Academic Argument Essay - Homelessness in Colorado

Academic Argument Essay – Homelessness

Everyone has been impacted by homelessness in some way, whether by seeing the rise of encampments in their neighborhood, seeing it more in denser areas, or being homeless themselves. One important thing to remember is that even with the increase in homelessness, these are still people who deserve the help that they are often not getting despite the many misconceptions surrounding the issue. In the article "Who is homeless in Denver? Let’s look at the numbers", authors Jennifer Brown and Kevin Jeffers talk about the housing crisis and show that “the latest homelessness count in the Denver metro area shows over 9,000 people either sleeping on the streets or in shelters. And that doesn’t even include the growing number of migrants” (Jeffers).  People experiencing homelessness are more often overlooked and ignored, and they become victims of violence. It becomes an assault on human dignity, and it isn’t even their fault; it’s the economy. Given these facts, we should be more comfortable providing housing, stability, and other social programs to help homeless communities. 

One misconception is that many of the homeless people who are on the streets in Denver are people who moved to Denver from out of state, but that is not true. In the article, it is stated, “When not counting the recent influx of migrants, Denver’s homeless population is overwhelmingly from Colorado. This debunks a common misconception that most people living on Denver’s streets moved from out of state to take advantage of the social services, or as some suggested in the first years after Colorado became the first state to legalize marijuana, the easy access to pot” (Jeffers)—over “9,085 out of 10,276” homeless people recently had a Colorado address. One other issue is that people of color are given disproportionate representation on Denver streets. “Demographic data collected by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, which coordinates the annual count, has consistently found that people of color are significantly overrepresented in the region’s homeless population” (Jeffers). It has been surprising to see how many people see people experiencing homelessness as just a personal inconvenience. They want something done, but only if it isn’t near them. Many are unwilling to consider proposals to help these people if the effects on their way of life outweigh the benefits people experiencing homelessness would receive.

A fundamental human right is to have a safe place. Many homeless people are unable to obtain that and are often pushed from one place to another, making them feel like they don’t belong anywhere because their existence near other people is seen as bad. Much of the violence that happens surrounding homeless communities shouldn’t be seen as their fault, as most people experiencing hardships in life are often more desperate. It’s much harder for homeless people than it would be for a person that they live near because they don’t have the same privileges that are seen by people who can live in apartments or houses. Many people often lack empathy because they fear the reality that they might face living near a homeless encampment. Even though some precautions may need to be taken, it would be even worse to squander the opportunity to show compassion than to be blindsided by fear. 

As the pattern of homelessness continues to escalate, it continues to hurt the economy. The article, The Impact of Homelessness on Economic Competitiveness by Caroline Julia von Wurden, states that “homelessness is costly to society because people experiencing homelessness frequently require the most expensive publicly funded services and institutions. Homelessness is also costly in terms of its negative impact on human life, health, and productivity” (Wurden). This means that they are often underfunded since the programs to help are more costly. Some solutions that the Colorado Coalition has suggested are “to address the ongoing homelessness crisis, the local, state, and federal governments must focus on implementing long-term solutions that strategically invest in affordable housing and supportive services.” The solution that has the most significant impact is giving someone homeless a safe place to call home, as it is easier to seek out other services if this is the case. Many tiny home micro-communities or refurbished hotels could make a substantial impact, but these ideas are often met with considerable pushback from people in the area. If we as a society want to lessen the economic impact of homelessness in the long run on the economy, we should invest in long-term solutions to it.

            Having a safe place to call home is easier said than done, as many people protest having tiny home communities that house people experiencing homelessness in their area. When finding local solutions in the area, many Denver residents were not on board, stating to local area news in the article Residents push back against Denver mayor’s short-term housing sites, featured on Fox 31, “I know we need housing for these people; I know they need support,” said neighbor Janet Cornell. “My brother was homeless, so I understand the plight these people face, and we’re not trying to say they don’t need a solution; we’re just trying to say this is not the solution (Henderson). But when does enough become enough, and more changes are made? Even with the tiny new home community recently opened in Littleton, many area residents are unhappy, and some threaten to sue, as stated in the article Denver’s opening 60 tiny homes on Santa Fe Drive to help end street homelessness. Some neighbors say they’re scared by Kyle Harris. Some quotes from the article about people in the area show a high level of unease; one person said, “It's horrifying,” he said, “I bought my house 16 years ago. And this got thrown upon me. I'm not happy about it. I’ve never had good interactions with people experiencing homelessness. I know that there’s nothing I can do about it.” Even adding, “I think they kind of pushed their way in here knowing that they wouldn't get a big fight like they do over in the other bigger neighborhoods” (Harris). Most people do not see a homeless neighborhood in their area as a good thing, but the biggest question is if communities aren’t willing to stand up for one of their most vulnerable populations, where should they go? Is it ok to play hot potato with people’s lives, throw up our hands, and say, “I’m not responsible?”

