Can a Universal Basic Income Help Address Homelessness?

-




Existing policies are failing to address rising homelessness. 






 









In our home of Portland, Oregon, the homeless crisis seems to be getting deeper no matter what 
“solutions” we seem to throw at it. In her article of 11/18/22, Nadia Razzhigaeva asks the important question “can a universal basic income help address homelessness?

     OK… throwing money at everyone will not solve the problem all together. But enormous money is being spent on the homeless just in emergency room visits and policing and this is due to just being homeless and living on the streets, not illness alone. Remember, living on the streets is a perfect place for violent crimes and medical emergencies that may not have become emergencies with simple, regular physician visits. Now they cost multiples more at the emergency room. We can only solve this by providing more social housing and helping with rent control. The universal income will provide for basic needs and relieve the stigma of begging for money. With socialized housing we would finally see a decline of homelessness and get our communities back to where they were and how we want them to be. We would all be happier. Of course there are those with mental illness and drug addiction that will remain on the streets. However if we can really reduce the homeless population then it would be tremendously easier to police and maintain this smaller population and get them the care they need. 


     This basic income has been spoken about by politicians and even tried in other countries. Perhaps we can lead the way on this. 



Free Helpful Resources:


https://endhomelessness.org


https://cityteam.org




Sources:


Article by Nadia Razzhigaeva 


Razzhigaeva, N. & University of New South Wales. (2022, November 18). Can a universal basic income help address homelessness? phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2022-11-universal-basic-income-homelessness.html


Andrew Clarke, Can a basic income help address homelessness? A Titmussian perspective, Journal of Sociology (2022).  DOI: 10.1177/14407833221135986


Provided by University of New South Wales 







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding Homelessness

-
Image
  Source (American Addiction Centers)      Homelessness has a myriad of different reasons it can happen. The similarity between all scenarios in which a person is experiencing homelessness is that each person is human. A popular belief is that homelessness is a choice. People believe there is a set amount of circumstances that cause homelessness and that it is a choice not to fight to get out of those problems. The problems can range from mental health issues to drug addiction. There is no one size fits all, and it is not a choice.  Over the last few weeks, I have learned that there are many factors that can lead to homelessness. One big one that focuses on our class is how affordable housing, or the lack thereof, is a significant contributor to people not getting back on their feet. If you want to learn more about that subject and if affordable housing can help, click here.   This lack of affordable housing is a big roadblock for those trying to overcome homelessness. However,
Read more

Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community

-
Image
  Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community Source: Unsplash The Facts                                                                                          According to  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 233,832 are people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the United States. Of the 233,832, 50,767 are families with children.  Currently, 30% of homeless people are adult women.  (portlandoregon.gov)   Bradley Angle , which works to support survivors of  domestic violence , reported that 70% of domestic violence reports are from homeless women. ( www.kgw.com)  Homeless women are 1/3 of the fastest growing populations HUD homeless populations. ( portlandoregon.gov)   Specifically, in Portland, Multnomah County has experienced a 20% rise in homelessness in 2023, the total amount of people homeless in Portland is currently  6,297 . (w illametteweek.com)                                                                     Source: Unsplash   The Problem        
Read more

Helping Fuel a Better Future

-
Image
Feeding the Homeless in Portland, Oregon. Back in 2011 ' Occupy Portland' set up over 300 tents to house,   feed, and check on some of the city's homelessness population . Today, tri-county officials have reported that there are more than 7,000 homeless people living within the Portland City metro area and that number only seems to be increasing. Not only do these people have to worry about not having a stable shelter but one of the biggest issues for them is their lack of food and water. Every single day these individuals wonder about what their next meal will be and where it will come from. Although this blog post is focusing on the homeless populations in Portland it's important to know that Feeding America has stated over 400,000 people in the whole state of Oregon have reported 'hungry'. That is equivalent to 1 in 10 people, so the resources I will mention below are not only for the homeless but anyone who feels they may be in need as well.  Never be afraid
Read more