homeless in new york city winter

Introduction

A/G Have you ever asked yourself why don’t this homeless person just go and stay in a shelter and eat and sleep in a warm place an d leave me alone?

S/P Today I will inform my audience about the decisions homeless people have to make.

C/I Many homeless people opt to stay on the streets rather than in a shelter.

V/S After today you will understand why homeless people who live on the street.

Transition

Our homeless society is now growing very quickly and uncontrollably.

Body

I. New York City began this year with the largest number of homeless people crammed into shelters since the city began keeping count 20 years ago.

A. The coalition for the homeless has broken the homeless population into three segments: single adults, adults with families and children.

1. A whooping 43% of the homeless population is children. The children are by far the largest and fastest growing segment.

2. Adults in families account for the second largest segment with 35 % of the homeless population.

3. Topping it off single adults consist of 22% of the homeless population.

B. These figures do not include all those people who do not stay in shelters. There are approximately 4000 homeless people living on the street. But I this case there are more adults then children.

II. Many of the people who stay in a shelter say it’s like being in prison. The condition of many shelters are usually unsafe or unhealthy or even both.

A. There is a number of national studies documenting the damage homelessness inflicts upon children.

1. One study constructed by the Better Homes Fund concluded that homeless children have twice the health problems of those who live in homes.

B. A homeless man who goes by the name of “Red” says that shelters are very unsafe. While in a shelter he once was stabbed and robbed for his sneakers. He says he rather ride the trains all night before he stays in another shelter.

C. Even families hit the streets before they’ll stay in shelters. This means there are hundreds of children on the streets, too.

III. The New York Post says major Bloomberg ordered an outdoor encampment, built underneath a Bronx expressway, torn down.

A. He said at a press conference that the outdoors is no place to sleep.

B. When I brought this up with “Red” he told me that Bloomberg’s concern is not for the number of homeless people who refuse to be regulated to the city’s overburdened overcrowded and under funded shelter system, instead for the beautification of the city.