Poverty, Substance Abuse and Homelessness

Poverty To me, poverty or to be living in poverty means being poorer then the average person. Struggling to get by with less. Usually no car, older clothes, not much food and definitely no extra money for recreational activities. To be dependent on the government, charities or others for basic support such as food, clothing, housing and medicine. Sometimes going without meals, or not being able to pay bills such as light, gas or water. Also there does not seem to be light at the end of the tunnel hence the feeling of being stuck in the situation continuing the cycle in toil.

Some common myths are that poverty alleviating programs induce laziness and even criminal behaviors such as drug use. Living in poverty means making less then 20k yearly for a family of 3.

You cannot put a number on it because of the variables like region of the country, cost of living and various other external factors. Another myth is that our government spends more on welfare than anything else including the defense budget.

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In 2014 we spent 615 Billion on Defense. Compared to 370 Billion for the Earned Income Tax Credit, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Section 8 Housing and other poverty relief programs. Another misconception is that the poor could earn a better life for themselves but are content living on government benefits. More than 10 million of those living in poverty are “working poor.” They either have jobs or have been looking for work for at least half a year.

Average length of time a family is on the SNAP program is 8 to 10 months.

This condition evolves into a social problem because humans are resources, thru use of their time, skill and labor. When a society is not able to make the most of its resources then they are missing out on a great opportunity. You could have the next Einstein in waiting but never be discovered or reach their potential because poverty will not allow them the opportunity to reach their potential. Education alone is not a magic remedy for solving poverty but it is a great start. Some other ways to reduce the number of poor families and children would be to improve opportunity structures and increase their income. Some proposals would be to increase employment opportunities, raise America’s pay, specifically the federal minimum wage. Studies have shown that a minimum of $15 per hour could raise most people out of poverty. Sustain and strengthen social safety net programs, not cut them. Make paid family and sick leave the norm not the exception.

End mass incarceration policies such as the war on drugs and start treating it as the health epidemic that it is. Confront systematic segregation and concentrated poverty that has affected minorities for generations. Immigration reform. End the poverty tax, poor people pay more for almost everything from check cashing fees to compounding car loan interest. Substance Abuse The way I would define substance abuse is anything that a person regularly takes or uses that is not good for their health or overall well-being. Most commonly drugs whether illegal from the streets or prescribed from the pharmacy but also alcohol and cigarettes. Something that becomes a central point of their focus and has an elevated priority status in their lives, it becomes their ritual. When you disregard the harm you are doing to yourself and those around you, and logical thinking cannot be carried out because the drugs have such a tight grip over the person physically, mentally and emotionally. Some myths about substance abuse are that only people with no willpower struggle with drug addiction.

Or that drug addiction is a hopeless condition. Yet another, addiction is bad behavior that needs to be punished. Once properly punished, a person will stop being addicted. Hence the so called “War on Drugs” A few more myths are that drug addiction is a choice. People who are addicted are lazy dead beats. And you can’t get addicted to prescription drugs if they are prescribed and used properly. Substance abuse evolves from a personal condition because it can have a negative impact on those around you. Not just family and friends but also those in your community. Addicts usually suffer with poor health and overdoses straining hospital resources. Also members of the community can be put at a greater risk for accidents with addicts behind the wheel or jaywalking in the street without being aware of their surroundings. Many times those who commit crimes due so under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Others will commit crimes in a desperate bid to fund their habit. Serial shoplifting is a common side effect of substance abuse affecting the overall cost of the item for the rest of society.

Not to mention the cost to police and prosecute these crimes all of which the taxpayers bear the burden of. The biggest way to make a positive change in regards to substance abuse would be to change the way we look at it. Instead of going to war with drug users we should treat it like the humanitarian issue that it is and refer them to rehab facilities so they can improve their health in recovery. Homelessness I have always believed homelessness was pretty straight forward as far as definitions go. To be homeless means you don’t have a home to live in. Not a standard inhabitable building. Perhaps you live in your car or van if your lucky, others may live in vacant buildings, under freeway overpasses. Some live in tents or other makeshift cardboard forts. Some may even be bouncing around from motel to motel or shelter to shelter just trying to stay off the street. They may not be living on the street but I would be hard pressed to consider living day to day or week to week in a run down motel or shelter a home. Some myths that are out there about homelessness are that some people just want to live on the street. That line of thinking is dangerous because it allows you to ignore the problem while telling yourself that this is truly the lifestyle these people would actually want to lead.

Or how about that most homeless people are mentally ill. It’s actually much closer to 28%. Another is that people choose LA to be homeless because of the warm weather. In reality, most of our homeless population are native Angelenos. Only about 7% arrived in the county less than a year ago. They may have come from other parts of the country before they became homeless but they did not come here to be homeless. The driving force behind homelessness is the loss of a job, eviction and the high cost of housing. Our last myth buster also leads us to our solution. Homelessness is too expensive and complex to solve. This is far from true. The city wastes money not dealing with this issue. 1 of every 7 arrests is of a homeless person. I have personally heard homeless people say they would prefer jail because at least they are out of the elements and are fed and hopefully get a bed too. The good news is that multiple studies have shown that when you invest in providing housing and services to homeless or those with a high risk of becoming homeless that you end up recouping that money from savings on medical care, policing and prisons. Raising incomes and creating more affordable housing are crucial steps. Rent subsidies, legal assistance, and social workers for families facing eviction also help tremendously. Programs that can intervene early when people end up on the streets are also key. Last but not least, permanent supportive housing for the most extreme severe chronic cases.