Lately however, I've witnessed a growing number of new homeless people. Families losing their homes to foreclosure as a result of unemployment, the economy or just falling victim to predatory lending which ultimately caught up to them.
I'll try not to point fingers here simply because I'd like to focus my attention on the homeless in America and not the reasons for the seemingly continuous growth in their numbers. Although counts vary greatly by state there seems to be an alarming increase in the numbers of homeless families and children showing up at shelters all across the country. In order to provide some measure of the homeless population, the government relies on data supplied to the Department of HUD, obtained from more than 400 volunteer organizations and outreach programs nationally. There's probably a better way to find realistic numbers but again I'll not point any fingers.
Accordingly, there are varying numbers of "sheltered" homeless people, or those who have temporary housing provided by shelters, churches and various volunteer organizations and the "unsheltered". Those who live in the streets, under bridges, in cars, hallways, cardboard crates, makeshift back alley communities, parks and so many other areas not meant for human habitation. According to HUD's national counts 4 in 10 are unsheltered. These folks may be more vulnerable to illness, drug abuse and crimes like robbery, rape and murder than their counterparts. All homeless folks are constantly at risk of catching a disease or a parasite, falling victim to drugs and alcohol which inevitably results in health problems, or of being raped or murdered. The unsheltered are just more likely to face these circumstances. The homeless have no safe harbor. They all lack any feeling of security. Imagine being assaulted in broad daylight and not a person around helps. That's what a homeless person faces every day. That and trying to eat in order to face another day.
Homelessness today is an effect of the economy. People become homeless because they don't have sufficient financial resources to maintain their housing, although some may like to believe that it's a result of psychological and social inadequacies. The challenges that people face financially in today's America are significant. Joblessness, increasing tax burdens, higher energy costs, tougher credit standards, lack of affordable health care and the lack of affordable housing are all contributing factors to the growing numbers of homeless in America. As our homeless population increases our middle class decreases. The level of poverty in the country is beyond reasonable. The gap between the haves and have nots is widening. Putting a face on homelessness and poverty is not easy. It may always be a woven into the fabric of society. Eliminating homelessness may not be realistic or possible either, but allowing it to grow is just as unrealistic and just as unreasonable.
Can we make a difference? I don't know. When I see "Scammer Johnny" or his friends begging these days I'm less pessimistic. I give him a buck if I have one to give. I think about families that have lost homes. About Moms and Dads who lost jobs. I think about so many people struggling to get by another day. Struggling to keep the home that they worked half their lives for in order to give their families a safe and secure place to come home to. I wonder as an American how we let these things continue. I give a little when I can and I hope that somehow it helps.
According to Wikipedia a homeless can be described as an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence or an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
George Sinacori
GES Real Estate, LLC
No comments:
Post a Comment