Homeless U.S.A

 With the unemployment rate rising I am sure we will hear more stories about increased numbers of homeless. Due to the rise in living cost there are also people who have jobs who are homeless. I decided to share some videos I found interesting about the homeless. If you know of any documentaries which you would like to see on this blog about homeless please message me the link. Videos below:

 

*Update 9/15/2011*





The jobless in New Jersey find refuge in Tent City-This article is by Cnn and goes into more detail about the NJ Tent city.

My comment I made when I first posted about Homeless USA still holds strong and is being proven everyday. I also believe unless we gain leaders and more people who care about other people and not war, greed, selfishness; we will always face a deficit, there will always be homeless, jobless and children living in poverty. So much money is spent on entertainment, bailing out banks, wars etc. In order for real change America and its people need to change the way they think. Life isn't about who has the biggest house, the fastest car. Life is about enjoying what you have, and what is around you. As a nation we were meant to be something greater; a lead for other nations to follow. Everyday with the rise of homeless, and jobless, we continue to be the nation that falls behind. America is no longer the great nation it used to be. America can be a great nation, but in order for that to happen people must start caring about others, not just about themselves.
*End Update*


*Update 9/13/2011*
Record 46.2 million Americans live in poverty, Census Bureau says-LATimesBlog


This should be of no surprise, in August we had a job growth of 0. Minimum wage is 7.25 an hour. If you are fortunate to work 40hrs at that pay you get a balance of 295, this doesn't include all the taxes you have to pay or any other expense. A supposed good paying job pays from 10-15 dollars an hour. Even if you made 15 an hr and worked 40 hrs that would be 600 dollars, not including all the taxes to be taken out or other expenses. Truth is minimum wage should start at 15 dollars an hour. To own a car, have health insurance, an apartment, feed yourself etc you have to make about 25- 30K a year.  Anyone making under 25K has to make considerable sacrifices, anyone making less then 20K a year is in poverty. Most jobs that are currently hiring which doesn't ask for a special license/training is minimum wage. College expenses have been out of reach for many and even minimum wage isn't enough to keep a student in college on their own.

*Update 9/01/2011*

"Low-wage workers have been particularly hard hit by wage trends. More than four decades ago in 1967, a year-round worker earning the minimum wage was paid enough to raise a family of three above the poverty line (Solar, 1995). From 1981-1990, however, the minimum wage was frozen at $3.35 an hour, while the cost of living increased 48% over the same period. Congress raised the minimum wage to $5.15 per hour in 1996, and it has not been raised until 2007. In 2007, President Bush signed into law a plan that would increase the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, over two years.  This increase has not kept up with the ground lost to inflation in the last 20 years; thus, the real value of the minimum wage today is 26% less than in 1979 (The Economic Policy Institute, 2005), worth only $4.42 in real dollars (AFL-CIO, 2005). In today’s current market, a full-time minimum wage worker working 40 hours a week and 52 weeks per year would earn $13,624. This puts him nearly 25% below the $18,310 (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2009) poverty level for a family of three. This worker falls below the poverty line even after factoring in the earned income tax credit, which was created to bring low-wage workers up to the poverty line (The Economic Policy Institute, 2007). The Economic Policy Institute estimates that by 2009, the minimum wage increase will raise full-time minimum wage workers above the poverty line for a family of two for the first time in more than ten years (The Economic Policy Institute, 2007). Even after the next wage increase to $7.25, a family of three will remain about $3,000 below the poverty line, and a family of four will be more than $6,000 below it [U.S. Health and Human Services]. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of minimum-wage workers are not teenagers: approximately 79% of minimum age workers are 20 or older (The Economic Policy Institute, 2008)."-National Coalition For the Homeless

I have noticed that most jobs not just retail, but even accounting jobs, computer jobs etc, are cutting hours and not hiring full time workers. Most jobs are seeking part time employees. If the only jobs available are part time and the pay wage stays what it is now, then with out a doubt by 2012 the homeless population will skyrocket. This also means the amount of children living in poverty will also increase.


How you can help!

Feeding America is one organization which not only brings awareness to those who are starving in the U.S but it is a great org to volunteer or donate to.

The Salvation Army is a great organization to donate clothes, food, necessities to. Some locations have a store you can buy from, the money from that store goes to people who are in need.

HSD- Homeless Shelter Directory helps you locate a soup kitchen and shelter near you. You can also donate and volunteer at shelters.