User:Lstpete/sandbox

Homelessness is experienced by anyone lacking safe, secure, and adequate living arrangements (American Psychological Association [APA], 2019). America’s homeless spend time in and out of temporary housing or shelters as they struggle with poverty, addiction, and mental illness. Homelessness is a never-ending cycle perpetuated by ineffective solutions that do not target the root of these issues. To end homelessness, the U.S. government must focus on creating assistance programs that do not only remove the homeless from the streets but provide them with the resources and skills needed to create and maintain stable lifestyles. Supported housing efforts, such as those outlined in the prospective Ending Homelessness Act of 2019, provide permanent housing to homeless individuals while connecting them with the resources to overcome addiction, cope with mental illnesses, and learn valuable job and life skills which in turn prevents future relapses and returning to the streets (U.S. House of Representatives, 2019). Furthermore, using federal aid to create such effective programs will alleviate the financial strain the chronically homeless put on valuable publically funded emergency and law enforcement services. Homelessness is a growing issue in the U.S. that could be eradicated through effective long-term solutions targeted at the causes of homelessness and not only the result (Roman, 2019).

References:

American Psychological Association. Health and homelessness. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/homelessness-health

Roman, N. (2019, February 13). Homeless in America: Examining the crisis and solutions to end homelessness [PDF File]. Retrieved from https://financialservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hhrg-116-ba00-wstate-romann-20190213.pdf

The U.S. House of Representatives. (2019). The ending homelessness act of 2019. Retrieved from https://financialservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/03.26.2019_-_ending_homeless_act_2019_-_summary.pdf