Was it five years ago? Three years?
Sadly, I don't recall now. But whenever it was it was the first time
I really came across homelessness. Sure, there was always a problem
in the Cities. But never had we seen it to the extent we do now in
the suburbs. In my neighborhood there used to be a wooded area which
I drove by every day. What I didn't realize, until I was speaking to
a neighbor, was that in that area was a different world. A world of
struggle, a tent camp for those who had nowhere else to go. Well,
that area is gone now, stripped of its concealing trees and bushes to
make room for a townhouse development. But the issue has not gone
away. It has only moved. In my city we have more shelters for those
who need help. But those are only a band aid to a wound that goes
deeper.
Those who are living on the streets
aren't just addicts or the mentally ill. They are also those who
have become unemployed through downsizing or are trying to improve
their circumstances by going to school. They are struggling with
medical health issues or struggling to find affordable housing on a
minimum wage salary.
In Anaheim CA low wages and little
affordable housing:
In Minneapolis MN addiction:
Trying to find a better road in CA:
So far, other than a few local efforts,
I have seen little on a federal level that would address this growing
issue. In fact, most of Washington's policies seem set to exacerbate
the problem. A truly great nation takes care of its own.
