Letter to the editor: Is homelessness becoming a crime?

The sight of people sleeping on the streets or in tents should remind us of the work that still needs to be done in our country.

Instead, our current President Donald Trump made an executive order to tell states to treat homelessness and mental illness as a crime.

He also cut funding to programs that help the homeless. The government needs to do more to help get homeless people off the streets and have safe places to stay. And making it a crime will not solve the problem of homelessness, it only makes it worse.

As a kid living in a rough neighborhood, I see a common occurrence. Empathy seems to be running low in this day and age.

Whenever I discuss this topic with someone, some people have extreme views that surprise me. Some people argue that helping the homeless just “enables them by giving them something they didn’t earn.”

However, others argue that people need these programs and systems, not punishment, if they are ever going to get back on their feet.

I agree more with the second side. According to the National Library of Medicine, “People who are homeless face discrimination when trying to get back on their own feet by applying for jobs, or simple aid programs.”

Which could lead to further health problems.

Also, The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that the biggest reason why people are on the streets is a massive shortage of affordable housing. I do agree with some that people could be on the streets because of bad choices, but accusing every homeless person of this just ignores the much bigger issue. There simply aren’t enough homes people could afford.

Trump’s order also defunds the “Housing First” program, which has been proven to work. Housing First is meant to give people housing before trying to deal with things like addiction or unemployment.

The National Homeless Law Center warns, “Trump’s actions will force more people into homelessness, divert taxpayer money away from people in need, and make it harder for local communities to solve homelessness.”

Punishing the homeless further won’t get them housing. If we as a society want to solve this problem, local governments should fund affordable housing and mental health services.

Citizens like you and I could also make a difference by voting for policies that support housing first programs, donating to shelters, and pushing lawmakers to fund homelessness prevention. We should not hide this problem by criminalizing those in need.

Here is my question: do we want to live in a country that offers compassion for the disadvantaged, or the one whose solution is to throw them in prison?

Elijah Costalez

Centralia