There is this strange notion held by
too many Americans, that somehow, the homeless are at fault for their
condition. For those that are alcohol and drug abusers, too many of us avoid
looking at the “why.” The hopelessness of knowing you are never going to find a
good job again. The escape from the pain of abuse and violence in a society
that seems only to be concerned for tax cuts for the rich.
For those who have jobs but have been
priced out of a hot housing market (read: New York, San Francisco, Seattle,
Miami, Washington DC, Los Angeles, etc., etc.), being close enough to work to
get there trumps any semblance of personal comfort. Or for those evicted in the
ugly process of gentrification. Perhaps to old, too disabled to find a way to
survive? And our absurd reliance on the criminal “justice” system to handle
droves of mentally ill trolling the streets for survival.
How about the children of parents
stuck into homelessness? Or the post-high school students, facing absurd
student loans, soaring tuition but knowing that without an education, they will
be left behind… with a choice between housing and education. Either or.
California, with money available from
various legislative and voter initiatives, struggles with a notion that only a
long-term housing solution will work. But long-term means that the homeless
around us goes only without hope… pending something, maybe, in the future,
fighting hostile neighborhoods and people with their own problems. New York’s
focus on the immediate, perhaps a function of its unforgiving weather, is on an
immediate solution: put a roof over their heads and feed them. But long term? What’s
the answer? It seems to elude us.
America is in transition, reflected
in the unreconcilable differences we call “polarization.” The “haves” want to
keep it or expand what they’ve got. The “recently had it” groups think that
they just have to turn the clock back and all will be well. The “never had it
and probably never will” have adjusted to the “other Amerika.” Upward mobility
has been relegated to the history books. Globalization and automation are
decimating not only the skillsets needed to make it these days but the very
value of human labor itself. There’s a lot of fear and anger out there, and
manipulative politicians, abetted by social media, are having a field day at
the expense of our very future.
The harm of dire poverty on the young
faced with that reality is often permanent and irreversible. Homeless children
fare much worse than their compatriots with stability and a roof over their
heads. Homeless children do worse in school, a harm that is cumulative over
time, leading to a cycle of dependence and poverty, perhaps desperate escape
through drugs or crime, that belittles us all. And it is getting worse fast.
The BBC.com (February 4th)
reports: “The number of homeless students in the US is the highest in more than
a decade according to a new study… Most of the 1.5 million homeless
schoolchildren stayed with other families or friends after losing their homes…But
7% lived in abandoned buildings or cars, the report by the National Centre for Homeless Education showed… It is often caused by
job insecurity, unaffordable housing, domestic violence and recently the opioid
crisis… Living without a fixed address has a seriously impact on children's
education and health.
“Less than a third of homeless
students were able to read adequately, and scored even lower in mathematics and
science, the report showed… ‘Homeless children are in crisis mode, and because
they don't have the luxury of focusing on school, they often fall behind,’
Amanda Clifford, of the National Youth Forum on Homelessness (NYFH), told the
BBC…
“Increasing rents and a housing
shortage has forced thousands of people in California to live in caravans or
inadequate housing… A changing economy, with factories closing down or the rise
of the insecure gig economy, also leaves parents unable to pay rent.
“The opioid crisis, in which almost
two million people are addicted to prescription drugs, is also causing some
families to break up or children to be removed from their homes.
“A disproportionate number of
homeless youth are LGBT, according to University of California Williams Institute... Nearly seven in 10 said that
family rejection was a major cause of becoming homeless, and abuse at home was
another major reason.
“What are the
solutions? … Most
experts say the solution lies in providing more housing at affordable rates, as
well as providing support to families who may be affected by trauma or
addiction.
“‘Addressing the immediate needs of
families is important - providing housing and the next month's rent. But beyond
that, people need to be supported after their crisis has ended,’ Ms Clifford,
of the NYFH, said… For example, that could include paying for car repairs, so a
parent can ensure they can travel to work.
“Tracking how children are performing
at school over a longer period of time is also important, Ms Clifford says,
because the impact of homelessness can continue even if a child is in stable
housing again.” If our economy is so damned good, why are the number of
homeless people increasing? Why does the Trump administration believe that cutting
the SNAP (food stamps) program, the student lunch programs, Medicaid and the
like are good ideas? Or reducing support to the elderly, who actually earned
these programs with hard cash contributions over their lifetimes, by cutting
Medicare and Social Security? Or making sure that these programs do not cover
medical costs that every older American face: vision care, dental and hearing
aids? Want a stock dividend instead?
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