Ending Homelessness

P.1. In our country there are thousands of homeless people sleeping out on the streets, but over the past couple of years that number has significantly reduced due to organizations such as Common Ground and the 100,000 Homes Campaign. It costs us more money to keep these people out on the streets than to get them into a home, so we should be trying to get them all into homes. Some might end up turning to old habits, such as drug abuse, and end up back on the streets, but it is worth the try. Especially those who suffer from severe brain damage, which is a decent amount in the homeless community. Together we can end homelessness for good and put a stop to the suffering.

P.2. Having a brain injury is one of the reasons many of these people are homeless, and most of the community doesn’t know about it, they just assume they use all of their money for drugs and alcohol. In the “Street Level Solution” written by David Bornstein, doctor James O’Connell talks about how most homeless people have had a traumatic brain injury before they were homeless, and it resulted in erratic and explosive behavior causing them to lose their jobs and turn to alcohol to feel better.When they are living on the streets they are not getting the proper care and medications that they need, causing many of them to die. These programs are the first step in curing the homeless because they need a secure environment where they can get the proper care that they need. Not only are the homeless people who move into these homes getting a place to live, but they are also getting services to get them healthier and to help them get a job in the future.

P.3. The money that is being put into these programs to end homelessness are really helping and the statistics show the massive decrease in homeless people in the major cities. In “A Plan to Make Homeless History” also by David Bornstein, he says that already over 6,816 people have been housed and that the programs are gaining momentum. Getting them off the streets is benefiting the cities in America and it is costing the country less to do so also. “People who live on the streets tend to cycle through emergency rooms, addiction treatments, psychiatric care and jails” (Bornstein). The money we are using is going to good use instead of just wasting it on the people living in the streets. By giving them housing it is giving them a chance to start over and move their lives in the right direction.

P.4. Most of the homeless population have had a serious brain injury, a mental illness, or a life threatening disease. By getting them into a home, they are able to properly store their medications and can get the care that they need. It is proven that “Housing integrated with health care has been shown to be an effective and cost-saving intervention for homeless and unstably housed persons with serious health problems” (Open Doors). Housing is the first step to helping these homeless people, but the government and these programs also need to realize that some of these people need the proper medical attention, considering the fact that almost half of the homeless community has some sort of head injury. By getting them a place to live it is giving them the opportunity to take care of themselves properly and seek attention for their medical needs.

P.5. These chronically homeless people are at severe risk for dying without the proper attention. In the University of Glaslow research  “The study found that people who were homeless and who also sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) were more than twice as likely to die in the seven years between 2004-2010 as homeless people without such injuries over the same period” (Brain Injury and Homelessness). This shows that housing and proper medical care has a huge impact on these peoples lives and it could be a matter of life and death for them. To end homelessness for good we need to make sure that people are out on the streets making sure the homeless are getting the proper healthcare they need and that we can provide them homes or shelters to live comfortably. The causes of their homelessness need to be identified and used to make sure they are appropriately cared for depending on their health status.  Having a place to call home will help these people in the long run and hopefully be the break through to changing their lives for the better.

Works Cited

Bornstein, David. “A Plan to Make Homelessness History.” Https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/20/a-plan-to-make-homelessness-history/. N.p., 20 Dec. 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.

Bornstein, David. “The Street-Level Solution.” Https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/24/the-street-level-solution/?_r=0. N.p., 24 Dec. 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.

“Brain Injury and Homelessness.” Traumatic Brain Injury and Homelessness. The Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. <http://www.thedtgroup.org/foundation/brain-injury-and-homelessness/&gt;.

“Opening Doors.” The British Medical Journal 2.3264 (n.d.): 119-20. Fact Sheet Prevention. Usich.gov. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. <https://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/FactSheetPrevention.pdf&gt;.