Homelessness is a major social problem in the United States. The United States Department of urban development defines housing as residing in a place that is not meant for humans continuously for a duration of three years. In the year 2020, the United States government spent approximately $2.777 billion to support organizations that fund homeless families. Resource limitations have pushed these organizations to depend on donor support. The social problem selected is homelessness, and the policy is increasing funding to organizations that are directly linked to helping homeless American families. Homelessness is a major social challenge in the United States. According to Poston, 2020, 17 people in every 1000 people are homeless in the United States. There are projections that the number of homeless families is likely to continue increasing in the consequent years, especially due to the economic impact of COVID-19 (Schneider, 2020). The challenge of homelessness has triggered the emergence of many organizations that offer a wide range of services to the homeless population in the United States. However, the organization's activities are hampered by limited financial capacity.
Many organizations assist homeless people in the United States. The proposal to increase funding to organizations that assist homeless people in the United States directly helps victims of homelessness by enabling them to have access to treatment and housing. The policy's implementation involves several agencies such as the governments in the various states, the local governments, and the congress. This policy has helped to reduce the number of homeless families and people in the United States. However, there is a need to increase the financing programs from the various levels of government. The policy is faced with limitations in resource utilization. Some organizations fail to use the funds allocated to them, effectively failing to generate the targeted optimal output.
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The policy changes urge congress to significantly increase the budget allocations towards organizations that support homeless families. The governments in the various states are also encouraged to expand their budget grants towards organizations that assist homeless people in the individual states. The local governments are also encouraged to increase their budget to increase public programs that help homeless people ( U.S. homelessness assistance organizations, 2020) . The proposed policy has a wide range of strengths. The first strength lies in environmental conservation. An increase in the number of homeless people has triggered an increase in improper practices of waste management. The other strength of the proposed policy is enabling homeless people to acquire cheap and affordable housing and helping them to access mental health care. Homeless people are vulnerable, with limited finances and income. Increasing financing to these organizations will enable them to cover for treatment, medication of homelessness victims. Some homeless people consume drugs substances. The process of rehabilitating this category of homeless people requires them to undergo rehabilitation programs. Increasing financing to these organizations will enable them to initiate rehabilitation programs for vulnerable victims.
The proposed policy will ensure a reduction in the number of homeless people and improve the economy. After undergoing recovery programs, homelessness victims engage in economic activities that help them to raise income ( Federal Funding for Homelessness Programs , 2020) . This increases the taxes the government collects and benefits the entire economy. The policy proposal has some limitations and weaknesses. Some organizations encourage temporary housing as opposed to permanent housing for homeless people. This might lead them back into the actual problem of homelessness. Additionally, organizations supporting homeless people in the United States undertake minimal research to identify the causes of homelessness. They do not address the origin of the homelessness challenge but rather address the real challenge of homelessness.
Changing this policy will have a significant impact on clinical workers as well as social workers. Policies are ranked differently. Some tend to have a lower rank on one criterion, while others have a high ranking on a different criterion. Social workers have a significant impact on policies. Social workers play an essential role in empowering and representing disempowered populations. The difference between social workers and clinical social workers is based on their legal obligations. Social workers are allowed to connect clients and resources as well as offering guidance during challenging times.
On the other hand, clinical social workers play an essential role in counseling treatments. The change in the policy will have a negative impact on social workers and clinical social workers. Social workers are an essential part of implementing and promoting social changes among a population. The individuals and communities to develop positive changes in behavior. As mentioned earlier, social justice is critical in homelessness policies. Social worker's duties are based on defined values and ethics.
The tradeoff between permanent and temporary housing for the homeless in the United States extends beyond a policy choice. The United States Department of Housing and urban development has continued to advocate for permanent housing for the homeless in the United States ( National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2020) . The policy advocates that temporary housing structures tend to develop a habitually homeless client. High costs accompany the shift towards permanent housing. Congress, state, and local governments play a crucial role in advocacy. The three agents have budgets that are flexible enough to increase expenses on housing programs of the homeless people in the United States. Many homeless people are homeless due to substance use, loss of employment opportunities, and mental health challenges. Addressing the challenge of homelessness requires the solution of the factors leading to homelessness. The policy interventions and changes have been critical in reducing the number of homeless pe0ple in the United States. Various policies have different impacts on the situation of homelessness. Some policies have more benefits on one side, accompanied by equal limitations, on the other hand. The process of selecting an intervention policy should be well evaluated and analyzed.
Reference
Federal Funding for Homelessness Programs . (2020, September 16). National Alliance to End Homelessness. https://endhomelessness.org/ending-homelessness/policy/federal-funding-homelessness-programs/#:~:text=Congress%20should%20invest%20in%20proven,keep%20up%20with%20rising%20evictions
Poston, D. L. (2020, January 2). 3 ways that the U.S. population will change over the next decade . PBS.org. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/3-ways-that-the-u-s-population-will-change-over-the-next-decade#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20population%20today%2C%20at,just%20under%201.4%20billion%2C%20respectively
Schneider, B. (2020, July 6). Bloomberg . https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-07-06/why-is-homelessness-such-a-problem-in-u-s-cities
State of homelessness: 2020 edition . (2020, May 20). National Alliance to End Homelessness. https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2020/
U.S. homelessness assistance organizations - CEH . (n.d.). Committee to End Homelessness - Informational Website. https://www.cehkc.org/organizations.html
