Author: rajvaidya

Over the years it seems that the wealth of those at the top of the economic ladder continues to steadily increase, while those stuck on the lower ends continue to stagnate. The argument has it that this unequal distribution of wealth can be traced back to corruption, a flawed taxation system, and other loopholes in our laws that favor the wealthy. I believe that removing these influences will certainly be a step in the right direction, but I also think that it’s important to recognize that total equality in terms of wealth can never be achieved in our country, lest we revert to communistic redistribution of wealth from person to person. As a consequence of our free market, capitalist economy, there will always be those who are richer and those who are poorer. However, our job as a nation is to do whatever we can ensure equal opportunity for all, and help create an environment that favors upwards mobility.

One major barrier in creating such an environment is education. It’s no secret that those who receive better education, namely college, tend to earn more in the future. However, college is an expensive institution, and so, as Piketty points out, “wealth… is a huge advantage in getting wealthier.” That said, one very important step we can take as a nation is to increase educational opportunity for those who do not earn enough to receive proper education. This may involve providing full tuition for low income students, or even counseling to help those in school stay in school. These efforts can be further supplemented by job training, employment centers, and other such governmental aide programs designed to help those stagnating in the lower income brackets. Simply adding more taxes on the rich, or even taxing them more “fairly” (despite the fact that the rich pay most of our taxes anyway), will either way be useless unless such programs are developed for the select purpose of increasing upwards mobility in the poor. In other words, instead of placing our efforts towards (at least exclusively) reducing the wealth of the rich, we should be more concerned with identifying the causes behind these cycles of poverty and take action to liberate people from it.

I was surprised by this week’s readings at seeing just how complex the issue of homelessness is. The reasons behind it are not necessarily limited to poverty alone as I once believed, with factors like education, mental illness, and drug abuse all playing a role. Therefore, while it’s clear that we must look for a long term solution to the problem, I’m also aware that there is no one panacea or cure all solution, especially given that the reasons behind homelessness can be so diverse and multifaceted.

The housing first initiative outlined in Peter Katel’s “Housing the Homeless” chapter represents a novel approach to the homelessness problem. It seeks to provide quick housing for individuals who have lost their homes in order to avoid shelters and other temporary settlements. While the concept is great, and will certainly be beneficial in helping those who have become homeless for economic reasons in getting back on their feet, it fails to address a huge portion of the homeless population that has become homeless for non-financial reasons. Those who suffer from mental illness, limited education, or other problems, for example, will still be unable to keep their houses once they get them, and so the cycle will continue. For this portion of the homeless population, a different kind of support system is needed. Services such as rehabilitation (for drug abusers), psychiatric care, and job training need to be offered in conjunction with proper housing in order to permanently end the cycle of homelessness for certain individuals.

While having a place to call home is extremely important, equally important is the quality of the neighborhood and area where one lives in. As is described in Kenneth Jost’s “Housing Discrimination” chapter, one-third of African Americans living in cities are in fact living in highly segregated neighborhoods. This is important in the context of homelessness because the neighborhood you live in dictates the opportunities you get, and, by extension, the socioeconomic status you occupy. Barring minorities from privileged white-only suburbs with superior school districts and other resources prevents them from attaining economic opportunities and being part of an environment that is conducive to employment and prosperity. Therefore, laws such as the Fair Housing rule must be enforced to ensure equality in housing practices.

A more active role by the government, especially with regards to addressing the diverse reasons behind homelessness and actively preventing housing discrimination through the aforementioned laws, may be able to affect significant changes in the state of homelessness within a matter of years. At the end of the day, having that safe space to call home is one of the most important humanistic needs, and with some planning and a solid approach we can empower homeless individuals to not only get their homes back but also to have the means necessary to keep them.