MTVAmerican Governments In California, there is currently a large homeless population. In the past years the number of homeless has increased, which is why it is an important issue. It is an issue that is constantly talked about in the media especially in state and local news. It is a critical issue in the state of California so much that officials have called it a crisis. The recent data reporting the number of those experiencing homelessness, on any given day in California, is 129,972 (U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2018). Homelessness can be caused by lack of housing, lack of income to afford housing and other factors such as health problems (National Alliance to End Homelessness). Historically, the cost of housing in California did not directly affect homelessness. However in recent years the increase in rent and housing accounts for the rise in homelessness.
This issue is partly due to the cost of housing in California . The cost of rent and housing is high and on the rise and this impacts the number of homeless people. Affordable housing is less available forcing people to live in the streets and face bad living conditions. Even with the help of federal and state housing projects, rental assistance programs, and efforts to establish more affordable housing, the homelessness crisis continue. Homelessness mainly effects those over the age of 24, however the number of homeless youth, even of those enrolled in school is alarming. Males showed higher rates of homelessness and did people of the White race. In California about 34,000 of the reported homelessness, were experiencing chronic homelessness (U.S HUD). The state views homelessness as a serious problem. This year, Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has dedicated 500 million dollars from the state budget to combat homelessness. Governors (Dillon, 2019). California state mayors, have pushed for more money to combat this issue locally. In Sacramento, Mayor Darrell Steinberg has strongly addressed homelessness by proposing temporary solutions such as new shelters. Others city officials do not agree with the amount of spending on homelessness due to the fact that no permanent solutions, like offering permanent housing, are resulting from the funding (Clift, 2019). Organizations are groups that are putting efforts towards reducing the number of homeless population in California. They believe that programs should be available to help the homeless and to provide the services which they need. Homelessness was not a main issue discussed in the presidential election. Presidential candidates chose to focus on other issues within the country.. The topic of affordable housing was however a topic of the presidential election. This issue was addressed by Hillary Clinton, however Donald Trump avoided making the issue a main priority. Homelessness was a main issue addressed in the California Governor election. Newly elected Governor Gavin Newsom has began efforts that would help the homeless. The recent 2018 California Governor election, where Gavin Newsom became Governor has impacted my issue. The governor has made addressing homelessness in California a priority. He has created a new commission named the commission on homelessness and supportive housing. This commission is led by the mayor of Sacramento Darrell Steinberg. Locally, aside from his new position, the fairly new mayor of Sacramento Darrell Steinberg has impacted the issue of homelessness in a positive way. This commission can serve as a long-term impact on homelessness because of its purpose to address homelessness. This commission is supported by California leaders that continue to work together throughout time to find solutions to decrease the homeless population. In the short term the elected state officials continue to work on creating temporary housing and shelters for the homeless, that are offered year round. It is still not clear if the 2020 election will have a impact on the issue of homelessness. However presidential candidates of the 2020 election, like senator of New Jersey Cory Booker, have the history of supporting bills that focus on efforts to reduce poverty. So far Cory Booker, is one of the only presidential candidates that has the bigger background in issues like poverty and homelessness.
0 Comments
MAAmerican Governments Were you ever taught as a little kid to look away from a homeless person to save you some empathy? I was. The question is why? Why would we be taught to look away from such a serious issue. We should be attacking this cruel problem head on. California’s homelessness population has grown a significant amount as housing prices continue to rise. This issue involves unsheltered and homeless individuals and has impacted many families all over the world. The homelessness issue includes not only people who can’t seem to afford to make ends meet, but also people with minimum wage jobs, parents, kids, the LGBTQ+ community, domestic partners, and more. There are many causes to the homelessness problem in the United States. Some involve domestic violence issues, lack of affordable housing, unemployment, poverty, low wages, substance abuse, un-supporting relatives, natural disasters, physical disabilities, mental illnesses and more. There are so many reasons as to why and how people end up living on the streets it’s hard to simply list them all. You never know where life is going to take you and it's crazy to even think how one person can go from having a home one day, to living on the streets the next.
