Get Buy-in to Support Homelessness
The target stakeholders include both the public and private sectors. The two parties are critical in regards to making positive contributions. The public sector would help in addressing the concern by creating policies that are geared towards redressing the problem. The private sector would contribute by advocating about the rights or the plight of the homeless people. In addition, the two parties are expected to offer both material and financial support to establish and sustain programs intended to address the problem.
Before taking action, it is necessary to understand the bigger picture as it relates to the problem in the American society. That homelessness is a growing problem within the society is a fact A detailed exploration into the origin of the word ‘homeless’ indeed reveals that it has a political connotation, and thus in the past three decades it has been used to refer to beggars, tramps, bag people, wondering poor, winos and bums. Irrespective of their categorization, these people have a common feature in the form of total absence of a place to call home. Weighed heavily under their problems, the majority of homeless persons opt to depend on cheap liquor for solace. Their predicament is further aggravated in the event that one is mentally ill in addition to having no home. Against this backdrop, the entire society owes a great deal to this group of people especially the mentally challenged.
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A holistic society is presented in terms of having a genuine concern for the less fortunate in its midst. It is necessary to ensure that these persons have access to basic human rights such as decent housing, medical care and clothing. According to Ravenhill (2008), this is ensured through the development of sound social support policies by the government and implemented through partnering with the private sector. Statistics of a social survey conducted in America during 2008 revealed that there were approximately 600, 000 families that fell within this category. Of this figure, 1.35 million represented children while another survey conducted by the Disabled American Veteran Services showed that 200, 000 veterans fell within this cluster. In redressing this problem, the story of how Canada eradicated the problem is put into focus. The Canadian society found itself in the homelessness problem. The main stakeholders realized that they were sitting on a time bomb. So, they moved swiftly to control the problem. The same should apply now.
Through focusing on the benefits of solving the homelessness problem, I intend to persuade the key stakeholders to take action. In taking action, I call upon each stakeholder to play a role in their respective capacities. For instance, the media should publicize the problem. If the problem is solved, it is possible to rid the streets of the homeless, an aspect that would signal the existence of a developed society.
It is imperative to note that it is everyone’s desire to have a roof over his/her head irrespective of other societal challenges. Against this backdrop, emphasis needs to be placed on the provision of housing to the less fortunate within the society to restore their dignity. At the same time, it is important to underscore the pertinent fact that the majority of homeless people are faced with the challenge of normalizing their lives even after getting the much needed shelter. The need for holistic housing programs cannot be re-emphasized in this regard. One of the most commonly used housing options or the homeless within America according to Burt & Valente (2001) is transitional housing or emergency shelter scheme. In a nutshell, this program is founded on the premise that it is prudent to address the immediate housing need of the homeless as the basis for other subsequent support. Most notably, these housing options are complemented with the idea of providing the requisite support framework through which these people are enabled to return to their mainstream lives. Such services include: job training and financial training in addition to social training. In essence, the program is rolled out through the model of providing transitional housing from where the said trainings are done before these people are graduated to being assisted while they live in much affordable houses. This housing option has the obvious benefit of allowing homeless persons ample time to build their respective economic reserves, as well as, build their employment resumes. Such framework provides the much needed impetus towards the development of homeless persons to move into full market rate housing options. Some of the renowned providers of this housing option are Rescue Missions, The Salvation Army and Volunteers of America, amongst others.
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The other housing option for the homeless is the rented accommodation program that is implemented through the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme as is the case in Ireland. In order to be effective, this option is open to the single homeless persons with a priority being given to women. However, this option acts as a supplement to one’s low income, as far as, securing housing is concerned.
The settlement housing option is the third program that would greatly benefit the homeless people. The primary objective of this option is to provide long term housing solutions to the homeless and might involve relocation to new zones. It would be necessary to integrate this option with the provision of social trainings to enable the homeless fit into mainstream lives
I am calling upon the mentioned stakeholders through giving them information on the status of the problem to form a committee to handle the homelessness issue within the country. The committee should collect information on the problem. Such information should entail getting details in reference to the number of the affected people, as well as their wellness state. After that, the committee should get views from the homeless people in order to get a clearer picture on how to solve the issue. Upon such a deliberation, the committee will develop recommendations which it will forward to the stakeholders for consideration. This implies that the final decision is to be reached by the stakeholders. In taking any action, the stakeholders are to be guided by the facts and the promise of having a society that is free from the problem of homelessness.
