Homelessness: Causes and Solutions (Homelessness Part 5)

CONCLUSION

In conclusion. Homelessness is a huge fucking problem. The amount of people who experience homelessness every year is freaking mind boggling. However, most of these people are temporarily homeless and don’t suffer from mental problems or drug addiction. Meanwhile, the chronically homeless are much more likely to have substance abuse problems or mental illness.

Helping the homeless requires various approaches because different people need different kinds of assistance. Some need a little help getting back on their feet, and others need housing provided for them and intense services to help them with their issues as well as to teach them how to be a productive member of society. I support a housing first strategy that focuses on getting people into housing without preconditions. However, such a strategy must have good services that skillfully help struggling people. I’m also open to experimenting with contingency in helping the drug addicted. Communities should coordinate their strategies among: federal and local government, businesses, charities, and the rest of society to come together to help a community’s homeless and get each homeless person to the type of help they need.

Policing the homeless should be between the extremes. The goal must be getting the homeless into housing and helping them, not charging them with crimes. However, those that commit crimes that affect other people must be charged, with the option to get help instead of hard prison or…