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Homelessness in America

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Homelessness in America
Argumentation-Persuasion Essay (outline) Topic: “Homeless In America” (Draft) Composition I | ENG1001

Keith Joiner

Thesis: Homelessness is not just a poor person’s problem, its everyone’s problem.

Introduction: Any person in this country, or anyone in this world could be unfortunate

enough to suffer through a natural disaster, or a catastrophe. Lets take Hurricane Katrina

as one example, that was a natural disaster that put most of the city of New Orleans in

that state of homelessness. The Earthquake in Haiti, or the Tsunami In South East Asia,

what about the mudslides in Guatemala, or the wild fires in California. These are just

some of the reasons people find themselves without a roof over their heads. So with these

examples, anyone of us could befall a unforeseen occurrence that could leave us in a

devastated situation, and without a home. So when that happens we need help, does the

government do enough?, or does the aid come quick enough? That is why this issue is not

just a problem for some unfortunate few, its everyone’s problem, and we can all do

something to help, because you never know if or when you maybe in the same situation

needing help, due to no fault of your own. There are also other reasons some people are

homeless, due to their own fault, or bad decisions.

Discuss ways some people end up homeless.

What can be done to help the homeless situation in the U.S. (give argumentation/ persuasion)

Can our government do more? Can we as individuals do more to help?

What programs are in place to help homeless? City, State, Federal level.

Will homelessness ever be solved in the U.S?

Conclusion: Sum up Main points of how and why people become homeless. What

government has and can do to help, what we as individuals can do, and answer the

question of the problem ever being


References: Cynthia J. Bogard, J. Jeff McConnell, Naomi Gerstel, Michael Schwartz. (Mar., 1999), Homeless Mothers and Depression: Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Vol. 40, No. 1 pp. 46-62 Retrieved August 20, 2010, from the American Sociological Association. Ralph Nunez. (Autumn, 2001), Family Homelessness in New York City: A Case Study Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 116, No. 3 pp. 367-379 Retrieved August 20, 2010, from The Academy of Political Science. Ralph Nunez. (Summer, 1999), A Snapshot of Family Homelessness across America Cybelle Fox Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 114, No. 2 pp. 289-307 Retrieved August 20,2010, from The Academy of Political Science. John M. Quigley, Steven Raphael, Eugene Smolensky. (Feb., 2001), Homeless in America, Homeless in California. The Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 83, No. 1 pp. 37-51 Retrieved August 20, 2010, from The MIT Press.
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