Homelessnesstampa Homelessness Is a Pervasive Problem Worldwide,

Homelessnesstampa

Homelessness is a pervasive problem worldwide, and a clear reflection of imbalances in social and political power. In Tampa the situation is no different. About 10,000 individuals are currently homeless in the Tampa Bay area, according to the University of Tampa's The Minaret newspaper. What is remarkable about the problem of homelessness in Tampa and elsewhere is the lack of knowledge and understanding about the phenomenon. The media misrepresents and underrepresents the population of homeless people. Homelessness is highly stigmatized, causing the large populations of homeless people to be traumatized even more than they already are by the nature of their situation. This essay intends to educate the public about the issue of homelessness in Tampa, showing how the problem is systemic and requires a genuine shift in consciousness on the part of Hillsborough County residents.

The prevailing misconception about homelessness is that it is somehow a choice. While for a scant few individuals, homelessness is a choice, the majority of individuals living on the streets in Tampa are not doing so because they want to but because they have no other choice. Our public spaces are their homes. These are people who, like you and me and anyone else in the world, have basic need of food, shelter, and clothing. The majority: 63%, have no mental illness. The vast majority -- 81% -- do not have a substance abuse problem. Homeless people are not, therefore, schizophrenic drug addicts en masse threatening the community. Quite the opposite: homeless people are those who have a great deal to contribute to the Tampa Bay area but who have never really been given a chance to do so.

Statistics do indicate, though, that some one-third of all homeless residents of the Tampa Bay area would benefit from mental health care intervention. This is indeed a serious problem that must be addressed. What kind of society do we live in that neglects the needy? A greed-driven and self-centered society is the only type that would look down on those who have mental or physical illnesses and shun them. Awareness must be raised so that homelessness ceases to be a stigma and starts to become recognized for what it is: a symptom of social, political, and economic injustice.

When homeless is reframed as a product of social, political, and economic injustice then it becomes obvious that the problem lies less with the individual on the street than with the individual who stands by idly and does nothing. The individual on the street simply reminds the rest of us what could happen if we had no family support system to buffer our falls and failures. What happens when I cannot pay my healthcare bill? I can ask my dad for help. Most homeless people have tried that and failed; or cannot try it at all due to a lack of social support systems.

The solution to the homelessness problem rests in a total revamping of the social, political, and economic system in America. On a more manageable scale, homelessness can be combatted via a more concerted public awareness campaign. Moreover, the means by which to battle homelessness rests within our capabilities. Several organizations are using technology to remedy the problem and empower the homeless of Tampa. There are a few key Wiki projects devoted to helping the homeless of Hillsborough County. One project is the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County. Another is the Tampa Bay Homeless Resource Wiki. Homeless citizens of Tampa can avail themselves of public computer services at libraries, in order to network and self-empower. Self-empowerment is the key to overcoming the problem of homelessness in the Tampa Bay area and indeed, nationwide.

Specific goals of anti-homelessness organizations include "to secure and furnish a shared space that can house these forlorn enterprises and give them the opportunity to grow, develop and ideate," (Kick Starter). Kick Starter is an organization that recognizes that homelessness is a symbolic as well as an actual phenomenon. Metropolitan Ministries is a different organization in the Tampa Bay area. The Metropolitan Ministries actively addresses the immediate needs of the homeless in the Tampa Bay area by fundraising and contributing labor and money. Immediate needs of the homeless such as temporary food and shelter are important; but the homeless need more than just a bowl of soup.

The homeless of Hillsborough County need political empowerment. For the same reason why the Kick Starter program solicits funding for technology projects and entrepreneurs, homelessness advocacy groups throughout the Hillsborough County area should direct attention to the ways homeless people can overcome social, political, and economic disenfranchisement.