There Ought to Be a Law

While national and state lawmakers are spending valuable time debating over issues such as illegal Mexican immigrants and the Iraqi people that do not pertain to our own countrymen, many Americans are suffering from lack of shelter. It is estimated that every year 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness. Three-and-a-half million people is roughly the entire population of states like Oregon or Oklahoma.

The United States is known worldwide for the American dream. It is evident by all of the illegal immigrants from Mexico who put their life on the line for a chance to make it in America that many foreigners envy us for having the chance to live this dream. While immigration is a rising concern, we need to pay more attention to our natural-born citizens who also cannot live the American dream.

Many American homeless people once had a comfortable life. With the economy in a slump, many simply lost their jobs and could no longer afford today's higher cost of living. Others may have made a few poor decisions that ruined the rest of their lives.

There are agencies that provide homeless citizens with the simple necessities of life such as food and clothing, but it is harder to find an agency that will successfully help these people find jobs and get back on their feet. There is also a shortage of homeless shelters. The U.S. Conference of Mayors Hunger and Homeless Study for 2005 reported that 32% of shelter requests by homeless families went unmet.

If I could propose one national law, it would be that each city with a significant homeless population would be required to create dorm-like housing where homeless people could reside. The people living in the dorms would be required to work minimum wage jobs for the city, such as picking up trash around the city, in return for housing and food. The city would also create an account for each of the homeless people and deposit a set amount of money in it each week in return for his work. Once a person's account reached a point that he could find decent housing and provide for himself and his family, he would be able to withdraw the money and get another shot at life.

The dorm areas would have a food pantry and a thrift store. Employees of the dorms, maybe even some of the educated homeless people, would make sure that the homeless children attend public school and the uneducated adults attend adult education classes at night.

Some of the homeless people living in the dorms could be hired to create a park or other recreational area near the dorms so the homeless people can get their needed exercise. Cities could encourage area entertainers to perform at the dorms so the residents can have some fun.

The law would have to create a special inspection team to travel to cities to inspect the facilities.

Many lawmakers would complain that the program would be way too costly. It may cost a lot in the beginning, but the program would eventually pay for itself because homeless people would no longer be forced to steal goods from local stores so more sales tax could be collected. City streets would be cleaner without debris from people living on them, which would save cities money by not making them pay to clean up the leftover trash from homeless people. Crime rates would decrease significantly, which would encourage more people and businesses to move to the city and allow more taxes to be collected.

Right now while this essay is being read, probably by someone in a warm indoor space with a full stomach and enough money to live comfortably, many are freezing and trying to figure out where they are going to sleep tonight or where and when they will eat their next meal. They need immediate help and I think my idea for a law would help them greatly and maybe even save their lives.