The Hardships of the People Living on the Street - Essay Example

Street” Life: Exploring Homelessness in U.S Table of Contents 2 Introduction: 3 Methodology: 4 Experimental Observations: 4 Sociological Focus: 6 Conclusion: 7 References 8 Abstract The project explores the hardships of the people living on the street. It made me realize how difficult it is to spend a day homeless even knowing that I would eventually return home, unlike them. I understood the plight of the homeless and it was literally a moving experience. The project focuses on how many people are becoming homeless and the main reasons behind it. The project provides insight into how difficult it is to live on the street, the various stereotypes people attach to the homeless and therefore do not help them and why children as young as six years old are getting homeless in a first world country like United States of America. Lastly, the project provides insight into what could possibly be done to reduce the incidence of homelessness in America and create it a welfare state. Introduction: It has been estimated by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty that on any given day, around 750,000 people are stranded homeless in America (John M Quigly). Despite United States economic surge and it being a super power, the incidence of homelessness has increased since 1980 (Richard B Freeman). According to a report published in 2000 of the US Conference of Mayors, more than 40 percent of the homeless comprised of single men and more than 30 % comprised of children under the age of 18 (John M Quigly). With such a large number of homeless people, it has been estimated that nearly 250,000 shelter space is available for the homeless, which ultimately leaves approximately 500,000 people without shelter. The major reason for homelessness in families is unemployment, poverty, lack of affordable housing and excessive rents. For single homeless people, it has been found out that they either suffer from some mental illness or they use drugs. (Lendmen) Despite numerous efforts by the State to reduce the incidence of homelessness or help the homeless by providing shelter, the problem is persistent. Most people start using drugs after becoming homeless, they steal, and they also suffer from diseases including HIV. The plight of the homeless increases due to the stereotype created for the homeless by our community. People are never ready to help the homeless, never provide them any assistance such as food, clothing and shelter, never give them money and instead leave all on the State to take care of them. Methodology: In order to wholly perform my assignment, I thought of leaving the house with my luggage from morning 5 am till night 2 am. I decided this amount of time would be sufficient to get into the theme of the character and to feel what it is like living and being on the street. I packed up my luggage which consisted of clothes and a pair of shoes only. I did not take any other accessory and also left my mobile phone at home, so as to know what it is like being in poverty when you cannot even call anyone. I took a $ 20 note with me, so that I can use it in instance of emergency. It was somewhat of a terrifying experience for me as I had never gone out of home without permission of my parents, and I also decided to use the bus to travel to the nearest park in New York City. As it was hot, so I decided to take summer clothes with me and a bottle of water. I decided that I would spend time in the park, where I had previously seen a lot of people lying and stranded in the night and also during the day. Experimental Observations: I decided to go to the Tompkins Square Park, east of Manhattan in New York. I had a bag containing my clothes and it was heavy. At first, I did not feel that it would bother me much, but I had to walk two kilometers to the park and the bag started to feel heavy on my shoulders. I was carrying it with not much ease and few people were glancing at my face which was getting nervous, partly due to uneasiness of the heavy load on my shoulders and partly due to the anxiety of leaving my house. As it was so early in the morning that people started to wonder why would someone walk with a bag this early? However, I tried to control my nerve and I was telling myself not to get conscious of peoples’ glances, but the more I was telling not to become conscious, the more I was getting conscious. Meanwhile, I saw many people lying on the street, some sleeping, some dazed while some asking for money. I wondered whether previously I had noticed them ever. I thought whether I had ever thought of helping them by looking at their plight and whether I had ever thanked God for the privileges I had been provided. The obvious answer was no, and I was ashamed but still I was more nervous and worried that I had left home and how am I going to spend such a long time without cell phone and money. When I reached the park, I was really tired and my shoulders were numb. I placed my bag down on the first bench I saw and I sat down. It was 6 30 and I thought of resting on the bench with my bag under my neck. I slept for some while but woke up after two hours because it was getting