It’s easy to blame a homeless person for their actions that led them to the streets, but the truth is, even people working minimum wage jobs at over 40 hours a week with no sick days or vacations, fall under what is considered to be the standard housing income. Homelessness needs to be addressed head on by ensuring jobs that pay a living wage, adequate support for those who cannot work, access to health care, and by ensuring affordable housing because there are way too many Californians who go to sleep homeless every night. A man went down to Los Angeles in Skid Row and asked homeless individuals about their concerns for the then upcoming 2016 presidential elections. A homeless woman named Katherine who is a registered nurse, was asked about what she thinks politicians should be focusing on in the election. She answers this question by stating that politicians should be focusing on programs that are helping students proceed their education so that they wouldn’t end up like her, at a homeless shelter. Another homeless woman states her concerns about politicians not emphasizing on low income housing. Several more homeless individuals talk about how they are too living in shelters even with a job, and emphasize employment concerns in the election. Homelessness comes with many horrific effects on those certain individuals. According to the article, "Causes and Effects of Homelessness" (July, 2007), homeless individuals encounter much more health problems than the average person. For example, they are more likely to suffer from Cold Injury, Cardio-Respiratory diseases, Tuberculosis, Skin diseases, Nutritional deficiencies, Sleep deprivation, Mental Illness, Physical, sexual assault, Drug dependency, Mortality and HIV/AIDS. Homeless individuals not only suffer from health issues but they also suffer from loss of self-esteem, becoming institutionalized, increase in substance misuse, loss of ability and will to care for oneself, increased danger of abuse and violence, increased chance of entering the criminal justice system and development of behavioral problems. This is something that should not be ignored any longer. We as a nation need to find a way to help decrease the homelessness population in the country. The election was not really talked about by either presidential candidate in the 2016 election and here is why. According to Joel John Robert’s article “Reasons Why Homelessness Is Not Discussed in the 2016 Presidential Election”, he states reasons as to why homelessness is not talked about by the presidential candidates. Robert states one of the reasons is because blame is mostly always directed toward the homeless individuals. It is so easy for a person to say that homeless individuals are at fault for their “actions” that led them to where they are. Presidential candidates in this case do not want to lose those voters who will initially get upset at the fact that a president would find empathy in these individuals. Another reason as to why presidential candidates don’t talk about the homelessness issue is because the delegate math doesn’t add up. Although this serious issue was not talked about by any presidential candidate, the problem of homelessness in the United States was definitely talked about in the 2018 midterm elections. The House and the Senate both suggested that tax legislation was presenting an opportunity to advance provisions from The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act. One third of the House signed on to support the act. The bipartisan legislation addressed the nations severe shortage of affordable and rental housing by strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. They presented us with Proposition 1 and 2 which were long term investments to increase housing for those who need it the most. Proposition 1 would authorize $4 Billion in bonds to build affordable housing for veterans. Proposition 2 would allow use for existing mental health funding to build supportive housing for homeless people suffering from mental illnesses. Luckily, both of these props were voted yes to Californians. JGAmerican Governments In 2014, approximately 37% of the homeless population consisted of families rather than individuals (Donley et al, 2017). In 2008, 81% of adults in homeless families were women (Welch-Lazoritz et al, 2015). Why is this a gendered issue? One might speculate on the unequal societal expectations placed on women as caretakers. In more measurable terms, studies have shown that 50% of homeless mothers are fleeing domestic violence (Guo et al. 2016). After fleeing, many women face prohibitive housing costs and a lack of social housing programs. This is especially true in expensive major cities. For example, in 2013, New York City and Los Angeles recorded the highest numbers nationally, at approximately 39,600 and 6,600 individuals in homeless families, respectively (Biel et al, 2014). The concentrated population of homeless families in these cities is evidence that although this is a national issue, the impact is localized. The most obvious infrastructural solutions to overall homelessness (like affordable housing) are likely to be addressed on a city or state level. However, economic assistance that is particularly beneficial to single mothers can also be found at the federal level.
How can individual cities address this issue? A common method is the implementation of emergency shelters for temporary assistance. Unfortunately, lack of access to laundry, bathing facilities, recreational spaces, and basic privacy along with lack of sufficient training for shelter employees can make emergency shelters unsuitable to the demands of childcare (Biel et al, 2014). Additionally, homeless mothers often struggle with substance use disorders, parenting, and physical and mental health problems (Guo et al. 2016). These issues greatly increase the difficulty in attaining economic security. A temporary emergency shelter may not provide the stability needed to overcome this obstacle. That isn’t to say that emergency shelters are totally ineffective, or that they should be done away with. Certainly, they have been a crucial safety net for many individuals and families in a transitory state of homelessness. But what measures can be taken to decrease family homelessness in the first place? Any sort of financial downturn can quickly result in the inability to afford housing for a family without savings. Reducing instances of family homelessness must involve alleviating the financial burdens for parents. This could be related to increasing overall state wages or providing affordable childcare. The clearest and most direct step, however, would be affordable housing. The Affordable Care Act provides some insight into the financial significance of federal programs for single mothers. For example, unmarried women experienced a 20% relative increase in private insurance coverage for childbirth under the ACA (Sofer, 2018). Of course, social welfare and federal tax increases are met with significant opposition. Additionally, some might see homelessness