Introduction
The largest vulnerable portion of Americans living in poverty consists of the homeless. The homeless have little wages and income to the extent that they cannot cover rent, among other necessities such as transportation, childcare, and medicine. America is the most affected country with men and women, families with children, seniors, and even veterans accounting for the portion (Brush, Gultekin, & Grim, 2016). There are often many causes of homelessness, depending on individual or family circumstances. Sometimes economic and societal forces, as well as services to promote stability, contribute to homelessness in America.
The homeless lose most of their possessions as they are uprooted from their homes. These people lack connections to friends, communities, and neighbors. Many emergency shelters, motels, and domestic violence shelters in places such as California prove the extent of homelessness and little efforts done to address the challenge (Peterson, Gundlapalli, Metraux, Carter, Palmer, Redd, & Fargo, 2015). The government and other responsible parties have little done even though the situation remains clearly visible through the tent encampments, cars, parks, and campgrounds used as shelters. Only a few regulations exist, yet the homeless are more likely to experience some traumatic events and violence even from the authorities such as being fined or arrested for loitering and panhandling.
The devastating effects of homelessness can be solved by improving the strategies used to address the issue. Among the best methods is drafting legislation that addresses homelessness and incorporating it with federal and state laws. The government and relevant authorities ought to understand that the effects of homelessness are daunting and can be long-lasting. Great physical and mental stress can be experienced by the homeless, yet the responsibility lies within the government (Cutts, Coleman, Black, Chilton, Cook, de Cuba, & Frank, 2015). Legislation that addresses health challenges, the conditions, and disabilities from the homeless could work for the better of the vulnerable populace.
American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2019 is among the best legislations to sort out the issue of homelessness in America. The impact of the bill is to create affordable housing through multiple investments, encouraging grants, and addressing discrimination cases. Even so, this bill has been unheard of many, yet it has the potential to curb the issue with homelessness. Additionally, the Basic Assistance for Students in College (BASIC) Act exists to reduce homelessness for college students. However, the situation is even worse despite having the bill in place. Even so, there could be free or subsidized housing arrangements as well as access to the basic services for students. Homeless Children and Youth Act could also improve cost burdens to the homeless services system. These legislations are suitable for the homeless if taken into consideration.
Conclusion
Some legislations are also being set up, including the Ending Homelessness Act of 2019, Ensuring Equal Access to Shelter Act of 2019, and Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act. Almost each of them relates to addressing the shortage of affordable housing in the American community. Such legislation could prevent homelessness through the different stages of life to adulthood. There is a potential to bolster federal and state efforts in addressing homelessness through these legislations, among others. The homeless account for a population with equal civil and human rights in America and ought to be protected. The homeless bill of rights and the anti-homeless legislation, therefore, ought to be taken with seriousness from a political perspective.
