How can anyone accomplish anything without having a home? Our homes are our security blankets, our private little corners that we can go to in order to re-charge, so that we can face the big world out there. Based on this outlook, everybody deserves a home, especially the child going home after a harrowing day at school. Those who don’t have a home because of adjustment problems such as drinking, drugs, or crime, will never make adequate progress without having a home. As such, after reading Peter Katel’s chapter on “Housing the Homeless” I firmly agree with the concept of “Housing First.”  This procedure allows for quickly placing individuals in housing and avoiding transitory homeless programs such as shelters. The author provides research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that children perform better in school, and that adults show better recovery and response to treatment when given a permanent home first. The economic issues that force individuals into public shelters take a long time to resolve; step one in this process is having a home. People need a stable shelter in order to build their confidence, make improvements in their lives, and develop within society. Placing the homeless in permanent housing and providing supportive services will give them a base from which they can begin to solve their life problems. Without a home base, there is no “home run” solution.

Related to having a home is movement out of undesirable domiciles, such as shelters, slums, and public projects, that discourage personal and social growth. The location and quality of a home is important because they help create an environment of hope. The article by Kenneth Jost on “Housing Discrimination” points out that in order to have fair housing the houses that people are placed in should be equivalent and that people should not be precluded from living in nicer neighborhoods, such as in suburbs, based on gender, racial, sexual, disability, or financial discrimination. Putting the homeless, the poor, minorities, or immigrant groups in poor neighborhoods, segregated from well-to-do white neighborhoods, keeps them from being exposed to the wealth of beauty, safety, and educational opportunities that are available in safer suburban areas. It should be the job of the government to ensure that people of all backgrounds can live together in any neighborhood, and to also ensure that all neighborhoods are well integrated. Laws such as HUD’s “Fair-Housing Rule” and the “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule” need to be implemented; the latter allows governmental funds to help improve the housing situations for desegregated poor and minority groups. Although historically there have been laws against housing discrimination based on religion, race or disability, these laws have not prevented the growth of segregated, exclusive neighborhoods. Instead, minorities have primarily been confined to poor and low income housing in poverty and high crime areas. These areas are often limited with regard to their access to good educational systems and jobs, thus preventing the growth of these individuals in society. Having a house to live in is a step up from homelessness, but it is not just the presence of a house but also the quality of the environment in which the house is placed that makes a difference. An integrated environment with opportunity for all is what is important in helping to create a safe home base in which to grow.