"The massive reality of homelessness in the United States is nothing short of a national tragedy, a profound failure of our collective spirit and conscience to recognize the fundamental interconnection and humanity of all."
A riveting report that breaks down the root causes of and solutions to the homelessness epidemic in the United States.
The Western Regional Advocacy Project Without Housing (WRAP) report illustrates why the federal government’s responses to the nationwide epidemic of homelessness have consistently failed. It notes that the most important factors leading to homelessness include: cutbacks to and the near elimination of the federal government’s commitment to building, maintaining, and subsidizing affordable housing. While other non-central factors cited in the report that contribute to homelessness include: economic downshifts; high unemployment; global outsourcing of jobs; rollback of social programs; disruption of family networks; the reduction of open market low end housing; racial discrimination; and gentrification.
For decades, policy responses have focused on individual factors, rather than the above-mentioned systemic factors to explain and address homelessness. The policies implemented will continue to fall short until the federal production and subsidization of affordable housing is fully funded and housing is seen as a basic human right – one which the federal government has an obligation to secure for all people.
Resolving homelessness is fundamentally a question of housing!
