Every day, walking from my dorm to my boyfriend's apartment I see homeless people. Sometimes they ask for money. Sometimes they have signs. Sometimes they are together along with their dogs and possessions. They are all ages and body types. Why is homelessness so prevalent and what is being done about it? All the articles I have read emphasize that homelessness does not only happen to the uneducated, lazy or drug addicts. Often homeless people (in fact 90% of women and children who are homeless according to the Daily of the UW) are the victims of abuse. They could also be just out of jail or foster care. King County has created a Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. This plan builds and buys housing units and funds homelessness relief programs. One program works with landlords and homeless people to establish and help fund housing agreements. Others encourage job training and education. According to the plan's website it has been effective. Homelessness rates have steadily fallen, making Seattle one of the only cities in the country where this is true. This plan is encouraging and apparently effective. One issue it does not address though is youth homelessness. According to an article in the Daily, though overall homelessnsess rates are falling, the number of youths on the streets is growing. In the U District this is certainly the case. Any evening one walks down the ave homeless young people are abundant. It is unsurprising that they would choose to live in an area with a large number of students, where people are used to kids hanging around. Essentially, everything comes back to education. If the state had better programs for funding post high school education for those who cannot afford it, there would be fewer homeless youths. Unless they are assisted by the state it will be exceedingly difficult for them to obtain an education and move off the street. The Ten Year Plan needs to adress these issues and help young people into schools.
Check out Homeless in Seattle - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Homeless-in-Seattle/172003812844870
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