Unemployment and homelessness is something I feel very strongly about. It's always on my mind because my father has been bouncing on and off of unemployment for a few years now, and I'm always worried about what would happen if he stopped getting unemployment. That would mean a few things for my family.. 1) No health insurance 2) No school for me 3) $$?? I am constantly looking online for my dad, trying to find him a job. No luck yet (fingers crossed)...
So while all of this is going on, I wonder how my life would be different if I were homeless, and I've always wanted to do more research on the topic. The Boston Rescue Mission does a great job in trying to get everyone off of the streets (Boston Rescue Misson) and they do so much more. They have a great program where women who are recently out of prison and deal with all sorts of addiction problems can go there and get the help that they need. Otherwise, many of these women, would be out on the streets. They help prevent homelessness, and help those who have already lost so much.
I think one great thing that a lot of communities are starting to build is affordable housing. For example, just in our own community, the city of Lynn created a 10-year plan in 2005 to create more housing for those living on the streets. The National Alliance to End Homelessness has a great map on their website. It shows how many states, cities and towns have these 10-year plans to help end homelessness. (Map) If every state, city or town had a plan like this, we could all end homelessness, and eventually, get our homelessness (and unemployment) rates down.
-Alyssa
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