            With the homeless population multiplying, one big question is how to solve it. In the article “How does Colorado solve its homelessness problem? Here are three programs that could help,” author Jennifer Brown discusses the types of solutions the city of Denver is trying to develop. The first solution that was brought up is preventing homelessness by hiring apartment maintenance workers. Many apartment complexes are being built, and one solution is that “all will need maintenance workers and front-office staff, which are hard to find in the current worker shortage” (Brown). This could help get homeless people back on their feet and work while providing them with a safe place to call home. Another problem that the city faces is housing though, “Denver is buying up old motels, the state has plans to turn a former juvenile detention center into a homeless recovery campus, and nonprofits are building towers of apartments to get people out of shelters” (Brown) it still doesn’t seem like it is enough. There is a solution that might help, with the non-profit organization called Entryway, “The organization has partnered with the Colorado and Denver apartment associations — which have at times been at odds with those battling against evictions and for renters’ rights — to help identify and train people on the verge of homelessness to work and live in apartment buildings that need staff” (Brown). One exciting thing is that this program is set to take effect soon, “the first participants are expected to begin training in early 2024. Entryway plans to start with about 20 people in Denver the first year, growing each year after that” (Brown).

            Offering homeless people this opportunity could be huge in getting them into safe places and off the streets. This is even more important in cities with a higher population because more apartment complexes will be built, and there will be more opportunities, such as Entryway.  In the book “A Closer Look at Homelessness in the United States,” author Connor Congreve talks about the effects of homelessness on people in denser cities. This is important because it showcases that homelessness affects cities with increasing populations. A critical point that is made is that “over half a million people go homeless on a single night in the United States” (Congreve). The article also reveals the statistic that “Meanwhile, over 350,000 sheltered homeless people are found in emergency shelters and transitional housing programs. Homelessness almost always involves people facing desperate situations and extreme hardship” (Congreve). People who suffer extreme hardship deserve a place to go but are often not given that opportunity as they are seen as more of an inconvenience than anything else.

            As many tiny homes are currently being built or are in the process of being built in Denver, an important thing to realize is that they aren’t all bad. They are meant to create a place where people experiencing homelessness can get back on their feet. The article by Sam Pena on Denver 7 states, "We're basically going to go into those encampments and tell them we have a place for them," said Chandler. "We'll be able to go directly into encampments and bring people that were living on the streets, in tents, into a home of their very own in the form of a micro-community" (Pena). The article continues with him further stating, “We also wanted to look down the road longer term, what was going to be a great long-term product here for our climate in Colorado, and we feel really great about the manufactured sleeping units as a great long-term product for us" (Pena). Although these are small achievements, they are still big steps in the right direction to provide even temporary housing for those in need.

            It’s safe to say that most people would like to have a safe space to call home, and homeless people are no different. Many actions are being taken to help, but the community's empathy and compassion need to encompass these people to address many of the issues. Even with the government and supportive services often provided, there still needs to be an acceptance that homeless communities can take up space and get the help they need. With so many people being afraid of the outlook of living near a homeless community, one must wonder if the outlook would be different if the media didn’t portray homelessness in such a negative light. The DC Journal titled What My Experience Being Homeless Taught Me About Compassion shows that the biggest source of understanding is “By recognizing the homeless and showing them the basic respect that we extend to others, we can do our part in mitigating their misery. We will often find decent people underneath the rags” (Ludwig). Homeless people are still people and deserve the same type of respect that is given to the general population, as many of us could have found ourselves in such a problematic situation if our lives had been a little unlucky. It can do so much harm to a homeless person’s overall mental and physical well-being if they are rejected, no matter where they go or what they do. Hopefully, the efforts to provide adequate support, care, and housing will not be dismissed or go unnoticed as time passes, and when people have a chance to vote on these issues or otherwise make their voices heard, they will reach out a hand to help their homeless neighbors.

©️The Rosebud Writings 

Citations

 Brown, Jennifer. “How Does Colorado Solve Its Homelessness Problem? Here Are Three Programs That Could Help.” The Colorado Sun, 5 Oct. 2023, coloradosun.com/2023/10/05/homeless-housing-programs/.

Coloradocoalition. Colorado Coalition. (2024). https://www.coloradocoalition.org/sites/default/files/2024-01/2023%20StateOfHomelessness_CCH_F_0.pdf

Connor Congreve. A Closer Look at Homelessness in the United States. SNOVA, 2020. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=98e36564-f45e-32a3-a9e7-df91ec857e84.

Harris, Kyle. “Denver’s Opening 60 Tiny Homes on Santa Fe Drive to Help End Street Homelessness. Some Neighbors Say They’re Scared.” Denverite, 11 Mar. 2024, denverite.com/2024/03/11/denver-overland-microcommunity-homeless-resident-concerns-safety/.

Henderson, Andrea. “Residents Push Back against Denver Mayor’s Short-Term Housing Sites.” FOX31 Denver, FOX31 Denver, 5 Sept. 2023, kdvr.com/news/local/residents-push-back-against-denver-mayors-short-term-housing-sites/.

Jeffers, Kevin, and Jennifer Brown. “Who Is Homeless in Denver? Let’s Look at the Numbers.” The Colorado Sun, 21 Dec. 2023, coloradosun.com/2023/12/22/denver-homeless-by-the-numbers/.

Ludwig, Jeremiah. “What My Experience Being Homeless Taught Me about Compassion.” DC Journal - InsideSources, 14 May 2023, dcjournal.com/what-my-experience-being-homeless-taught-me-about-compassion/. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Peña, Sam. “Denver Receives First Batch of Tiny Homes as It Looks to House 1,000 Homeless by the End of the Year.” Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH), Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH), 1 Nov. 2023, www.denver7.com/news/local-news/denver-receives-first-batch-of-tiny-homes-as-it-looks-to-house-1-000-homeless-by-the-end-of-the-year.