Housing First' as a Solution to Homelessness in America

Introduction

There are so many people in the world; people I'll never know; some are poor, some are rich, some sleep in beds, some sleep on the floor. All people deserve to live in good conditions whether you know them or not. There are solutions in place to address homelessness like shelters and temporary housing, but I believe that is not good enough because people are still sleeping on the streets. I know we can do better. I believe our country can end homelessness by giving housing first.

'Housing First' as a Solution to Homelessness in America

When I was in middle school, my friend told me she and her family were homeless. I didn't know what to think; I just felt heartbroken for her because there was nothing I could do. But I was so naive because I never knew that children could be homeless too. I always thought it was just men and women. "51 percent of homeless youth are unsheltered — sleeping outside, in a car, or someplace not meant for human habitation." The main causes of homeless youth are family conflict, domestic violence, poverty, and lack of affordable housing. Single adults experience homelessness because of unaffordable housing, unemployment, domestic violence, low wages, and poverty. Some health problems that result from being homeless include skin disorders, malnutrition, parasitic infestations, dental disease, venereal diseases, alcoholism, and drug abuse. People also become homeless because they already have a health problem like mental illnesses, AIDS, alcoholism, drug abuse, disabling health conditions, and health care costs.

When I was visiting my friend in San Francisco, she told me that her school visits the beach once a year to do a beach cleanup and pick up hypodermic needles. "That at least one infectious disease expert has compared the city to some of the dirtiest slums in the world. As well as 100 drug needles and more than 300 piles of feces throughout downtown." San Francisco has set up a cleanup program that pays people to pick up feces. If homelessness were ended, San Francisco wouldn't have to spend so much money on cleaning up. Slowly putting the money towards housing units for the homeless would be a better investment and it will slowly decrease the hypodermic needles, trash, and feces on the streets. "Using the $450,000 per unit cost of Bay Area housing, the report estimates it would cost $12.7 billion to end homelessness under current methods of building and providing services."

"Housing First" is a proven solution to lower homeless rates and possibly to end homelessness. Housing First is a permanent supportive housing solution that moves homeless people directly into housing even if they are mentally ill or have a substance abuse problem or a serious health problem. After they are moved into housing, they are linked to support services to help them overcome their problems and stabilize themselves, which can eventually improve their life. "Research studies have shown that a majority of homeless people who have been moved into 'Housing First' remain stably housed and have an improvement in their health." "Housing First" approach is far less costly than emergency and institutional care, such as shelters, hospitals, and correctional facilities." "Housing First has worked in Finland and even New York City is attempting Housing First." Finland's numbers are falling. In 1987, there were around 18,000 homeless people. In 2017, there were 7,112 homeless people, of which only 415 were living on the streets or in emergency shelters." New York is building more housing units for the homeless. They don't expect a change immediately, but they expect the homeless population to decrease over time. They plan to do inspections on families to make sure their needs are met and enforce people in housing to get a source of income.

Conclusion

There are children, families, young adults, elderly, veterans, disabled people, and single adults who are homeless in America. Homeless people should be given a home first before having to fix all their problems because how are they going to get back on their feet without help? They need to be given a second chance to get their lives back together. Helping end homelessness is more of an investment for a safer, cleaner, better world where we all work together and contribute to society together.

References

1. National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2020). State of Homelessness: 2020 Edition. Retrieved from https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2020/
2. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2019). The 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. Retrieved from https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2019-AHAR-Part-1.pdf
3. Tsemberis, S. (2010). Housing First: The Pathways Model to End Homelessness for People with Mental Illness and Addiction. Hazelden.
4. Pleace, N., & Bretherton, J. (2013). The Case for Housing First in the European Union: A Critical Evaluation of Concerns about Effectiveness. European Journal of Homelessness, 7(2), 21-41.
5. Y-Foundation. (2017). Finland's Path to a Low Homelessness Rate. Retrieved from https://ysaatio.fi/en/housing-first-finland