The Realities of Homelessness

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The Realities of Homelessness

By Conner Houlette



    The lack of knowledge that Americans receive across and the scarcity of cheap housing in the country, in my opinion, are the main issues with how homelessness begins. I believe that there should be means to guarantee that everyone in the nation may obtain the fundamental education they require in order to restart their lives and begin working immediately in a lower-paying position. This affects me personally since there are so many homeless individuals living in downtown Portland, Oregon, and the situation is getting worse as more jobs are lost and the years pass. 

 

    With all the tents and homeless individuals wandering around, it is also visible to students at Portland State University. The quantity of unattended needles that are left on the ground is another factor that makes this a major concern to me. People in the Portland neighborhood shouldn't have to worry about tripping on needles or having their kids see needles on the ground whether going for a run or strolling to get some food or a drink while going about their day.  We should want the area around our schools to feel secure, but I believe that this community's residents don't always feel that way.  If we examine income and housing cost data for Portland, it is evident that many Portlanders spend more than 30% of their salary on housing, according to the link(s) below.


           Resources:

https://bit.ly/3C4KGvC

https://bit.ly/3Qv98eg

https://bit.ly/3QElsJf


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