Move On!
by Alexandra Flegle
Age 17
Dallas, Texas
The scene being played out in Dallas, Texas is a familiar one. There are 4,000 homeless in Dallas and 300 of them are now living in “Tent City,” an encampment on the southern edge of downtown. In the last month, two people were killed at Tent City and the city now plans to shut it down. But, what will happen to the residents and where they will go, are still open questions. Homelessness, I have learned, does not lend itself to easy answers.
As a result of my research, I have learned that the issues related to homelessness are complex, systemic and chronic. No one chooses to be homeless. But, as a result of various causes people end up there and often cannot get themselves out. The biggest cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing. Over the last 50 years there has been a steady decrease in low income housing (Wasserman 80). At the same time, the cost of housing has gone up. In 1975, the average cost of a new home was $40,000; today it is $250,000 (www.census.gov). In the last year alone, the average cost has increased 4% nationwide, and in places like Dallas, the increase was 8% (Standard & Poor’s, Case-Shiller Home Price Index).
Another frequent cause of homelessness is unemployment. Over the last 50 years, American companies have outsourced jobs to other countries, and wages have not kept up with inflation. Often the homeless lack identification, have a criminal record or health issues making employment harder (Wasserman 80). And the tasks attendants to being homeless, like qualifying for a place to sleep, also interfere with employment (LaMarche 24). Contrary to the stereotype, it is estimated that around 45% of homeless people have a job (Urban Institute study; National Coalition for the Homeless study). But often their work is temporary and low paying (Wasserman 83). Yet, another cause of homelessness is the decline in support services. Lack of heath care and encounters with the criminal justice system (even minor ones), can throw a person into homelessness (Wasserman 80). One homeless person said that his wife got sick and because they did not have health care, their life spiraled out of control. Another, a widow, said she became homeless after spending all her money trying to help her veteran son, who eventually died of a heroin overdose. A third said he lost everything after the company he had worked for 30 years laid him off.
Just as there is no one path to homelessness, there is no one path out of homelessness. But, there are some solutions that can help. Here are my ideas: First, we must build more long term supportive housing for the homeless. Dallas is building one such community of 50 modest “cottages” (each 400 square feet in size) called “The Cottages at Hickory Crossing.” The Hickory Crossing community is expected to provide not only housing, but also on-site social services to help transition the residents. We need more communities like this.
Also, we should create a “Job Corp” to employ the homeless. Similar to the Civilian Conservation Corp of the 1930’s, the homeless can work for the common good. It is estimated that we spend $40,000 a year in social services on each homeless person (Moorhead, Molly). If instead, we used this money to provide a job, shelter, food and a small stipend, some of the homeless could get back on their feet. As one homeless man put it: “When a man has a job, he has self-worth.”
Next, we need better coordination among the various charities and agencies. In some respects, these organizations are competing or duplicating work. There should be a greater sharing of information and coordinating among these groups, using an on-line tools like Dropbox, where files on each homeless person can be created and filled with information about their history, needs, conditions, and a recording of what each agency is doing.
Fourthly, we need to do a better job of educating people about homelessness. A lot of people believe that all the homeless people are all addicts, mentally ill or lazy, or that they are on the street because they want to be, but these generalizations are simply not true. Yet, because of these stereotypes many people avoid the homeless, or turn a blind eye when they see them on the street. To change this we need to educate the public through a series of YouTube documentaries and TED talks featuring the homeless telling their personal stories, how they became homeless, and why they are homeless.
In conclusion, we need to give the homeless the dignity they deserve. The homeless did not choose to become homeless and we should not shame them because of their unfortunate circumstances. If everyone in my community could meet some of the homeless people in our area, like I have over the last few weeks, we would all recognize that these people are fathers, sons, grandmothers and aunts. They are educated, skilled, talented kind, respectful and thankful. They are humans who deserve our respect and support. The residents of Dallas’ Tent City will be leaving soon due to Dallas city council wanting to move them to the cottages the city of Dallas has built. Like many other cities, Dallas has told them to “move on”, but unless we address the underlying issues of homelessness, we are just delaying the problems of Tent City, not solving it.
Bibliography
Age 17
Dallas, Texas
The scene being played out in Dallas, Texas is a familiar one. There are 4,000 homeless in Dallas and 300 of them are now living in “Tent City,” an encampment on the southern edge of downtown. In the last month, two people were killed at Tent City and the city now plans to shut it down. But, what will happen to the residents and where they will go, are still open questions. Homelessness, I have learned, does not lend itself to easy answers.