among veterans as a more pressing issue. Statistics for homelessness among veterans are dismal and deserve urgent attention. Luckily, many forms of assistance, like affordable housing, can be beneficial to multiple groups. As for support of federal welfare programs, opinions seem to be largely political. In an era of hyper-partisanship, it is important that we learn to investigate the impact of policies based on facts and data. The well-being of homeless women and children does not involve political affiliation. Election Impact: Although housing costs were a major issue in the recent elections in California, the narrative tended to highlight veterans and people with mental health issues rather than homeless mothers. For example, Proposition 2 was passed to allow California’s mental health funds to be allocated towards housing for the homeless. This will likely have a positive impact on homeless mothers, since many have mental health issues. However, a more focused campaign to provide, assistance for homeless women and children may result in more direct legislation. For example, social housing programs that prioritize homeless mothers could be a next step. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg has proposed a $40.5 million plan to fund shelters with a total of 781 beds, including a 54-bed shelter for women and children (Clift, 2019). This shows Steinberg’s awareness of homeless families and is an appropriate form of short-term assistance. It is unclear at this point whether Steinberg’s proposal will have support of the City Council. California Governor Gavin Newsom focused on the high cost of living during his 2018 campaign. During his term, the minimum wage is expected to continue to steadily increase to 15. He also campaigned on affordable housing and childcare, which are core issues for family homelessness. Federal funding for programs in California is less promising with a conservative President and Senate who are not likely to make accommodations for the liberal government in California. However, the 2018 midterm elections resulted in a new majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives. This is especially significant because the House is responsible for the passage of appropriation bills, which regulate government spending. This may work to limit punitive legislation from less California-friendly parts of the federal government. Many of the Democratic candidates for the 2020 Presidential election support Medicare for all. Like the ACA, this may provide a social safety net with a positive impact on single mothers. MTAmerican Governments In California, there is currently a large homeless population. In the past years the number of homeless has increased, which is why it is an important issue. It is an issue that is constantly talked about in the media especially in state and local news. It is a critical issue in the state of California so much that officials have called it a crisis. The recent data reporting the number of those experiencing homelessness, on any given day in California, is 129,972 (U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2018). Homelessness can be caused by lack of housing, lack of income to afford housing and other factors such as health problems (National Alliance to End Homelessness). Historically, the cost of housing in California did not directly affect homelessness. However in recent years the increase in rent and housing accounts for the rise in homelessness.
This issue is partly due to the cost of housing in California . The cost of rent and housing is high and on the rise and this impacts the number of homeless people. Affordable housing is less available forcing people to live in the streets and face bad living conditions. Even with the help of federal and state housing projects, rental assistance programs, and efforts to establish more affordable housing, the homelessness crisis continue. Homelessness mainly effects those over the age of 24, however the number of homeless youth, even of those enrolled in school is alarming. Males showed higher rates of homelessness and did people of the White race. In California about 34,000 of the reported homelessness, were experiencing chronic homelessness (U.S HUD). The state views homelessness as a serious problem. This year, Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has dedicated 500 million dollars from the state budget to combat homelessness. Governors (Dillon, 2019). California state mayors, have pushed for more money to combat this issue locally. In Sacramento, Mayor Darrell Steinberg has strongly addressed homelessness by proposing temporary solutions such as new shelters. Others city officials do not agree with the amount of spending on homelessness due to the fact that no permanent solutions, like offering permanent housing, are resulting from the funding (Clift, 2019). Organizations are groups that are putting efforts towards reducing the number of homeless population in California. They believe that programs should be available to help the homeless and to provide the services which they need. Homelessness was not a main issue discussed in the presidential election. Presidential candidates chose to focus on other issues within the country.. The topic of affordable housing was however a topic of the presidential election. This issue was addressed by Hillary Clinton, however Donald Trump avoided making the issue a main priority. Homelessness was a main issue addressed in the California governor election. Newly elected governor Gavin Newsom has began efforts that would help homeless. The recent 2018 California governor election, where Gavin Newsom became governor has impacted my issue. The governor has made addressing homelessness in California a priority. He has created a new commission named the commission on homelessness and supportive housing. This commission is led by the mayor of Sacramento Darrell Steinberg. Locally, aside from his new position, the fairly new mayor of Sacramento Darrell Steinberg has impacted the issue of homelessness in a positive way. This commission can serve as a long-term impact on homelessness because of its purpose to address homelessness. This commission is supported by California leaders that continue to work together throughout time to find solutions to decrease the homeless population. In the short term the elected state officials continue to work on creating temporary housing and shelters for the homeless, that are offered year round. It is still not clear if the 2020 election will have an impact on the issue of homelessness. However presidential candidates of the 2020 election, like senator of New Jersey Cory Booker, have the history of supporting bills that focus on efforts to reduce poverty. So far Cory Booker, is one of the only presidential candidates that has the bigger background in issues like poverty and homelessness. |
AuthorUndergraduate student generated content. Blog posting and updating done by Kristina Flores Victor, Assistant Professor of Political Science at CSUS Archives
March 2020
Categories
All
|