Homelessness Report
Many people see a homeless person with a cardboard sign asking for help but the reaction to the person is mixed. Some say he just needs to get a job and quit asking people for their hard-earned money, while others may think what can be done to help. Being homeless is more than the loss of a home, there is a loss of dignity and hope. A person who is chronically homeless is someone who has been out on the streets for a year or more, and struggles with mental issues or is addicted to drugs and alcohol. In 2013, The Housing and Urban Development (HUD) did a report on the number of homeless people on any given night in January. The results stated that 610,042 people were homeless and out of that number, 109,132 of those people were chronically
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In 1989, New York governor Mario Cuomo and New York City mayor, David Dinkins launched a joint initiative to build “supportive housing” for homeless people with mental illnesses. “The program was known as the New York/New York Agreement, which funded the development of 3,600 individual units for the homeless by 1995.” This served as a model for similar projects throughout the United States. (Homelessness Issues & Controversies, par.17) In 2001, Dennis Culhane, a professor of social work at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and his associates conducted a study on the cost effectiveness of the New York/New York Agreement. They factored in the cost of hospitalizations, jailing, and shelters and found “the net cost of the New York/New York Agreement was only around $1,000 per unit each year, making it an extremely affordable solution for most governments.” (Homelessness Issues, par.18) “Housing first” provides permanent housing as quickly as possible, with no qualifying requirements, such as sobriety and is based on the belief that the problems of a homeless person or family cannot be solved unless they are off the streets and no longer in homeless shelters. (Katel, par.25) These apartments are staffed with people who will help with mental health and addiction. Lori Thomas, a professor of Social work at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, says “Shelters can be counterproductive due to the lack of privacy and the mandatory schedules the participants must abide by. I’ve had people tell me they’d rather sleep in the street.” She says “In shelters people surrender their dignity because of the strict rules.” (Katel, par.
In 1989, New York governor Mario Cuomo and New York City mayor, David Dinkins launched a joint initiative to build “supportive housing” for homeless people with mental illnesses. “The program was known as the New York/New York Agreement, which funded the development of 3,600 individual units for the homeless by 1995.” This served as a model for similar projects throughout the United States. (Homelessness Issues & Controversies, par.17) In 2001, Dennis Culhane, a professor of social work at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and his associates conducted a study on the cost effectiveness of the New York/New York Agreement. They factored in the cost of hospitalizations, jailing, and shelters and found “the net cost of the New York/New York Agreement was only around $1,000 per unit each year, making it an extremely affordable solution for most governments.” (Homelessness Issues, par.18) “Housing first” provides permanent housing as quickly as possible, with no qualifying requirements, such as sobriety and is based on the belief that the problems of a homeless person or family cannot be solved unless they are off the streets and no longer in homeless shelters. (Katel, par.25) These apartments are staffed with people who will help with mental health and addiction. Lori Thomas, a professor of Social work at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, says “Shelters can be counterproductive due to the lack of privacy and the mandatory schedules the participants must abide by. I’ve had people tell me they’d rather sleep in the street.” She says “In shelters people surrender their dignity because of the strict rules.” (Katel, par.