalition for the Homeless organization, there are only 2,332 homeless shelters in

America to house the 1 million homeless people in the country. The number of shelters is

decreasing due to the lack of funding of the organizations that provide them. One of the causes of

lack of funding is how society views the people living on the streets.

People having the if I can do it, you can do it mentality causes them to blame homeless

people for their lifestyle. Ortega states Some have argued that we should solve the

homelessness problem in America by having more government funding towards homeless

programs. Other news articles have argued that homeless people should not receive help from the

taxpayers; they claim that the homeless brought this bad luck upon themselves. (Ortega). While
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it is true that roughly 64% of the homeless people living in shelters reported either alcohol or

drug use, almost 85% report either mental health issues or chronic health conditions.

Homeless people living on the streets are assumed addicts that did it to themselves but

according to Surviving Life Challenges, about 38% of the homeless are families. According to

Mzezewa, The researchers found of those interviewed, nearly one-fifth of homeless youth in the

United States and Canada are victims of human trafficking, including those trafficked for sex,

labor, or both. (Mzezewa). Kevin Ryan, the president and chief executive of Covenant House,

argued The vulnerability children experience when they are alone, hungry and without shelter

on the streets makes them particularly susceptible to trafficking. To end human trafficking,

we must end youth homelessness..

There are many organizations dedicated to the cause but lack the support they need.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness is an independent agency that has teamed up

with 19 federal agencies, state and local governments, advocates and service providers. The

National Alliance to End Homelessness is a legislative organization that provides research to

policy makers. There is also the Coalitions Client Advocacy Program whose caseworkers aid

homeless with mental or physical disability to find a way out of homelessness. There are many

ways one can get involved in making a change in the cause. Donating not only money, but old

clothes, shoes or food to the local homeless shelter or simply volunteering. There is not a lot of

help or attention given by homeless shelters because there is not enough people working there.

I chose to be an advocate for homelessness because it is a cause near and dear to my

heart. When I was younger and didnt know what homeless was, I would wonder from my

mothers side and talk to these people. I could tell there was something missing in them, however

I could never put my finger on it. It was when I came across an old woman sitting on the curb
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outside a hospital. She had many coats on and was missing the majority of her teeth. She wasnt

sad though as the typical homeless person is portrayed to be. In her mind, everything was alright

and all of her kids lived just down the street. The woman and I seemed to have the exact same

conversation about four times within the time we talked. My mother assumed she had

Alzheimers disease or some type of dementia. I thought it was unfair for someone to be allowed

to live that way.

Helping people off the streets doesnt only benefit them, but also the society we live in.

Ortega argues, In doing so we will be creating a safer society and we will be giving these

people a second chance to have a better life for themselves. (Ortega). At the end of the day, it

should be an instinct to offer help when you see a person who is need of it.
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Work Cited

Mzezewa, Tariro. Homeless Youth at High Risk of Human Trafficking. The New York

Times, The New York Times, 17 Apr. 2017, kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/04/17/homeless-

youth-at-high-risk-of-human-trafficking/. Accessed 10 May 2017.

Ortega, Anabel. The Debate Over Homelessness. The Debate Over Homelessness, 1

Jan. 1970, homelessawarenessbayarea.blogspot.com/. Accessed 10 May 2017.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT HOMELESSNESS. Surviving Life Challenges,

www.survivinglifechallenges.com/why-you-should-care-about-homelessness.html. Accessed 10

May 2017.