Homelessness

---

This is not the first time that the homeless were so prevalent in America. The Great Depression started in 1929 after the stock market crashed. Everyone that had any money to spare had money in the stock market and so when it failed, the nation was broke. 

Homelessness followed quickly from joblessness once the economy began to crumble in the early 1930s. Homeowners lost their property when they could not pay mortgages or pay taxes, renters fell behind and faced eviction and resulted in 2 million homeless. (6) 

It took over ten years, the new deal, and a world war to completely correct the issues. People lived in “Hoovervilles” or shantytowns that were built out of whatever was handy. (6)

Today in America there are roughly 700,000 homeless, probably more since it is hard to get an accurate census count. (7) (8) (9)

There are many factors that contribute to homelessness in the United States today, including: 

Lack of affordable housing--As home values rise and the supply of housing decreases, it becomes more difficult for people to find affordable housing. 

Poverty--When wages don't keep up with the cost of housing, people may find themselves in a situation where they can't afford to live. 

Unemployment--Losing a job or having a significant reduction in hours or wages can make it difficult to pay for housing. 

Domestic violence--Trying to domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women and children. 

Mental illness--People with mental illness may have difficulty finding employment, education, and support services, and may feel socially isolated. 

Addiction--Substance abuse can be a cause of homelessness, but it's often a result of already being homeless. 

Abuse--Abuse is rarely the sole cause of homelessness, but it can be a response to living on the street.

(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)

• California: 181,399 people experiencing homelessness, which is nearly 30% of the country's total
• New York: 103,200 people experiencing homelessness
• Florida: 30,756 people experiencing homelessness
• Washington: 28,036 people experiencing homelessness
• Texas: 27,377 people experiencing homelessness
• Oregon: 20,142 people experiencing homelessness
• Massachusetts: 19,141 people experiencing homelessness
• Colorado: 14,439 people experiencing homelessness
• Arizona: 14,237 people experiencing homelessness
• Pennsylvania: 12,556 people experiencing homelessness  (1) (2) (3)

The real questions are fairly simple:

• Who is responsible for correcting the homeless issues facing us
• When do we correct those issues 
• How much will it cost ?

Who is responsible for correcting the homeless issues? I  do not believe that it is either the state or federal governments. Those entities exist only to grow and feed as parasites on the taxes they collect from the country's people. The bureaucracy would eat half the money, and it would take decades to move forward, and because we need the issue corrected now, the second part of the question is answered. It will cost billions in tax money.

The answer to these questions I believe is that it is in the hands of the American Nobles; all of the billionaires. 

The original American Nobles like Andrew Carnegie understood that building wealth was important but also knew that they could not just horde everything that they made. They needed to give back to the country; in his 1889 article,  Carnegie expounded "The Gospel of Wealth" that called on the rich to use their wealth to improve society, expressed support for progressive taxation and an estate tax, and stimulated a wave of philanthropy. (10)

So, we call on the new elite to continue that tradition. I believe that it could work this way.

Instead of taxing the wealthy at a humongous rate on unrealized gains that is nothing short of stealing their money through social-communism, we ask them to help and give them some state and federal incentives. These individuals would get tax breaks offsetting the money injected into this program; they wouldn’t make money but they shouldn’t lose any either. 

The program recruits homeless people from where ever they are squatting and are placed in learning centers. These centers would provide education in trades such as carpentry, plumbing, electrician, masonry, farming, auto mechanic, and any other occupations that are needed in the areas where they live. The schools will teach the skills of the trade as well as math, English, and social sciences in order to smoothly integrate these individuals back into society. 

While learning their respective trades and occupations they will build housing for themselves and other homeless that will come later, thus mitigating these issues. All types of occupations will be needed. Everything from secretarial services to maids and janitors to all of the trades listed. Paid and experienced people in their respective fields will instruct these people at first then as individuals graduate from the program they will be required to provide instruction to the next incoming recruits as part of a compensation package for the training. 

Since this program would benefit the states that they are located in from an easing of economic pressures, the state would reduce the taxes on the individuals in the program while they are learning in order to promote saving money for their first cars and houses. These moneys would be held by the program until graduation to ensure that the individuals do not abuse the program by frivolous spending. The length of the program would depend on the field the individual plans to work in and the amount of time required to achieve a license for that field. After graduating, each individual would be required to help instruct the next generation as part of the reimbursement package as well as an amount of “dues” that will help offset the cost needed tools for their jobs. 

After completing the program the graduates would be allowed to live in a home provided for them for the next 8 to 10 years while taking a percentage of their income and feeding it back into the program as reimbursement for the education, housing, clothing and food. These payments would be on a graduated scale and after the 8 to 10 years the individuals would go back to the regular levels of taxation for the state in which they reside and stop reimbursing the program.  

These individuals would receive health care through the program ensuring that they are healthy and fully integrated back to work. If the individual has a family that is homeless at the time of entering the program then they would be covered for all of the same benefits as the primary enrollee. Methodologies would be explored that would allow medical personnel to donate time in lieu of trade work as payment for their services. 

Schools, daycare centers, law enforcement, and emergency services would be required as well and they would be covered by the existing community at first but eventually those services would be provided by the new community.

All of these items would require more input and thought but it could be done without major taxation of anyone in the United States. There would be absolutely no need for the government to do anything except maybe a little oversight to ensure no abuses occurred.