Every night, more than half a million Americans are deemed to be homeless. At least 35% of the homeless population is considered to be unsheltered, spending their nights on the streets in environments that are not safe for human habitation (The Council of Economic Advisers, 2019). In Atlanta, my home city, there are more than 3200 homeless people, with 939, sleeping outside, an increase from the previous years (Torpy, 2020). The unsheltered group spends their nights in sidewalks, cars, car parks, entrances to buildings, and abandoned buildings ( The Council of Economic Advisers, 2019). A majority of the homeless people also have other personal issues, including addiction and substance abuse problems and underlying physical and mental health issues. Given that they tend to distrust medical care and also experience difficulty with accessing care, homelessness may worsen these issues, making it extremely difficult for them to escape the street life. Thus, most of the homeless people spend their time begging for food and shelter. While helping homeless individuals is morally okay, helping them through care shelters equates to the proverbial, teaching them how to fish.
It is better to teach someone how to fish instead of giving them fish to eat. Even though it is possible to help the homeless people directly, it is nearly impossible to solve their problem through a single donation. Therefore, to impact on the larger group, Atlanta should work with interested parties to distribute donation booths in designated places to allow people to donate foodstuffs, money, clothing, and other gifts for the homeless people. Through the money collected, the state government can construct care shelters, where people can also volunteer to provide other services such as medical care, psychiatric help, guidance and counseling, among others. This state-public initiative will, in turn, help to tackle issues relating to drug addiction, which is one of the leading causes of homelessness. For instance, the upsurge in the number of homeless people in Atlanta in 2020 is attributed to the closure of Peachtree-Pine, one of the care shelters (Torpy, 2020). The care shelters also enhance transparency and accountability on how donations are spent. The direct help that is given to homeless people has not had sufficient backing from most people. In recent times, one case of a police officer who gifted a homeless man with new shoes went viral in the social media platforms (Noveck, 2012). Although the officer gave out an excellent gesture to the man whom he found barefooted, the man was spotted a few days later, walking without the shoes (Noveck, 2012). On other occasions, the homeless people have turned down offers of food from restaurants, preferring to be given cash (Noveck, 2012). However, when they are given cash, most homeless people end up buying drugs or gambling with money rather than using it to buy food, clothing, or medication. Such acts have erased many people’s sympathies for street families, making it difficult for them to get help. Nonetheless, care shelters can offer them with the opportunity to live in a clean and sheltered environment, where all their basic and healthcare needs are catered for. Additionally, they can get the chance for employment opportunities while still there.
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In conclusion, homelessness remains as one of the biggest urban problems in America today. The financial difficulties occasioned by the economic disruptions and jobs loses due to COVID-19 restrictions are making more and more Americans go homeless. Despite these challenges, helping homeless people indirectly by donating to care shelters is the most viable option. These shelters can offer this group of people more than shelter in that volunteers can help provide other essential services. In turn, some of the services provided, such as counseling services to drugs and substance abusers, will impact their livelihoods positively. Over the years, there has been reluctance by people in providing financial help to homeless people since most of them end up using the money to buy drugs. However, care shelters offer the chance for accountable and transparent use of all the donations that they receive. Therefore, the provision of help to the homeless people should purely be through these shelters.
References
Noveck, J. (2012, December 12). Give to people on the street? In cities, it’s a daily dilemma. The Christian Science Monitor. https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2012/1212/Give-to-people-on-the-street-In-cities-it-s-a-daily-dilemma
The Council of Economic Advisers. (2019). The state of homelessness in America . Whitehouse. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/The-State-of-Homelessness-in-America.pdf
Torpy, B. (2020, September 2). City’s annual census finds more people sleeping outdoors. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-atlantas-empty-streets-put-homeless-in-plain-sight/GEV6QRCOMBG45ESHXQMXFIUIA4/
