The Present Economic Sitation Has Had a Negative Effect On the Community - Essay Example

The Present Economic Situation Has Had a Negative Effect On the Community The current economic recession has had a profound impact on individuals living the current socio-cultural environment. While many individuals were born in a time of American prosperity, the current economic situation represents a major cultural change. In terms of immediate and personal effects, great segments of the population have struggled to find employment, resulting in a number of setbacks. From a larger perspective, the present economic situation has had a negative effect on the community.

This essay considers how the economic recession has negatively affected the community through increased crime rates, neighborhood blight, and general social malaise. While relative to the specific community, it’s clear that a great amount of communities have encountered increased crime rates as a direct result of the economic recession. Consider a recent report that indicated, “Of 233 police agencies surveyed by the Police Executive Research Forum…44 percent reported a rise in certain types of crime they attributed to the United States worst economic and financial crisis in decades” (Colvin).

In these regards, it’s clear that because of the tight economic situation, increased amount of individuals have resorted to crime. The ultimate result is a strong negative effect on communities. Another major negative effect the economic recession has had on communities is neighborhood blight. One of the core causes of the economic recession was the collapsing housing market. The collapse in the house market resulted in a strong negative impact on communities. Increasing amount of individuals found that they could not pay their mortgages and subsequently defaulted on their loans.

The result of this was neighborhoods with high amount of abandoned homes. Consider that “Very few in the multifamily sector did not experience high vacancy factors from 2007 to 2009” ("GreenLandlady"). In these regards, there is a direct cause and effect relationship between the economic recession, increased vacancy factors, and urban blight. The cumulative effect of these elements has a significant negative impact on communities. The final negative effect the current economic situation has had on communities is general social malaise.

This understanding considers that the economic recession has caused a great amount of people to lose their jobs. This aspect of the recession has had a fall-out effect, reducing the amount of independent businesses that are able to successful operate in the community and leading individuals to increasingly embrace lives of isolation. While social interaction and relationship building are the backbone of a vibrant community atmosphere, the economic recession has impeded these elements, resulting in a significant negative effective on communities.

In conclusion, this essay has considered how the current economic situation has had a negative effect on communities. The first issue considered was crime rates that have increased as individuals find themselves more willing in light of turbulent financial times. The second issue is neighborhood blight that has emerged because of the collapsing housing market. The final issue is general social malaise. ReferencesColvin, Ross. "U.S. recession fuels crime rise, police chiefs say." Reuters. N.p., 2009. Web. 11 Oct 2011. ."Foreclosures May Define Declining Cities.

" GreenLandlady. N.p., 2011. Web. 11 Oct 2011. .