3 Reasons to Vote for Change

by Shannon Moriarty · 2008-11-04 05:18:00 UTC
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Shame on us.

In a country as prosperous as ours, we have let our homeless situation spiral out of control.

But today, we all have an opportunity to change this. We can elect a president who will end contemporary homelessness as we know it.

In 1949, Congress declared the National Housing Goal of providing "a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family." That was nearly sixty years ago. Today, homelessness is the symbol of our sour economy. Housing is the root cause of our economic decline and being house-less is how people are feeling the effects.

Here's a snapshot of what our national landscape looks like at the moment:

  1. Every major city in the United States has reported a rise in family homelessness.
    (No data is available for rural areas of the country, but these areas are being impacted by the same causal factors.) This reality is a stark contrast to the overly optimistic numbers the Bush Administration was touting this past July, claiming that homelessness had dropped 30 percent nationally. In reality, the overall impact of the Bush Administration's policies on homelessness in our country has been nothing short of shameful.

  2. Incomes are not keeping pace with the rising costs of housing.
    The costs of living have risen exponentially in the past decade... 65 percent, to be  exact. What's more, incomes are not keeping pace: homeowners have seen a 36 percent increase in income and 31 percent for renters. Add to the equation unpredictable job markets, a personal crisis (such as illness), or home that was already a bit pricey for your budget, and it's no wonder 61% of homeless service providers have seen an increase in homelessness.

  3. Everything you used to think about homeless people is wrong.
    In today's economy, nobody is immune to becoming homeless (if you think that's scary, then you're right). The face of homelessness has shifted to include more middle-class professionals, veterans, children, families, renters, and even family pets. As a result, shelters across the country are being struggling to meet the rising demand for services while coping with declining income (due to budget cuts and fewer charitable gifts).

Clearly, homelessness in America is much worse today than it was eight years ago.

Today, we can change this.

You can change this.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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