Recently, we have seen a spur in heretical measures curtailed to driving away homeless people from the streets, making their way into the headlines, as communities grapple with the escalating crises of people facing housing shortages, drug addiction, and mental health issues. In September last year, the United States President Donald Trump visited the city and remarked that the growing homelessness crisis could destroy this glamourous city.

The United States GDP is an outstanding $21.44 trillion, if the state of California was to dissociate from the United States, it would be the fifth-largest economy in the world. If you think about how much wealth America has, it makes no sense that the country is unable to provide its citizens with basic needs.

How Bad Is Homelessness in The Country?

First, to paint out a clear picture of how bad it is, we need to first understand what homelessness means. A person could be said to be homeless when they lack permanent housing. Like Wikipedia puts it, “Homelessness is the condition of people lacking “a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” According to the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as of 2018, there were around 567,715 homeless people in the United States on a given night. This means that 0.17 percent of the total population in the United States are homeless. These are the people on the street, if we factor in people who “double-up” with friends and family because they cannot afford a place of their own, you’d be surprised. Looking at these figures, I thought to myself, “These numbers must be wrong.”

Homelessness might have escalated in the wake of the Great Recession of 2008-2009, but it’s not a decade-old problem. The issue started to gain roots back in the 1870s and ever since it has continued to pervade the society to this present day. On just one single night, January 2015, there were about 564,708 people who were considered homeless in America, a report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness notes. In California, in a single night in 2016, about 21.48 percent of the total population was homeless, in New York, about 15.7 percent of the population experienced homelessness.

LA Ranks Third In Homelessness Crisis

The homelessness crisis seems to be spreading its roots far and wide. Even though it is a crisis that affects societies all around the world, this crisis seems to be a rare, exceptional case and struggle for the United States. Among the top cities in the United States to have many homeless people, New York City ranks second with Los Angeles following closely at third position. I think there is so much work that needs to be done, the national rate of homelessness has gone down slightly from 21.5 per 10,000 people in 2007 to 17.7 per 10,000 people in 2015. The homelessness crisis among individual states continues to soar higher while the amount of affordable housing remains low.

The cure for homelessness is to build more houses specifically for the homeless.   A homeless person is unlikely going to be able to buy a home or pay market rent for a home.  And there are no incentives for the capitalist to address the problem directly.  Their solution is the redevelopment of the areas the homeless live in and to drive them out to less desirable areas.  The state must step in and get creative with Nonprofit organizations that have the ability and desire to build affordable housing.  There will be legal roadblocks because no one wants affordable housing in their backyard. But, these roadblocks and other affordable housing challenges are the burdens the state must bear and provide Solutions.

Since the birth of this nation, it has always been the state, federal government and the courts to force reasonable solutions for the poor and disenfranchised. The best way to protect yourself against homelessness is by educating yourself and getting help from a real estate professional.  The Power Is Now Media is here to help you do exactly that. We have the resources and great connections to help consumers become homeowners or find affordable housing.

One great resource is our VIP agents who are spread across many counties in California and our network of agents throughout the Nation.  They are ready to assist you to rent or buy a  home. Did you know that it is possible to buy a home with little to no money down? Find out more about this program talking to one of our VIP Agents at https://www.thepowerisnow.com/vipagentsservices/. If you’d like to keep yourself with up to date with the current developments, visit our blogs page at https://www.thepowerisnow.com/blog/. In addition, if you’d like to set an appointment and speak to me directly, use the following link, https://calendly.com/thepowerisnow/ericfrazier

Disclaimer: The views and opinions of Eric Lawrence Frazier are his own and do not necessarily represent views of First Bank or any organization affiliated with Eric Lawrence Frazier or the Power Is Now Media Inc.  First Bank is an Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. Eric Lawrence Frazier MBA is also a Vice President and Mortgage Advisor with First Bank.  NMLS#461807 and a California Licensed Real Estate Broker DRE# 01143482. Email:  Eric.frazier@fbol.com.  Ph: 714- 475-8629.

Eric Lawrence Frazier MBA
President and CEO
The Power Is Now Media Inc.

Sources & Works Cited

Bachega, H. (2018, October 7). Homeless in the US: A deepening crisis on the streets of America. BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45442596

Gallagher, T. (2019). Homelessness Is a National Crisis. Retrieved August 20, 2019, from US News & World Report website: https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-03-04/commentary-homelessness-is-a-national-crisis

Homeless Populations Are Surging in Los Angeles. Here’s Why. (2019, June 5). The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/us/los-angeles-homeless-population.html

Moorhead, J. (2019). LA’s homeless crisis: too many tents, too few beds. Retrieved August 20, 2019, from CNN website: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/18/politics/los-angeles-homeless-crisis/index.html