Dear Future President,

Isn’t it crazy that on any given night, there are over 600,000 homeless people in the U.S.? (www.HuffingtonPost.com) That is nearly a quarter (22%) of Chicago’s population This clearly means that this is a major issue that needs to be fixed. About a year ago, when fall was just beginning, I saw the same person sitting by a bus stop, everyday for two whole months. Although she had a shopping cart full of her items, it appears she had nowhere to sleep, eat, or even live. You and I may not know what that feels like, but I can only imagine what it must be like to have nowhere to sleep, eat, or live. We as a nation, need to significantly reduce homelessness in this country.

According to www.hudexchange.info, 138,149 people (nearly one-quarter of all homeless people), are children under the age of 18. That’s 138,149 children in this nation feeling lonely, unneeded, worthless, every single night. We talk about how the children of this country are the future, but how can they be the future if they don’t have the opportunity to live right now the right way? I personally, surveyed 15 people from a foreign country over the age of 30, and I asked if living in this state would have been harder now or then. All but one said that now is harder. In fact, one person I asked said in quote “The world out here is much more dangerous, and feeling worthless is the worst state of mind for one whose brain has not fully developed. No one should ever have to feel that way”. This is a national issue that needs to be fixed for us as children, and for our future and yours.

Many people may argue that solving the problem of homelessness should not be fixed by the government because it is quote “not the government’s responsibility to take care of people, they are not babies. The homeless have arms and legs that God gave them to work, ’They just don't want to overcome because they are just lazy. They once had a good life but the decided to take a different direction”. Research proved that 9 out of 10 people said that it is in fact the government’s job to help take care of us. Really, the government majorly provides schools, homes, stores, and food.

So what can we do as a nation to reduce, or even eradicate homelessness in the U.S.? Recently, I have found possible solutions on this major issue. One that stuck out to me was the state of Utah. They had an ambitious goal in 2015 that would end chronic homelessness called “Housing First”. If you don’t know what this program is, the meaning is basically in the name itself. The idea of Housing First says that housing for them comes first, and then services later, but they do have to pay some rent. This will give the homeless an opportunity to get back on their feet while having somewhere to live and sleep, rather than the on the streets. And this program also provides for the chronically homeless. The idea for the ill, people who are abusing alcohol and drugs, resisting help, and unable to keep a job and committing crimes, to give them an apartment, buy them furniture and even appliances, no strings attached. This will give the ill the opportunity to take care of their personal responsibilities and then when they are better, they may start looking or jobs. This idea has been tested 3 times, all 3 times successful. Thank you for taking the time to read this, hopefully you take this into serious consideration, and understand this can be fixed if we work together. We need to eradicate homelessness in the United States for our future.

Sincerely, 

Victoria Z.