Homelessness is at an all time high in the United States. There are about 750,000 Americans homeless on any given night (Naeh.org 2000). They are the people that live on the street, sleep in their cars, or are staying in a shelter. They have become homeless because of three main factors: lack of affordable housing, poverty, and availability of public assistance.
             All homeless people share one thing in common; they do not have a house (Naeh.org 2000). The lack of affordable housing is one of the main reasons that people become homeless. They cannot afford the high cost of rent houses today, which force them to become evicted and put on the street. It puts people that already have houses at a greater risk of becoming homeless also.
             Another factor of homelessness is poverty. Over 11% of the population of the United States has been stricken by poverty (Census.gov 2000). Many people do not make enough money to support their basic needs. Those people are frequently unable to pay for housing, food, and health care. Many times, it comes down to not being able to pay for all of these necessities. Housing is usually the one that gets dropped because it costs the most and is the least important in times of crisis. Minimum wage is just not enough money to survive in today's world. A person making minimum wage could not even afford a one-bedroom apartment with today's living expenses.
             Many people need help or assistance to overcome problems that have happened in their lives. They cannot deal with these problems by themselves and require assistance from other people to aid them. Many of them include alcoholics/substance abusers, the mentally ill, or battered women. Because of loss of benefits, low wages, and unstable employment, many families leaving welfare struggle to get medical care, food, and housing. That is why many families need welfare to survive. Without it, many people would end up on the streets and...