If not already apparent, these two chapters in the CQ Reader made it abundantly clear just how big of a problem there is with homelessness in this country. It has gotten to the point where it can no longer be ignored, or even downplayed; and it reached that point years ago. The numbers that were presented in these readings tell it all, especially the fact that one in every five homeless person is a child.

So we have come to the obviously conclusion that something must be done. However, that is the only easy part about this topic. Once you dive into the world of how to fix the homeless problem in America it becomes a lot more difficult to come to an easy and sound conclusion.

The main program that was addressed in the reading of chapter 9 was the Housing First approach. There are aspects of this plan that are, in fact, good ideas and will likely benefit a large number of families and people that are currently homeless in this country. However, despite that it can help some portion of the homeless population, for a large portion of it, this plan will not only not help but will harm.

There are many different reasons that a family or individual is forced into a homeless state; too numerous to mention. For many people that have no homes it is due to economical reasons: either housing prices got too high, they lost their job for the time being, etc. These are the type of people that Housing First should jump on; they are the ones that will benefit greatly from a program like these. Many times, people in this situation just needed a couple more months, or something around there, to be able to get back on their feet. That is what this program would give them the opportunity for; instead of forcing them to the street (or homeless shelters, or any other form of homelessness) too early and starting a change reaction that sees this family out of a home for years to come. On the other hand, there are just as many, if not more, people that giving a home to will accomplish nothing. These people are the ones who, for some reason or another, were actually their own cause for them being homeless and will possibly just slip right back into the same predicament they were in before. Regarding these people, help of a different kind is needed; we need to address the root of the problem, not give them another chance while hoping something new occurs that didn’t last time.