Social problems are issues present in society that affect a group who believe that the condition is unfavorable and undesirable. The social problem chosen for this analysis is that of homelessness. There are thousands of Americans each day that experience homelessness by not having a permanent residence. Many homeless individuals face other social issues such as poor healthcare, mental problems, and alcohol and drug abuse. The local and federal governments have come up with solutions to address the issue with limited success. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the social problem of homelessness by considering three things the government is doing and three additional solutions that can solve the problem.
Government Initiatives to Solve Homelessness
The federal government has engaged in policies and funding structures that respond to homelessness. One of the most effective programs has been the Continuum of Care (CoC) administered by the Housing Urban Development (HUD). The program involves having federal grant money to pay for emergency shelters and case management. Emergency shelters provide temporary services for overnight sleeping.
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The housing-first approach is a federal initiative where homeless people get long-term housing. After they have settled in a stable home, they are given access to other services such as job training, drug and alcohol treatment, and get assigned a social worker. The initiative has been applied in Utah and has effectively reduced the chronically-homeless population by 75 percent (Beralas et al., 2017). The program has been useful as it provides a stable accommodation and enables the homeless to engage in other social activities that can improve their wellbeing.
The government has also engaged in other programs such as the Health and Human Services (HHS) and Veteran Affairs (VA). The HHS involves grant programs that target private and public organizations serving homeless and runaway youth. The Veteran Affairs program consists of the government giving grants to organizations that help homeless veterans. Such initiatives have made it easier for homeless runaway youth and veterans to find employment, home care, and permanent housing.
Three Things That Can Be Done to Solve Homelessness
Several other initiatives can solve homelessness. One initiative is the use of technology that provides services to the homeless population. Khurshid and Gadnis (2019) observe that blockchain technology can be used to create a digital identity for the homeless and thus engage medical and employment services. The technology can facilitate further planning and creation of programs that specifically address the needs of homeless individuals.
There is a need for more individuals to participate in programs that can help the homeless population. One can volunteer time at food banks or local shelters and donate funds to charities that support ending homelessness. Being an advocate for the homeless can involve reducing the stigma associated with being homeless. Public education regarding the issue of homelessness and how the community can participate in solving the problem can help in reducing the issue.
The problem of homelessness can also be solved by advocating for more affordable housing. There is a need for the government to formulate policies that reduce the costs of building apartments. These policies should control the prices of homes and apartments in cities. Wagner et al. (2019) observe that majority of the population in cities cannot afford the current rents. People are thus forced to live several hundreds of miles away from the cities. Affordable housing would be a longer-term solution.
Conclusion
Homelessness is a social problem and the government has taken multiple initiatives to solve the problem. However, most of the initiatives undertaken by the government have not been useful in fully solving the problem. Several other initiatives should be undertaken such as affordable housing which is a long-term solution. The use of technology to address the current needs of the homeless can help solve the issue. Additionally, people can participate in donating and volunteering to programs that help the homeless to assist in solving the problem.
References
Beralas, A., Howell, H., & Goodsell, R. (2017). Solutions for Homelessness. Social Work. https://socialwork.usu.edu/tci/research/Solutions%20for%20Homelessness%20Research%20Brief.pdf
Khurshid, A., & Gadnis, A. (2019). Using blockchain to create transaction identity for persons experiencing homelessness in America: policy proposal. JMIR research protocols , 8 (3), e10654. doi:10.2196/10654
Wagner, D., Haymes, S. N., de Haymes, M. V., & Jonathan, R. (2019). How successful have government entities, service workers, and others been in assisting homeless people? Poverty and Welfare in America: Examining the Facts , 167.