As a result of my research, I have learned that the issues related to homelessness are complex, systemic and chronic. No one chooses to be homeless. But, as a result of various causes people end up there and often cannot get themselves out. The biggest cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing. Over the last 50 years there has been a steady decrease in low income housing (Wasserman 80). At the same time, the cost of housing has gone up. In 1975, the average cost of a new home was $40,000; today it is $250,000 (www.census.gov). In the last year alone, the average cost has increased 4% nationwide, and in places like Dallas, the increase was 8% (Standard & Poor’s, Case-Shiller Home Price Index).
Another frequent cause of homelessness is unemployment. Over the last 50 years, American companies have outsourced jobs to other countries, and wages have not kept up with inflation. Often the homeless lack identification, have a criminal record or health issues making employment harder (Wasserman 80). And the tasks attendants to being homeless, like qualifying for a place to sleep, also interfere with employment (LaMarche 24). Contrary to the stereotype, it is estimated that around 45% of homeless people have a job (Urban Institute study; National Coalition for the Homeless study). But often their work is temporary and low paying (Wasserman 83). Yet, another cause of homelessness is the decline in support services. Lack of heath care and encounters with the criminal justice system (even minor ones), can throw a person into homelessness (Wasserman 80). One homeless person said that his wife got sick and because they did not have health care, their life spiraled out of control. Another, a widow, said she became homeless after spending all her money trying to help her veteran son, who eventually died of a heroin overdose. A third said he lost everything after the company he had worked for 30 years laid him off.
Just as there is no one path to homelessness, there is no one path out of homelessness. But, there are some solutions that can help. Here are my ideas: First, we must build more long term supportive housing for the homeless. Dallas is building one such community of 50 modest “cottages” (each 400 square feet in size) called “The Cottages at Hickory Crossing.” The Hickory Crossing community is expected to provide not only housing, but also on-site social services to help transition the residents. We need more communities like this.
Also, we should create a “Job Corp” to employ the homeless. Similar to the Civilian Conservation Corp of the 1930’s, the homeless can work for the common good. It is estimated that we spend $40,000 a year in social services on each homeless person (Moorhead, Molly). If instead, we used this money to provide a job, shelter, food and a small stipend, some of the homeless could get back on their feet. As one homeless man put it: “When a man has a job, he has self-worth.”
Next, we need better coordination among the various charities and agencies. In some respects, these organizations are competing or duplicating work. There should be a greater sharing of information and coordinating among these groups, using an on-line tools like Dropbox, where files on each homeless person can be created and filled with information about their history, needs, conditions, and a recording of what each agency is doing.
Fourthly, we need to do a better job of educating people about homelessness. A lot of people believe that all the homeless people are all addicts, mentally ill or lazy, or that they are on the street because they want to be, but these generalizations are simply not true. Yet, because of these stereotypes many people avoid the homeless, or turn a blind eye when they see them on the street. To change this we need to educate the public through a series of YouTube documentaries and TED talks featuring the homeless telling their personal stories, how they became homeless, and why they are homeless.
In conclusion, we need to give the homeless the dignity they deserve. The homeless did not choose to become homeless and we should not shame them because of their unfortunate circumstances. If everyone in my community could meet some of the homeless people in our area, like I have over the last few weeks, we would all recognize that these people are fathers, sons, grandmothers and aunts. They are educated, skilled, talented kind, respectful and thankful. They are humans who deserve our respect and support. The residents of Dallas’ Tent City will be leaving soon due to Dallas city council wanting to move them to the cottages the city of Dallas has built. Like many other cities, Dallas has told them to “move on”, but unless we address the underlying issues of homelessness, we are just delaying the problems of Tent City, not solving it.
Bibliography
- LaMarche, Pat. Left out in America: The State of Homelessness in the United States. Portland, Me.: UpalaPress, 2006. Print.
- Moorhead, Molly. "HUD Secretary Says a Homeless Person Costs Taxpayers $40,000 a Year." @politifact. Tampa Bay Times, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 26 Mar. 2016.
- Wasserman, Jason Adam., and Jeffrey M. Clair. At Home on the Street: People, Poverty, and a Hidden Culture of Homelessness. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2010. Print.
- "www.census.gov." Census.gov. U.S. Department of Commerce, 2016. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
About the Author
Alexandra Flegle is a rising Senior at Ursuline Academy of Dallas. She is passionate about social change and helping those less fortunate. Alexandra achieved the coveted Gold Award from the Girl Scouts of America. Her project created an additional class room for Mi Escuelita, a program providing pre-K to children from families with limited English proficiency. Alexandra is also an avid reader and accomplished writer. In addition to the Homeless Awareness Essay award, she is a 2015 winner of the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation Essay Contest. Alexandra hopes to one day be a doctor.
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