Prompt #3

A research on homelessness by Christian, Jennifer Howson, Alexandra addresses the increasing of homelessness. In this research they mention although homelessness is more viable and relevant in the twenty first century than prior decades, it still remain challenging to provide prevention programs and resolutions to end this epidemic of homeless. They stated that homelessness is a large urban problem and it continue to rise because of lack of affordable housing and poverty, although it is also cause by other societal problems. Therefore, the focus is to provide facts on why increase of permanent affordable housings and federal housing resources would have a large impact as solution to ending homelessness. The research was based on both quantitative and qualitative research by providing different experience of homelessness and the cause and the number of people affected by the cause of them being homeless. Some compared examples are the number of homelessness caused by poverty and their experience, and the number of homelessness caused by lack of affordable housings and their experience. They also gave their views on who is being considered as homeless which anybody who find themselves in the street with no income, no job, the poorest and most disadvantaged in society.

In their findings, they state that housing is the most important aspect to focus on in order to end homeless because many people having trouble affording their rent because their rents cost more than their income. They goes on to say that the federal definition of affordable housing is housing that cost no more than 30% of a person’s income; but only few people on minimum wage are able to put 30% of their income into rent and many people are not able. Although wages is also an important factor, it does not necessarily mean it has big impact on homelessness, it is thus the rise of housing cost, gentrification that contributes to homelessness.  

This research matters because it raises questions such as why the existence of homelessness, the causes of it, and what are the response of society instead of viewing homelessness as deviant, lazy people. It open the society’s eyes on homelessness and how to handle the issue, whom to blame for this issue. This research makes homelessness a relevant issue, an everyday societal problem. Most importantly it shows how society to should response to this issue.