Poverty and Homelessness in the United States

Poverty and Homelessness in the United States Poverty in America is a subject that though everybody recognizes is existent, most do not pay attention to very often. In 2010 the poverty line for a family of four was $22,314. 00 and 15. 1% of Americans were living off of less than that (Tavernise, 2011). While 15. 1% is a high number to begin with, the truth is that many more people are living on the verge of homelessness. Countless families are split up every night with children going to a friend’s house or an extended family member’s house to ensure that everyone has somewhere to sleep.These people are called the â€Å"hidden homeless† by the Charlotte Observer (Whitesides, 2011). Even more people are either living in tent cities or in their cars all around the United States. The events that lead to homelessness range from drug abuse to being laid off from a career because of a poor economy; but sadly the former makes it seem as if everyone who is homeless is in their situation because of their own faults. Many people who are approached by someone who is homeless or sees them panhandling for money hesitate to offer money because of the discourse that all homeless people are alcoholics and drug abusers.Unfortunately, the truth is that â€Å"many adults panhandle on corners for money to pay for a cheap motel room so that their children can have a warm place to sleep for the night† (Whitesides, 2011). Through this essay, the topic of homelessness and poverty in America will be explored by understanding some of the causes that have contributed to poverty throughout history and how the homeless are coping with their situation. Hundreds of people all around the city of Seattle, Washington are homeless or living in their cars. In Ballard alone, there are an estimated 150 people living in their cars (Thompson, 2011).A new program in January is to begin, opening up church parking lots in Ballard for up to five cars to spend the night somewher e safe. All who want to spend the night in the parking lots must apply and be screened which is a task that the state and city combined granted $30,000 towards (Thompson, 2011). So far, Redeemer’s Lutheran Church has stepped up to host the homeless in cars decided by a unanimous decision in September (Thompson, 2011). While people all across the United States are visibly poor, like those who are living in their cars, many others are suffering just as well with the stress of not knowing whether or not they ill have a roof over their head at night. Many of these people are teenagers who either do not have parents who can support them, are too old for foster care, have mental-health issues, or have been evicted from their homes (Whitesides, 2011). These teenagers are ones who go bounce from friend to friend sleeping at their houses every night because they have no other place to go. The homeless problem is one that is growing worse and worse as the years go on. In 2010 46. 2 mil lion people were living below the poverty line which is the highest number in the past 52 years (Tavernise, 2011).Economists say that joblessness is the main cause of poverty in America (Tavernise, 2011). 48 million people between the ages of 18 and 64 did not work even one week of the whole year, which is up three million from 2009 (Tavernise, 2011). While maintaining a job and progressing through a company is hard enough with a college degree, full-time male workers with no college degrees on average have made no progress (Tavernise, 2011). Of the 46. 2 million Americans living below the poverty line, 20. 5 million are surviving off of less than half of the $22,314. 0 poverty line. To save money, many Americans are cutting as many costs as they can in their daily lives. One of these costs, unfortunately, is insurance. The number of uninsured Americans increased by 900,000 to 49. 9 million people (Tavernise, 2011). In Gaston County, North Carolina community meetings are held focuse d on finding ways to help those who are having a hard time financially. At these meetings suggestions are made such as, donating houses to be used by families, becoming a foster parent, and if in the position to, create jobs in the community.While reading about homelessness through the media, one must be sure to realize that even the articles written include discourses and also that they omit details in order to keep the attention of the readers. In Seattle the program that is to allow people living in cars to spend the night in church parking lots seems like a great idea that will help out dozens of people. Something to consider though, is the fact that many people are not willing to open up a safe haven, such as a church, to potentially dangerous.Even though many people try to go through their days without judging people, it is inevitable to have discourses towards people. In America people grow up hearing stories about how if you give a homeless person money that he or she will m ost likely use it on beer or drugs. These discourses need to be eliminated in order for the country’s problem to be solved. The United States is known as a country full of opportunities, a place where anyone can succeed but behind that visage is a reality that is becoming worse and worse as time goes on.While people go throughout their days pretending that everyone lives a comfortable life in a warm home, the truth is that at any given moment there are thousands of Americans who are homeless. Problems that have been existent since the beginning of the United States have contributed to this ever-growing problem that is prominent now. Through a political economic analysis of the history of the United States, homelessness will be an explored and better understood reality that all Americans witness. Prior to World War II, the United States was going through the Great Depression in which the economy crashed leaving millions without jobs.The start of World War II created many jobs and brought the country out of the depression. Later, the Vietnam War and the Cold War took a toll on the United States economy. Because the United States had to spend so much money on these wars, the country printed more money than they had gold to back it up. To solve the issue, President Richard Nixon removed the United States off of the gold standard, dropping the value of the US dollar. The effects of Nixon’s decision were increases of oil prices by 400% by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and stagflation.During IDL 3, the United States increased interest rates to counter inflation which caused extreme debt in developing nations. While taking the United States economy was improving from the removal of the gold standard, there was still a problem of distribution of wealth within the country. Since the 1920s the top 1% of wealth holders in the United States held 30% of the total household sector wealth, leaving the bottom 99% with only 70% (Keister & Moller, 2 000). Through the years the division of wealth distribution only grew wider.In 1989 the top 1% held 38. 