This can include families who are breaking up, adult children forced to leave home, and any number of other situations (Editors, 2006). New York City has made it a priority to prevent homelessness as part of its comprehensive Action Plan for the Homeless, which is mandated through 2009. This plan includes ideas on how to prevent homelessness, redirect more homeless to shelters, create "viable alternatives" for the homeless, coordinate services so people are not "dumped" between them, and provide more housing options. As of 2005, the Action Plan was at least indirectly responsible for reducing homelessness by 10% in the city. It seems the plan is working, and other cities would do well to implement an appropriate plan for their own areas. Traditionally, most people have looked at homelessness as a problem of demographics and personal attributes. However, more researchers now understand homelessness is more than demographics; it is a sociological problem that society must face and alter. New York City's study of the homeless indicates that at least a small percentage of homeless people prefer their lifestyle to entering a homeless shelter. Some cannot stay off drugs or alcohol, while others do not prefer the shelter lifestyle's controls, and still others fear the shelters because of violence and other issues (Editors, 2006). Society must alter the homeless shelter experience to help get these people off the streets, but there also must be a shift in the overall view of the homeless. Many people feel the homeless are responsible for their own plight, and must be responsible for pulling themselves...

While this may be true, many homeless people simply do not have the skills or mental capacity to get off the streets. These people need more help, and they need more compassion from society. More compassion equates with more opportunities for the homeless population, and the most desperate homeless as well. Ultimately, the best way to serve the homeless is to prevent homelessness in the first place. Author Baumohl states, "[H]elping homeless people without preventing homelessness is like bailing a boat without fixing the leaks: it might keep things from getting worse, but it will never solve the problem" (Baumohl, 1996, p. 187). As New York's plan shows, it takes comprehensive planning, more housing resources, and income increases to veterans, the elderly, and the disabled could help stop the spread of homelessness in America.
In conclusion, the recent Action Plan in New York City indicates the depth of the homeless problem in America today, and the steps major metropolitan areas are taking to combat the problem. Many other cities, such as Los Angeles, need to create far-reaching programs that can help the homeless today and prevent homelessness in the future. Homelessness is a major social problem in America, and we must learn to deal with it to create a better, more equal society for everyone.

References

Baumohl, J. (Ed.). (1996). Homelessness in America. Phoenix: Oryx Press.

Editors, (2006). Action plan. Retrieved from the NYC.gov Website: http://nyc.gov/html/endinghomelessness/html/action_plan/action_plan.shtml21 Nov. 2006.