Proposal
In 2009, the metro Phoenix, Arizona area had more than 2,000 homeless people
in the area. Among these people are families, army veterans, people with
disabilities, and youth. Today that amount as increased by 20% and it will only
keep increasing if their isn't a plan to stop homelessness. In 2006 Flagstaff
and Phoenix were numbers 10 and 17 in the top 20 meanest cities in America for
homeless people. We should build more homeless shelters in the Maricopa County
because there is not enough space in the shelters that are already present.
Flagstaff and Phoenix were numbers 10 and 17 in the top 20 meanest cities in
America for homeless people. By building more shelters it will decrease the
amount of people living on the streets and give them a chance to start finding a
permanent place to live. Having these shelters will also decrease the amount of
theft and violence. If this problem is not solved then more and more people will
be polluting the streets because there is not enough room in the shelters.
In order to build more shelters we need to make more room for some and
obtain money for them. In Flagstaff their plan was to dedicate a three acre lot
for a shelter but they didn't know how they would get the money to do that. The
previous cuts to the Homeless Prevention Program have already down sized the
program by 75%. In 2009 there was almost a 15 percent budget cut from the
housing program. If this budget cut was made they wouldn't have been able to
tend to the homeless during the harsh weather conditions. One million dollars
would have been taken out of the budget which meant nearly 200 people would not
have been able to get help. In Tempe, people in the community have been having
annual concerts to raise money for the homeless so they can build shelters and
buy blankets, food, and clothes for them. In order to build atleast two new
shelters in Maricopa County the goverment is going to have to keep the budget as
it is and add another one million dollars to it.
There are many benefits to building more shelters. These shelters will give
people a safe place to go to when they don't have any where to go. Since they
would have a place to stay they would not have to worry about where they are
sleeping the next night and just focus on finding a job or getting an education.
In Tempe, the Tempe pilot program and the Sun United Way
have banded together to tackle homelessness head on. They help homeless
individuals get their life back on track by helping them find a job or get them
back in school. In 2010 they had helped thirteen individuals get a roof over
their head through the program. With more programs like this more of the
homeless can gain a permanent roof over their heads.
Another benefit to building these shelters is that the amount of violence,
theft, and loitering will decrease. There are now strict loitering laws in
Arizona that say you will be charged if you are present in a
public place and solicit sex, in a transportation facility (bus stop, train
station) attempting to sell something despite being asked to cease, beg in
public for money gamble in an unauthorized area, and are present in a school or
on the grounds of any educational institution with no legitimate business after
being asked to leave. These are mostly targeted to the homeless. With more
shelters being built less of the homeless will be sent to jail saving millions
of dollars that would've been spent on them for staying in a cell. In the
article, "In Arizona's outlying areas, homeless find little shelter", Mark
Shaffer talks about how there are problems with the homeless stealing food from
different businesses.
The homeless won't have a need to steal anything to
help them to survive because they will have their essentials at the shelters.
With this decrease in violence and loitering the government will save a lot of
money because less people will be going to jail. This money can be used for
other things like the building of more shelters.
Even though people believe that there are enough shelters and that we should
be using the the money for something else, this is not true. Every year
thousands of people are becoming homeless which leads to shelters filling up and
not having enough space for everyone. Many people also believe that it is that
persons fault that they are homeless and that we should not be helping them. In
the article "Down and Out; Arizona's Homeless" Traci Robertson states,
"
Not all homeless people are drunks and drug addicts. Plus,
consider the fact that drunks and drug addicts need a chance at life just as
much as you and me
". Robertson makes a valid
point. Some people are born into a financially unstable family and can't help
that.
In Tempe, a homeless man named Marty Moritz was
given a second chance by the Tempe Pilot Program. He struggled with alcoholism
as a teen and couldn't keep a steady job. Now in his fifties he is getting a
second chance at life. Programs like the Tempe Pilot Program are helping
homeless people start fresh and that's by helping them at the shelters. With
more shelters more people can be helped just like Moritz.
We need to start taking action now to raise money to build these shelters.
