FREE ESSAY ON HOMELESSNESS

HOMELESSNESS

"Over the past year, over two million men, women, and children were homeless" in America.
(NLCHP) Homeless people face an intense struggle just to stay alive despite the fact that
society turns its head from the problem. The government makes laws that discriminate
against homeless people, which make it, illegal for them to survive. The mistreatment of
homeless people is an issue that is often ignored in our community.
When you see a homeless person on the streets how do you react? Do you turn your head and
ignore them? Do you become angry that they are living on the streets? Do you feel
frightened and avoid the situation all together? Or do you see these people as human
beings and treat them in that way? Homeless people are "subjected to alienation and
discrimination by mainstream society". (NLCHP) Most alienation and discrimination comes
from the lack of education about homeless people. 
There are numerous untrue myths about homeless people. Many people believe that homeless
people "commit more violent crimes than housed people." (NLCHP) The reality is that
homeless 
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people actually commit less violent crimes than people with homes do. Dr. Pamela Fischer,
of John Hopkins University, studied arrest records in Baltimore and discovered that even
though homeless people were more likely to commit non-violent and non-destructive crimes,
they were less likely to commit violent crimes against people. (NLCHP) The crimes that
these people are committing are necessary to keep them alive. These crimes include
sleeping, eating, and panhandling. Making it illegal to perform necessary daily
activities in public when homeless people have no where else to go makes it impossible
for homeless people to avoid violating the law. (NLCHP)
Another myth about homeless people is that they do not work and that they get their money
from public assistance programs. A study done in Chicago discovered that "39% of homeless
people interviewed had worked for some time during the previous month". (NLCHP) Many of
the people who do not work are actively trying to find jobs, but are discriminated
against by the work force. In an interview done at the River Street Homeless Shelter I
found many people who have experienced this discrimination. "People can't get a job
without an address. When they use the shelter's address they get turned down." (Mike)
Speaking from experience, Mike and other homeless people feel that "the second you put
down the shelter's address, they turn you away." (Rick) Many other 
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homeless people cannot find jobs because they are handicapped or have unstable minds.
Those people often try to earn money by selling jewelry or panhandling. This is also
illegal. Between the work force and the laws that the government creates, it is
impossible for a homeless person to support his or herself. 
There are many other laws that also discriminate against homeless people. In "liberal"
Berkeley the city council voted to make illegal the following actions; sitting on a
sidewalk, asking for change near an ATM or parking meter, asking for change after dark,
holding a cup, ect. (Ott 18) Also, Santa Cruz currently has a camping ban that prohibits
having sleeping materials on the ground between certain hours. Jim, a homeless person in
Santa Cruz has seen people with "guns drawn on them, mace sprayed in their face, and
hands broken" because they were camping in the woods. (Jim) These rules make it illegal
to sleep in the United States. Jim feels that they are using these bans against the
homeless to "try and run them out of town". (Jim) 
Many of these laws that discriminate against homeless people are in direct violation of
the constitution. The first amendment says that "Congress shall make no law... abridging
the freedom of speech." (Constitution) Making it illegal for homeless people to ask for
money limits their right of free speech. The National Law Center on Homelessness and
Poverty released a report about 
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homeless children attending school. Homeless children are often denied their right to
attend public schools because of residency requirements. Also, for many homeless
children, it is impossible for them to obtain birth certificates and immunization
requirements needed to attend public school. This is a violation of the federal law
guaranteeing equal access to public education. In many cases, separate schools are
created for homeless children. These schools are not taught by certified teachers, do not
follow the same curriculum other public schools, group children of different ages and
grade levels in the same classrooms, and do not provide special programs and activities
available in other public schools. "The segregation and inadequate education of homeless
children in itself violates state, federal, and international law". (NLCHP)
Besides the problems homeless people face with the law, they are also disturbed by their
communities. While interviewing at the River Street Homeless Shelter I found that many
homeless people have experienced hate crimes and mistreatment because they live on the
streets. When I asked one man how he usually spends his days he replied, "I get beat up".
(Anonymous) Another homeless man said, "People blow us off like we're not humans... we
paid taxes once...we had homes, families, and cars too." (Rick) Many homeless people hide
in the mountains because they 
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do not want to face the exploitation. It is difficult to understand how society can be so
heartless when dealing with these people. All of the people I interviewed felt
misunderstood by the world. Rick said, "You have to come out and join us on the streets
before you can pass judgment...then people will realize what we're going through."
