The Problem Of Housing And Urban Development - 1544 Words

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, any night of the year finds more than 600,000 without shelter, while â€Å"3.5 million experience homelessness each year.† There are many factors that contribute to homelessness in America, but overwhelmingly, it is the economic factor which is largely responsible for the continuing rise in our homeless population. Quite simply, there is a shortage of affordable housing in our nation and the housing that is available requires the poor to spend the better part of half of their income on rent alone. This leaves almost nothing leftover to cover basic needs; making putting something away for a rainy day out of the question. Clearly, the cost of housing cannot be met with a minimum†¦show more content†¦The homeless are easily ignored, it is fairly simple to turn a blind eye and deaf ears to such a society. Their needs go unheeded by those of us who could afford to part with some of that which we seemingly c ovet so deeply, until gradually the notion of providing for these unfortunates escapes us altogether. How dare they blight our landscape and draw attention to our neglect. Who are they to paint a picture of hypocrisy by choosing such a life in this land of plenty? How many of us have passed unseeing, the hunched-over or prone bodies of the sleeping homeless in parks, on sidewalks, in alleys, or doorways with nary a thought as to their identities or well-being? After all, some tell themselves, the homeless don’t want to work like the rest of us, they are drug addicts, alcoholics, dangerous ex-cons, or wily con artists looking for an easy dollar. They brought this on themselves, right? â€Å"Not true,† says the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, they come from â€Å"all walks of life,† and none chose to be homeless. The organization’s statistics find that, â€Å"35% are families with children, 23% are U.S. military veterans, 25% are children under 18 years of age, 30% are victims of domestic violence, and another 20-25% suffer from mental illness.† Homelessness can happen to any one, it can affect anyone’s friends or relatives, homelessness finds members to add to its communities throughout America annually, even