9% of the total household wealth. The division between the top 1% of wealth holders in the United States and everyone else is so drastic that although the GDP per capita in 2010 was $47,184 it does not accurately portray the mass majority of individuals who live with far less money than that in 2010 (GDP per capita (current US$), 2010). When separated into five sections, the top quintile consists of about 85% of the total wealth and 50% of the total family income of the country (Keister & Moller, 2000).Another contributor to homelessness in the United States, along with uneven distribution of wealth, is the outsourcing of American Jobs overseas. Between 2000 and 2004 more than 2. 5 million American jobs were lost due to outsourcing jobs to India (Chithelen, 2004). No longer are only blue-collar, manual labor jobs being shipped off to other countries, but also white-collar and prof essional jobs. This movement of jobs has left many Americans unemployed and without many options. These groups of people, who may have once been part of the top 1% of the country, are now in the bottom with no source of income.The corporate businesses outsourcing are doing so because they know that in countries such as India workers can be found for much cheaper than those in the United States. Cutting losses and raising profit are the benefits that top executives look towards as they will use the saved money as larger bonuses for themselves (Chithelen, 2004). The jobs that international employees are taking from Americans are in the IT field and many workers, especially from India, are finding themselves having to move back home because the jobs they have are being outsourced for cheaper labor (Chithelen, 2004).It is estimated that by 2014 approximately 3. 3 million American business service jobs will be outsourced. The result of outsourcing and the uneven wealth distribution are t hat many people are left without jobs and no way to pay for a home. In 1988 68,0000 children were homeless and 186,000 children were living at a friend’s or extended relative’s home (Lewit & Baker, 1996). While those numbers are high, there is no doubt that 23 years later those numbers will be much higher. These economic factors and homelessness have much to do with inequality.Because the distribution of wealth is so great, it makes it extremely difficult for people on the bottom who are poor to get anywhere successful. People with money have power and the top executives of the big corporations have the power to take the jobs away from hard-working Americans to save a couple of dollars, which in the end will return to the executives, by outsourcing to countries overseas. Because the United States is a Global North county that is part of the OECD, it often times takes responsibility over Global South countries that do not have as many resources as opportunities.The Unit ed States has many large corporations that have the ability to create jobs overseas like how they are when they outsource jobs to places like India. Though it is worsening the situation in America, many of opportunities have opened up for people in Global South countries. Media often times discusses homelessness in America through a sympathetic viewpoint. In the articles used for this paper, a majority of the blame for people being homeless is pointed towards the poor job market rather than the laziness of the people stuck in the situation.Poverty in America is a problem that is not just one on the national level, but also locally. Cities such as Seattle have hundreds of homeless citizens who get walked past every day without anybody noticing. In today’s society seeing homeless people on the sidewalks and under underpasses is the sadly the norm. Those living in poverty and who are homeless get tagged with the discourse by many people that they are in their situation because o f their own faults; that they are alcohol or drug abusers, are poor workers, or are lazy members of society who want to bum off everyone else who works for a living.The truth is, as showed through this paper, that many of those who are homeless are in their situation because they have lost their job to a wide array of reasons or because they were never able to find a job in the first place. As displayed through the political economic analysis, many jobs in the United States have been and will continue to be lost to workers in overseas countries such as India. In these other countries, large corporations are able to find workers for just a fraction of the cost of workers in America. To go along with the outsourcing of jobs, the distribution of wealth in the United States is extremely uneven.With the top 1% of wealth holders in the United States held 30% of the total household sector wealth; the middle and lower-class citizens have very little power. The top 1% just so happen to be th e people who have say in how large corporations are going to run and whether or not they want cheap, unethical, sweatshop labor overseas. The amount of poverty and homelessness that is existent in the United States is both overwhelming and extremely disappointing. Many families who thought of themselves as well-off very quickly had their lives flipped around during the past few years as the economy took a turn for the worst.Because of the poor economy, many employers look for ways to cut costs and one of their solutions is to fire employees. In 2004 more than 2. 5 million jobs were sent overseas and taken from American workers. The sudden loss of work has left more Americans in poverty than there have been in 52 years. Through the analysis of this issue, hopefully the issue of homelessness will be one that is less ignored on a daily basis. Hopefully in the upcoming years more people will step up to help in the same way that Redeemer’s Lutheran Church has chosen to open their parking lot to those who live in their cars.Bibliography GDP per capita (current US$). (2010). Retrieved 12 6, 2011, from The World Bank: http://data. worldbank. org/indicator/NY. GDP. PCAP. CD Chithelen, I. (2004). Outsourcing to India: Causes, Reaction and Prospects. Economic and Political Weekly, 1022-1024. Keister, L. A. , & Moller, S. (2000). Wealth Inequality in the United States. Annual Review of Sociology, 63-81. Lewit, E. M. , & Baker, L. S. (1996). Homeless Families and Children. The Future of Children, 146-158. Tavernise, S. (2011, 09 13). Soaring Povert Casts Spotlight on ‘Lost Decade'.Retrieved 12 08, 2011, from The New York Times: http://www. nytimes. com/2011/09/14/us/14census. html? pagewanted=all Thompson, L. (2011, 11 24). Seattle may Help Homless Car Campers. Retrieved 12 05, 2011, from The Seattle Times: http://seattletimes. nwsource. com/html/localnews/2016849799_carcamping25m. html Whitesides, S. (2011, 11 07). ‘Hidden Homeless' are Growing in Gasto n County. Retrieved 12 05, 2011, from Charlotte Observer: http://www. charlotteobserver. com/2011/11/27/2797440/hidden-homeless-are-growing-in. html