Eclectics Anonymous has a great post up (fixed link) about a major, yet often ignored problem: homelessness. It’s a very interesting read, I’ll give you the first couple of paragraphs, after that, please go over to Eclectics Anonymous to read the entire post:
It was a warm, summer evening in August 2006 as authorities in Denver attempted to finally get a grasp on a problem that is almost impossible to measure – homelessness.
One of the biggest problems, both in helping the homeless and in combating the effects of homelessness (the militancy of language often determined by the effect of homelessness on personal economic security or worldview of the author) is in determining whether any measure actually helps or hurts in the long run.
Any ‘project’ to help the homeless usually has at least one of three objectives. The first aim is purely individual, an attempt to get that person or family off the streets and ideally into a situation where they will neither be homeless nor threatened by it. The second goal is at a community level. Not even the most dedicated social worker can truthfully deny the negative effects that homelessness has on the areas where it is concentrated. Finally the economic consequences, not only the direct impact on city budgets, but the indirect effects on health care systems, law enforcement efforts and tax bases, are usually targeted for improvement.
But one of the biggest problems with homelessness is merely getting a handle on the numbers…
My father always says “for most homeless people, it’s not a choice. They’re addicts. They’ve fallen from grace. They’ve got mental problems. They need our help.”
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