By: Megan Clark Campus Life Editor
On the heels of Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11, 2015, Virginia became the first state in the United States able to help all of its 1,400 homeless veterans find permanent housing. The veterans made up just nine percent of the homeless population in Virginia.
American society has, in varying degrees of success, made strides in addressing inequities; on June 26th, 2015, gay marriage was made legal nationwide.
Protests and riots have taken place in the streets of major cities for unlawful killings of African American men. The wage gap between genders in the workplace and women’s reproductive rights are hot button topics in politics.
These issues are not resolved or forgotten in average Americans’ minds, and with good reason, they shouldn’t be. But where does homelessness stand on their list of concerns?
Homelessness doesn’t discriminate between race, gender, or religion, and is a widespread issue that affects every community in the world.
According to the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness: “In the U.S., more than 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year.”
As the weather gets colder and holidays near, homelessness becomes a lukewarm topic of discussion.
Food drives and donation sites requesting warm weather gear appear on the everyman’s radar, yet it’s not enough to force people to address the problem and its possible solutions directly.
Confronting everyday images of people sleeping under bridges or lined up at missions isn’t enough to invoke a passion for change; instead, homeless people are ignored, harassed, or avoided.
Why is homelessness greeted with such apathy or disgust?
Many view homelessness as a result of being lazy; however, according to HomeAid, homelessness is “caused by tragic life occurrences like the loss of loved ones, job loss, domestic violence, divorce and family disputes.”
Other reasons include “depression, untreated mental illness, post traumatic stress disorder, and physical disabilities,” according to HomeAid.
While there is no umbrella approach to addressing the varied issues that cause homelessness, the best way to solve homelessness is keeping an individual in their home. Prevention is the most effective way to keep people off the streets and out of temporary shelters, and also ultimately costs less.
Home-loss can be prevented in a variety of ways. One method, according to the Coalition for the Homeless, is through “effective discharge planning,” which would include housing assistance for those with mental illnesses or those leaving foster care.
While donations and volunteering are excellent ways to aid the homeless population, they won’t remedy flaws in the system, and certainly won’t keep people in homes.
This means the public should look at addressing prevention, not merely trying to stanch the wound with donated mittens and unwanted cans of Campbell’s soup.
