Homelessness In New York City Essay

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Homelessness in New York City
As technology advances and more countries join the developed world, we here in America have a forgotten population. Here in America, a land of great wealth and opportunity, we have a neglected homeless population. In a land so rich it is hard to believe that over half-a-million people are left homeless, leaving hundreds of thousands on the street. (National Alliance) New York City has been upsetting the national trend of a decreasing homeless population. (Facts about Homelessness) Many people find it easier to look the other way rather than take on such a monumental problem. Disregarding this problem will not make it go away, and will even exacerbate the problem. Homelessness did not happen overnight, nor will it go away overnight, but change is possible. The systemic reasons for homelessness have changed over time, creating the need for community groups and governments to tackle homelessness in different ways. Until we have a concrete plan for solving homelessness the problem will persist.
The History of Homelessness in New …show more content…

The cause of the shift was a change in government policy from the sixties regarding single room occupancy housing. In 1955, it became impossible to convert previously built structures into single room housing, leaving the stock to dwindle down over the decades. With few adequate substitute and rising housing costs, many families that would have otherwise been financially stable were pushed into being vulnerable of being homeless. Another effort made against this style of housing was done in 1960, when families were no longer permitted to live in single room housing. (Coalition for the Homeless) The rise of real estate values in the 1980’s made both the disappearance of lower income housing and deinstitutionalization much worse. (The New York Times,

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