(Rick)
There are some organizations that aid the homeless. The River Street Homeless Shelter and
Human Resource Agency have dinners and showers available seven days a week. Shelter
availability is a more difficult obstacle to overcome. "What the shelters really need are
funding for year round shelters" that have beds available for more people to sleep in.
(Rick) The Human Resource Agency also has programs such as employment training, childcare
services, medical programs, food stamp programs, veteran's service programs, and aid to
families with dependent children. (Human Resource Agency)
Although these programs do assist the homeless, they still have many needs. It all starts
with the attitudes of the people in the community. Homeless people need to be treated
with the respect of any other human being. When they are ignored while asking for money
it is mentally damaging. People need to have enough courtesy to at least acknowledge
their existence. Communities need to be more educated about the issues surrounding 
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homelessness. Education on homelessness would lead to more involvement in aiding the
people. One organization that is extremely easy to become a part of is Food Not Bombs. I
have worked with Food Not Bombs groups in Los Angeles and Monterey. What they do is find
donations of food that would be thrown away by companies who discard large quantities of
food. It is estimated that 26% of edible food is wasted. They cook the vegan food and
serve it in a public place. This not only feeds hungry people, but supports political
activism. "Food Not Bombs is committed to building a vital and caring movement for
progressive social change and to challenging the invisible barrier that separates the
poor and homeless from a so-called 'normal' society." (SCN)
With so many misunderstandings on homelessness it is hard to determine exactly where the
problem begins and how to solve it. Jeff Ott, a former homeless man, concluded that 
There is one fundamental reason that people are homeless. This is the idea of the Earth
belonging to an individual or group of individuals...you cannot pick it up and take it.
When you die you don't retain it. It is not really someone's possession because they
write, 'this is mine' on a piece of paper. (Ott 16)
Homeless people are discriminated against in every way they 
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possibly can be. The community needs to become more active in contributing to this issue.
To completely abolish the misfortune of homelessness would take complete unity and
dedication from communities around the world. The first step is recognition. 
Bibliography
Works Cited/Annotated Bibliographies
Anonymous. Personal Interview. May 8, 2000.
This person is a homeless man with a PHD in Chemistry. He lives in Santa Cruz and spends
much of his time at the River Street Homeless Shelter. 
Flanagan, Chris. Food Not Bombs Seattle. 8 April, 2000.
http://www.scn.org/activism/foodnotbombs/.
This website describes the nationwide organization, Food Not Bombs. It also contains
information on feedings and activities taking place in various locations.
Human Resource Agency. Human Resource Agency County of Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz: HRA,
1993.
This is a pamplet produced by the Human Resource Agency in Santa Cruz. It contains
information on programs that assist the homeless in northern California. 
Jim. Personal Interview. May 8, 2000.
Jim is a homeless man who words at the River Street Homeless Shelter. He is also a writer
of personal experiences. Originally from Chicago, Jim moved to Santa Cruz five years ago.
Although he feels that the homeless are mistreated, he is enjoying the time he spends
living on the streets of Santa Cruz.
Mike. Personal Interview. May 8, 2000.
Mike is a homeless man who lives in Santa Cruz. He has spent time in jail for various
violations of the law, which he has to commit in order to survive. 
NLCHP. National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. 1 Feb., 2000.
http://www.nlchp.org.
This Website provided me with many facts on civil rights violations dealing with homeless
people as well as basic facts on homelessness and poverty in America.
Ott, Jeff. My World. Van Nuys: Sub City. 2000.
This is a book written by a former homeless man. He has overcome drug addiction as well
as sexual abuse as a child. In this book he describes personal feelings as well as facts
about homelessness.
Rick. Personal Interview. May 8, 2000.
Rick is a homeless man who works at the River Street Homeless Shelter. He has worked with
many different homeless shelters in northern California. He feels that the Mayor needs to
spend a night with the homeless people of Santa Cruz so that he understands what they go
through. Rick is fighting the camping ban as well as working towards receiving funding
for a year round shelter.
United States. Constitution. First Amendment. United States: 1788.
The First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to
petition the Government for a redress of grievances."