Everyday more and more people are becoming homeless and they can't survive on
the streets. Funding for programs such as the Homeless Prevention Program and
the Tempe Pilot Program need to be increased so the homeless can get help
immediatly. Everybody can do something to help the homeless as well. Donating,
volunteering, or becoming an advocate can advance the efforts of preventing
homelessness.
in the area. Among these people are families, army veterans, people with
disabilities, and youth. Today that amount as increased by 20% and it will only
keep increasing if their isn't a plan to stop homelessness. In 2006 Flagstaff
and Phoenix were numbers 10 and 17 in the top 20 meanest cities in America for
homeless people. We should build more homeless shelters in the Maricopa County
because there is not enough space in the shelters that are already present.
Flagstaff and Phoenix were numbers 10 and 17 in the top 20 meanest cities in
America for homeless people. By building more shelters it will decrease the
amount of people living on the streets and give them a chance to start finding a
permanent place to live. Having these shelters will also decrease the amount of
theft and violence. If this problem is not solved then more and more people will
be polluting the streets because there is not enough room in the shelters.
In order to build more shelters we need to make more room for some and
obtain money for them. In Flagstaff their plan was to dedicate a three acre lot
for a shelter but they didn't know how they would get the money to do that. The
previous cuts to the Homeless Prevention Program have already down sized the
program by 75%. In 2009 there was almost a 15 percent budget cut from the
housing program. If this budget cut was made they wouldn't have been able to
tend to the homeless during the harsh weather conditions. One million dollars
would have been taken out of the budget which meant nearly 200 people would not
have been able to get help. In Tempe, people in the community have been having
annual concerts to raise money for the homeless so they can build shelters and
buy blankets, food, and clothes for them. In order to build atleast two new
shelters in Maricopa County the goverment is going to have to keep the budget as
it is and add another one million dollars to it.
There are many benefits to building more shelters. These shelters will give
people a safe place to go to when they don't have any where to go. Since they
would have a place to stay they would not have to worry about where they are
sleeping the next night and just focus on finding a job or getting an education.
In Tempe, the Tempe pilot program and the Sun United Way
have banded together to tackle homelessness head on. They help homeless
individuals get their life back on track by helping them find a job or get them
back in school. In 2010 they had helped thirteen individuals get a roof over
their head through the program. With more programs like this more of the
homeless can gain a permanent roof over their heads.
Another benefit to building these shelters is that the amount of violence,
theft, and loitering will decrease. There are now strict loitering laws in
Arizona that say you will be charged if you are present in a
public place and solicit sex, in a transportation facility (bus stop, train
station) attempting to sell something despite being asked to cease, beg in
public for money gamble in an unauthorized area, and are present in a school or
on the grounds of any educational institution with no legitimate business after
being asked to leave. These are mostly targeted to the homeless. With more
shelters being built less of the homeless will be sent to jail saving millions
of dollars that would've been spent on them for staying in a cell. In the
article, "In Arizona's outlying areas, homeless find little shelter", Mark
Shaffer talks about how there are problems with the homeless stealing food from
different businesses.
The homeless won't have a need to steal anything to
help them to survive because they will have their essentials at the shelters.
With this decrease in violence and loitering the government will save a lot of
money because less people will be going to jail. This money can be used for
other things like the building of more shelters.
Even though people believe that there are enough shelters and that we should
be using the the money for something else, this is not true. Every year
thousands of people are becoming homeless which leads to shelters filling up and
not having enough space for everyone. Many people also believe that it is that
persons fault that they are homeless and that we should not be helping them. In
the article "Down and Out; Arizona's Homeless" Traci Robertson states,
"
Not all homeless people are drunks and drug addicts. Plus,
consider the fact that drunks and drug addicts need a chance at life just as
much as you and me
". Robertson makes a valid
point. Some people are born into a financially unstable family and can't help
that.
In Tempe, a homeless man named Marty Moritz was
given a second chance by the Tempe Pilot Program. He struggled with alcoholism
as a teen and couldn't keep a steady job. Now in his fifties he is getting a
second chance at life. Programs like the Tempe Pilot Program are helping
homeless people start fresh and that's by helping them at the shelters. With
more shelters more people can be helped just like Moritz.
We need to start taking action now to raise money to build these shelters.
Everyday more and more people are becoming homeless and they can't survive on
the streets. Funding for programs such as the Homeless Prevention Program and
the Tempe Pilot Program need to be increased so the homeless can get help
immediatly. Everybody can do something to help the homeless as well. Donating,
volunteering, or becoming an advocate can advance the efforts of preventing
homelessness.