September, 19, 2016

Dear Future President of the United States:

I believe that everyone should be able to afford a home.

I believe that everyone in America should have a place to call “home.”

I believe that everyone should have a place to sleep comfortably and safely at night.

Imagine coming “home” to a small bench in the park after a long day of work that you hardly get any money for. You sit there, wishing that you had a safe place to eat, sleep and raise a family.

Unfortunately, people all over America have to go through this every day, and that’s why we need to do something about the homelessness problem.

As the leader of our country, it is your responsibility to listen and respond to the needs of the people. Over 600,000 people in America do not feel safe and secure - because they do not have a home. There is not enough being done about the big homelessness issue in America. People lose their homes - or never get homes because of the low minimum wage, natural disasters, mental illness, divorce costs, and so on. There are so many solutions for these problems, but not enough is being done.

It has been reported that over 50% of the federal budget is spent on the military. As the president, you should reduce the money spent on the military and put it into health, jobs, and housing. Here is an example of how this money can be used: The minimum wage in the United States is $15.25, however, that is not the “living” wage. The living wage is $19.80. This is the amount of money that you would have to get to afford a home, food, water, and the necessities that you need to live. You might notice that the minimum wage is less than the living wage, therefore, the minimum wage must be raised so that people working minimum wage jobs will be able to afford their life necessities. Some people say that the military is there to protect, and that is the most important thing, but there are many unnecessary funds that can be cut, such as unnecessary weapons. I believe that putting this money into health, jobs, and housing will help the homeless greatly.

We are looking for a president who will do something about this. A leader who will put their best effort in to solve these kinds of problems. A person who is hard-working, honest, and empathetic. And lastly, a person who cares about its people and the future generation.

Sincerely,

Marisa