Issue of Homelessness Within America

Even though most countries around the globe have continued enjoying economic prosperity throughout the 1990’s, the number of their homeless people has continuously been on the rise (McNamara 45). Within America, at any given time, there are approximately five to six thousand citizens who may be regarded as being homeless (Pardeck 56). Homelessness has been described as the condition whereby an individual lacks a permanent, decent, safe and affordable place where he or she can live (Reynalds 64).

The issue of homelessness within America has persisted for quite some time since most of their urban regions have remained economically depressed with the costs of housing having risen so rapidly in the past few decades (Wright 41). The issue of homelessness has further been aggravated by the fact that the salaries that workers take home have remained stable over time thereby making them miss out in terms of proper housing facilities (McNamara 58). It is thus with such background information that there is need to find the solutions to the issue of the homeless in America.

The provision of permanent housing has helped many people to move away from poverty. Majority of the institutions set up to address this issue have in tur focused their attention on constructing emergency shelters for these individuals (Pardeck 69). The country’s federal laws have gone a long way into ensuring that the organizations helping the homeless people are being funded through the 1987 Act on homeless assistance (Wright 45). These organizations have previously been involved with the local governments for the purposes of identifying the homeless and needy people within their society.

This collaboration has helped in coordinating the efforts of the programs set up to assist the homeless people (Reynalds 76). They also interact with the local authorities for the purposes of ascertaining which needs are the most vital for these people and how best they can avail their services to them through a manner that is well coordinated (Pardeck 87). These organizations have hired qualified staffs that are charged with the proper coordination of the funds granted to them by the federal government (Wright 49). They are also responsible for ensuring that the process of resource allocation is done effectively in order to solve the issues facing the homeless people (McNamara 73).

The organizations charged with handling the issue of homelessness within America have indulged in providing the homeless families that are located in rural centers with temporary forms of housing (Pardeck 89). Various programs have also been designed to help place some of the homeless people into permanent houses as quickly as possible (Wright 52). The organizations have also invested in providing job training and opportunities to the new residents who move into the permanent homes from the streets. This enables these people to maintain their new living standards and avoid going back to the streets (Reynalds 90).

Services like credit counseling, training on managing finances that may be offered by these organizations can help in preventing the homeless who have been accommodated from returning to their former statuses. In addition, the organizations for the homeless people should make follow ups on their clients after they have relocated them to better housing (Wright 56). According to previous reports, most of the homeless people who are accommodated by these organizations return to the streets after encountering problems in the payment of their house rents. This creates the need to make a follow up to ensure they can sustain their livelihoods after their resettlement (Pardeck 102).

Finally, the homeless people have been moved into transitional or supporting housings to help them rehabilitate from their previous habits which may have caused these adverse conditions in their lives ( Wright 73). This rehabilitation programs may involve the homeless people who have been substance abusers or are mentally ill. The move greatly helps them become better people who can be able to sustain themselves (McNamara 99).

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