Research Memo

Brandon Ma

Each and everybody would need to work to earn some living to survive, and unfortunately not everybody has the same journey. Everyone was taught to go to school, and work hard to find a full time job to survive in the real world. Not everyone is fortunate enough and may experience many problems that impact an individual differently from everyone else in our society.

One of the many reasons that can lead people to going homelessness is gentrification. What I found out in my research was how the homeless can be impacted by personnel matters or even thing beyond an individual’s control.According to Vice News and HomeAid, a person who may have lost their full time job especially can affect their entire life. The mother of a daughter who was interviewed by Vice News, Danielle Williams, unfortunately lost her full time job and was unable to live in her apartment. She was eventually forced out of her home and is currently living in the van, one of the many people taking advantage of the safe parking program.

Currently our Mayor de Blasio, has implemented changes to help the homelessness in need. “homelessness has worsened, from 50,689 persons living in shelters at the time of Mayor de Blasio’s January 2014 inauguration to over 60,000 today”(NyDaily). He hasn’t help improved the situation of the rising homeless, however, he has attempted to improve and reduce the amount of people who may fall back into homelessness. He has improvised a “three plans to combat homelessness”(NyDaily) to combat homelessness by 2021. So by 2023, “Approximately 20 of the new shelters are to open each year for the next five years, with each community responsible for assuming shelters for its homeless “population(NyDaily) to help those in need in their perspective borough.

While there are many solutions out there, some notable ones in Vice News was this program that offers safe parking. If people have downgraded out of their apartments and have a car to sleep in, this would be a great place for people and be safe. In New York City, it will be very difficult because there aren’t too many free places to park your car for the night and it can be very dangerous. There are many places that have violence and safety can not be guarantee when you’re in sleeping in the city. Another solution is the HomeAid, an nonprofit organization, “builds and renovates multi-unit shelters for America’s temporarily homeless families and individuals”. These non-profit organizations also provides help especially in new york city where the public housing are so full, that many families or individuals are still waiting in line for an apartment from months to several years. Another solution would be more affordable housing for those who are unable to afford housing in our gentrifying neighborhoods such as “Manhattan and brooklyn”(NyDaily).

 

Work Cited

Gertler, Eric. “Combating Homelessness Today: Looking beyond Shelters – and Making It Easier to Get Housing .” Nydailynews.com, 26 Mar. 2017, www.nydailynews.com/opinion/smarter-battle-plan-homelessness-article-1.3008528.

Giraldo, Cassandra, et al. “California’s Housing Crisis Is so Bad People Are Living in Cars.” VICE News, VICE News, 6 Sept. 2018, news.vice.com/en_us/article/qvmgem/california-has-a-hidden-homelessness-crisis.

News, VICE. “The Hidden Homelessness Crisis In California (HBO).” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Sept. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wCHtOTxQak&t=20s.

Solutions, Blue Tangerine. HomeAid, www.homeaid.org/HomeAid-Stories/69/top-causes-of-homelessness.