Homelessness Homelessness is a big social issue that sometimes is not so mentioned and taken into account, but we consider

that it is very important to help find a solution for it. It is a social problem because it consists on people who have lack of a safe, adequate, and functional place of living. In other words, those persons dont have a shelter where their basic needs can be met. There are several situations that define homeless people. The fact that people have to live in hotels or motels because they dont have another place to live; the children and adolescents that run away from home because of violence or other reasons; when persons stay in abandoned buildings, public places, and even cars, homelessness can be identified. Most of these persons rely on housing programs, but they dont have a specific and safe place to live. The most common problems that cause homelessness are: Lack of money to afford an adequate housing. Violence within the familiar environment. Unemployment. Drug and alcohol abuse.

Moreover, the most vulnerable persons that may be homeless are the children, young people leaving their home for the first time, people with mental health

disorders, elderly people, and individuals that are earning the minimum wage and that cannot afford for a living. All of these situations have been identified by different associations that are trying to solve or help people going through this problem. There are several associations, but here we will present the two most important and serious ones. We will start with an organization called Beyond Shelter, which was founded in 1988 because of the increasing numbers of homeless families. As they identified that problem, the organizations started looking for opportunities that may improve those families situation. The organization has worked through the years in order to help those people and fulfill their mission, which is to develop systemic approaches to combat poverty and homelessness among families with children, and to enhance family economic security and well-being. (Beyond Shelter 1) Every day, Beyond Shelter works with hope and with endless effort to accomplish their mission through the development of certain strategies. The first strategy is called Responsive Service Delivery, the second is People-Centered Community Development, and the third one is The Creation of Knowledge for Social Change. Then we have that the first strategy consists on suiting the essential needs of the homeless families and the parents and children that have a low-income salary. It also involves the solving of certain cases, such as an affordable housing, employment, neighborhood services that may help them, such as child care, jobs, affordable housing, and educational activities for the children and adolescents. The second strategy consists on the cooperation of local residents within a community in

order to identify the problems that may be solved in order to bring social and economic well-being for everyone. The third one consists in testing new approaches that can help in the combat against homelessness and poverty. Through those test, manuals, training and workshop materials, and policy papers can be given to service providers, government officials and people around the country to create awareness and create effective programs to control that issue. This non-profitable organization developed an innovative program called Housing First, for homeless families. Through this project, the intention of moving those families into permanent housing as quick as possible, and providing them for six months with support for rebuilding their lives (jobs, assistance, and childcare) are the main goals of the project. Since the program was implemented since the year 1988, more than 4, 300 homeless families have been helped through the program in Los Angeles. Because of its importance and functionality, it has received national and international recognitions, being a very good example of what can be achieved. Beyond Shelter is an association that works mainly in Los Angeles, but that has been experiencing expansion through other countries. it is located in 1200 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90017. The second organization we want to talk about is the Corporation for Supporting Housing. This organization has been working since the year 1991, with a project of Permanent Supporting Housing. Their idea consists on giving housing to homeless people, along with addiction, employment, mental health, and other services.

The mission of the organization is to help communities create permanent housing with services to prevent and end homelessness (CSH). Through that mission, they set the vision of one day identify that homelessness is no longer a common situation, experiencing also the opportunity of accepting supportive housing and helping people under harsh circumstances. CSH pretends bringing together people, skills, and resources in order to provide high-quality advice and bring into practice different projects that may help people. They think that by making loans to housing sponsors, supporting the housing industry, and looking for reforms within the public policy, it would become easier to create and also operate the supportive housing programs. This organization has supported society with more than 39,742 new units of supportive housing up to the last year, on June 30th, 2009. Moreover, they continue working in their ten year goal, which consists on the creation of 150,000 units, from which they have obtained up to 103,561 units till this year. Nowadays, the main center that offers services is in Washington, D.C., but it also offers certain services in other eleven states, such as: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas. And also, the CSH is initiating operations in Kentucky, Maine, and Oregon. Currently, there are many other actions that are being taken in order to give homelessness a better solution. The purpose is to offer the homeless people a better

