Homelessness

Throughout our lives, we are told not to “judge a book by its cover”, yet deep down no one is free of bias and believing in certain stereotypes. It’s a natural thing that everyone is subjected to at least once in their lifetime, yet the negative impacts of it can be avoided so long as we are properly educated. Such stereotypes could be about others of different backgrounds, gender, and even class. One common group that is constantly faced with negative stereotypes is the homeless. Society has typically perceived homeless individuals as “lazy”, “homeless by choice”, as well as not mentally stable and dangerous. Perhaps you have these beliefs because of any experiences you may have had in the past, but the truth is that many of these conceptions are misconceptions. Before taking these stigmas as true and thinking poorly about the homeless population, you must look at the statistics and facts.

As of 2023, around 650,000 people in America were reported to be homeless, and within this number, 180,000 of these individuals lived in California, which means that our state alone boasts over 30% of the nation’s homeless population. As large as it is, these statistics will only continue to increase as time moves forward due to various reasons, many of which are as a result of the 2024 election. With the ending of this event, Proposition 32 was not passed by California which essentially would have increased the minimum wage of workers in California. In addition, Proposition 5, which would have helped California’s housing crisis was also voted against. Not only will Californians not get an increase in their wages, but the price of homes would also increase, harmfully impacting the homeless population. A large number of homeless individuals also do not partake in voting because they are not fully aware of what it entails, which only puts them at even more of a disadvantage.

When it comes to homelessness, the facts speak for themselves, they are neither “homeless by choice” nor simply “lazy”, the truth is that the majority of them are simply unfortunate and unlucky. Many people are one medical bill away from being homeless, not just in California. They are pitted against society, which looks down upon them when it isn’t their fault for the position they are in. And speaking of unfortunate circumstances, the death of a teenage boy named Jose Zamora in Santa Clara occurred recently. You may think, many deaths happen every day so it is ordinary, but what makes this case unique is his reason for death: Suicide due to being bullied by his peers about his homelessness. Homelessness is not something that should be mocked, nor used as a tool for bullying those who are affected by it, yet more cases like this will only continue as the issue of homelessness lingers. Being homeless is not something done voluntarily, it is something forced upon individuals due to the actions of others. Before you judge someone for being homeless, recall these details so that similar cases to the one mentioned above can be avoided in the future.