hot. I had not slept well because it was really uneasy to sleep on the bench and my body started to ache a little. I looked around a saw people walking, kids playing and I also saw poor people sleeping despite the hot weather. Flies were sitting on their faces but they were sleeping with the support of their luggage, some even sleeping while sitting. I saw a black man sleeping whilst sitting, his hands were swollen and I saw another elderly woman who had nothing but a stick with her and she used it as a support for her to sleep. It got hotter during noon time and I felt thirsty and starved but I only had $ 20 with me. I thought of using it in the evening so I could spend the rest of time easily. I walked around the park a bit but due to starvation, I could not walk much and thought it was more suitable to sit down. I somehow managed to pass the time and at 4 pm, I suddenly got this idea that I could find some work to do and may be time could pass easily, then. I first decided to eat something. I bought a burger and a bottle of water. After I had eaten, I went to a couple of shops such as departmental stores, Mc Donald’s, restaurants that if they could allow me to do work but they asked for my identity. I did not have an identity card and I could prove no identity accept for my name and me saying that I am capable of doing the work they want, but they refused and I did not get any work. After almost three hours, I gave up and I decided to go back to the park to spend the remaining time. I started to cry because in the same stores that I used to go with my dad and they used to complement me, greet me. Now, here was I asking the same people for work, but they did not even recognize me and asked for my identity. At around 12 am, I could not bear more and I decided to go back to my house. I could not complete the desired time that I decided earlier, but 5 am till 12 am was almost a teaching experience of life on the street. Sociological Focus: The topic of my focus is on the increasing number of children becoming homeless in America. It has been estimated that 1 in 50 children is homeless in United States (CNN). According to a report by National Center on Family Homelessness approximately 1.5 million children were recorded to be without a home. It has been estimated that 42 percent of the homeless children are under the age of six (Lendmen) .Mostly children suffer homelessness due to economic hardships, violence in house, unemployment etc. Rising prices, economic downturn and other factors such as high rent make it impossible for parents to feed their children and results in more children being homeless. It has been estimated that almost 90 % of the homeless children will never graduate, putting America’s future at stake (CNN). There are a plenty of other reasons why young children become homeless. Some children are exposed to bad company from an early age, so they start drinking and socializing outside. They make bad peers who make them believe that doing drugs and partying out is the way to escape the hardships of life. When those kids actually leave home, their peers abandon them, which results in those kids getting homeless. They get into other acts such as theft and gambling risking their lives and lives of other people.  "Children who experience homelessness are more than twice as likely as middle class children to have moderate to severe acute and chronic health problems" (Lendmen) .It has been reviewed that with effective State funding, child homelessness could end in ten years. Proper, effective and well planned strategies could lead the way to a better future! Conclusion: The lesson I leant from my assignment is that the problem is much bigger than I actually thought when I was handed the assignment. There are several classes of people homeless. First, there are children, than there are the elderly, and then there are middle aged male and females. In my view, proper strategy should be implemented targeted at each class. The elderly who do not have any support should be provided shelter and clothing by the State. Those children who have been homeless due to economic hardships should be handed to foster homes or the State should support a little to their parents for survival until their education. The middle aged male and female who are on drugs should be sent to rehab. Those who have become unemployed due to joblessness should be counseled and motivated and more job opportunities should be created for workforce at lower levels. Of course, it is easier said than done but the State could spend some amount of money on State welfare and the future rather than spending vast amounts on defense and dispensable projects! References CNN. http://articles.cnn.com/2009-03-10/us/homeless.children_1_homeless-children-family-homelessness-child-homelessness?_s=PM:US. 10 March 2009. 11 July 2012 . John M Quigly, Steven Raphael. "The Economics of Homelessness: The Evidence from North America." European Journal of Housing Policy (2000): 336. Lendmen, Stephen. "www.countercurrents.org." 17 June 2010. 11 July 2012 . Richard B Freeman, Brain Hall. Permanent Homelessness in America. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1986. Read More