quality of life. Many states in several countries are going through a series of new plans and projects that give this social issue an answer. For example, in the last month, it was approved a plan in South Carolina at the Yorks County that addresses homelessness. It is a call for rapid re-housing that put individuals and families into apartments and then provides them with counseling, treatment and other services. The idea fits into a national trend known as the "housing first" model. The leaders of York County are still considering the plan, but the point is that they are willing to do something about the issue. Also, a group of shelter directors and volunteers came out to show support for the approach, including Jennifer Disney of A Place for Hope, Lt. Kenny Iglehart of the Salvation Army, Susan Dean of Pilgrims' Inn and Ed FitzGerald, a volunteer with The Haven. Pilgrims Inn recently was awarded 525,000 USD in stimulus money in order to give housing in apartments to homeless people for as long as 18 months. In fact, there are other companies that currently are giving apartments to homeless people, especially to homeless youth with children. The apartments cost around 1.2 million USD to build and the Peoples Emergency Center, which is a nonprofitable association, is helping this people to move into these new apartments. They are buildings of 6 apartments with 2 bedrooms each one. The homeless people just need to get a job and meanwhile the PEC will support them with basic services. The rent will be covered by a subsidy given by the Philadelphia Housing Authority.

Many other institutions are getting allied and working together among them in order to create innovative projects that cost less and offer homeless people better solutions to go ahead in life. Several universities are designing projects to build up constructions that are sustainable and try to be built with the lowest price possible. For example, the University of Pennsylvania School of Design is working with the Peoples Emergency Center by designing apartments that fulfill the basic needs of the homeless people. Even though it is not so easy because PEC is a non-profitable association so the project takes time but its is functioning. The purpose of PEC is to offer homeless people the opportunity to have a house and in this way search for a job that helps them to go ahead and later become sustainable people. On the other side, it is important to mention that during Bush presidency his government focused mainly in adults homeless. But now, with Barack Obama presidency, the purpose is to help reduce the number of homeless families and children. They need educational attention and medical services, while mothers may need job training or counseling, but if the children are alone the process need to be faster in gives them a house and in many cases a family. In the case of the homeless veterans there are several senators who introduced a bill called the Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act of 2009. It consists in giving vouchers to the veterans, as well as case management services, including assistance locating housing and accessing benefits and health services. The Veterans Affairs Secretary would be required to develop a comprehensive plan for ending veterans homelessness within one year of this bills enactment.

Other solutions to homelessness issue are the ones that some advocates for the homelessness are seeking with the churches and faith people. The answer of religious people was that if the community and the church work together, they could give better solutions. They will work together the Manchester Initiative for Supportive Housing with the Community Health Resources, the Manchester Area Conference of Churches and other agencies on order to give the support (both economic and social) to the project that will give house to homeless people. The subsidized apartments would house people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Residents would be assigned case workers to help them find jobs and get health care and other services.

References

About CSH. CSH Org. 31 Oct. 2009 <http://www.csh.org/> Beyond Shelter. Beyond Shelter. 31 Oct. 2009 <http://www.beyondshelter.org/aaa_about_us/aaa_about_us.shtml> Homelessness Focus on Children and Families. Extension learning for life. Oct. 2007. 31 Oct. 2009. <http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/1154> Homelessness in the United States of America. National Alliance to End Homelessness. 31 Oct. 2009 <http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/conference/ftp08files/Bomar_Institute %20HO/What%20is%20Homeless.pdf> Jennifer Lin. "New apartments open to homeless youth with children. " McClatchy Tribune Business News 21 October 2009 ABI/INFORM Dateline, ProQuest. Web. 8 Nov. 2009. <http://0-proquest.umi.com.millenium.itesm.mx/pqdweb? did=1883652621&sid=3&Fmt=3&clientId=23693&RQT=309&VName=PQD> Jesse Leavenworth. "Advocates For Homeless Seek Support From Area Clergy. " McClatchy - Tribune Business News 20 October 2009 ABI/INFORM Dateline, ProQuest. Web. 6 Nov 2009. <http://0proquest.umi.com.millenium.itesm.mx/pqdweb? did=1882414141&sid=3&Fmt=3&clientId=23693&RQT=309&VName=PQD> Matt Garfield. "City to focus on services for homeless, not shelters. " McClatchy Tribune Business News 28 October 2009 ABI/INFORM Dateline, ProQuest. Web. 5 Nov. 2009. <http://0-proquest.umi.com.millenium.itesm.mx/pqdweb? index=4&did=1888377911&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=7&retrieveGroup=0&VT ype=PQD&VInst=PROD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1257720901&clientId =23693> Reed, Jack. Summary: S. 1547, the Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act of 2009 4 Aug 2009 National Alliance to end homelessness. 7 Nov 2009 <http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/general/detail/2460>