Introduction
Social problems have the potential to affect the life experiences and health outcomes of many citizens in the affected regions. Within the past century, the American government has implemented various policies intended to meet the demands of its people and guide them to record positive social mobility. Nonetheless, homelessness remains one of the primary challenges that different agencies need to take into consideration. This discussion identifies the latest policies intended to address this social issue. The paper also offers evidence-based recommendations to improve the quality of support available to homeless Americans.
Current Policy Description and Goal
The passage of the famous McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (1987) catalyzed the launch of several programs aimed at addressing the needs of homeless citizens. Initially, the government supported the implementation of superior systems that would bring the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) together. One of the outstanding policies that delivered positive results was that of transitional housing. Yousey and Samudra (2018) observed that the program was capable of housing around 36.7 percent of the affected individuals. The primary policy selected for this discussion is the HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants programs. The legislation has aimed to address this problem by providing shelter to most of the affected individuals. The main goal of this policy is to allow the relevant federal agencies to provide adequate funds to communities to administer appropriate services and housing solutions.
Target Population
The U.S. government acknowledges that homelessness is a major social problem that has existed for centuries. Some populations are usually at risk of this problem, such as veterans, alcoholics, disabled individuals, and persons with mental disabilities. The relevant agencies identify all citizens who lack shelter as homeless and in need of immediate support. This knowledge explains why the selected policy is intended to meet the demands of homeless people since they have higher chances of developing complicated medical conditions, dying prematurely, and engaging in criminal acts (Perl et al., 2018). The federal government has been keen to introduce additional guidelines to ensure that all communities have appropriate mechanisms to support most of these at-risk individuals and positively transform their life experiences.
Funding Levels: Sufficiency
The level of funding to support this program has been varying depending on the fiscal year and the identified number of beneficiaries. For example, Nisar et al. (2019) indicate that Congress invested around 3 billion US dollars to support the program. However, HUD will award or share such funds to different communities depending on their goals and the number of homeless individuals. Although this amount appears adequate, more people remain underserved and capable of facing additional challenges (USICH, 2016). This analysis indicates that the funding approach is insufficient depending on the needs of the selected at-risk population. This gap explains why different professionals have been keen to encourage the government to invest additional funds to address this problem and make it possible for more citizens to lead better and high-quality lives.
Effect on Homeless Individuals
The selected at-risk population for this discussion is that of homeless people. Fowler et al. (2019) acknowledge that stakeholders should expand the selected category to include most of the individuals affected by alcoholism and substance abuse. Citizens living in troubled families tend to have increased chances of becoming homeless (Horton et al., 2018). Fortunately, the specifics of the selected policy reveal that it would deliver numerous benefits to most of the underrepresented members of American society. For example, the policy allows local agencies and community leaders to provide shelter to people who do not have homes. The established committees can identify key areas that require timely responses and support.
When more communities are engaged in this policy process, chances are high that additional housing units and procedures will emerge to meet the demands of homeless persons. The relevant local governments rely on the provided funds to locate and help individuals who might be having medical complications. The current level of partnership with other agencies makes the process more efficient (Nisar et al., 2019). The provision of additional financial resources is an evidence-based approach that can transform the lives of many citizens. Although more individuals are still homeless in this country, it is agreeable that the selected program will continue to deliver positive results and transform the situation. Some of the beneficiaries have been in a position to lead better lives, address their past concerns, and improve their children’s lifestyles.
Effectiveness of the Policy
The selected policy is founded on some of the earlier programs that have transformed the experiences of many Americans. For instance, the approach is presently supporting the housing demands of over 1 million beneficiaries across the country (Beralas et al., 2017). The move to equip different community-based agencies with the required resources supports the process, thereby making it possible for those in leadership positions to identify groups who are at risk. This strategy ensures that more individuals receive the intended support based on the nature of their needs. Congress reviews some of the recorded gains to understand key areas for improvement (Phillips, 2015). The ultimate aim is to allocate additional funds to different communities depending on the projected number of homeless people. Community members and institutions are encouraged to be part of the process and support the delivery of timely results.
These findings reveal that the selected policy has been efficient and capable of meeting the needs of the groups affected by homelessness. Some of the key beneficiaries have included vulnerable children below the age of 17, disabled persons, the elderly, and women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). The government promotes the use of surveillance procedures to identify some of the gains and gaps recorded after the implementation of various projects associated with this policy. Such a strategy is essential to identify the emerging demands of more victims and eventually provide the required support. However, there are specific weaknesses that affect the overall experiences of most of the beneficiaries or members of the target population (Phillips, 2015). For example, the policy is yet to address this challenge and guide more citizens to achieve their potential. Some community leaders have also failed to implement coordinated strategies to identify individuals who could benefit from the housing programs.
Recommendations
The identified housing program is a response to most of the challenges recorded in this country for many years. The federal government provides adequate funds to local agencies in different regions to identify vulnerable individuals and provide shelter based on the nature of their demands. The program has led to recognizable gains, such as reducing the number of homeless people and empowering more beneficiaries to lead better lives. Unfortunately, the homelessness predicament remains pervasive and capable of affecting more citizens in the future (Yousey & Samudra, 2018). This gap explains why there is a need for the relevant policymakers and politicians to present a new program whose aim is to identify housed people who are at risk of becoming homeless. Some of these individuals could include those living in abusive families, the unemployed, and drug addicts (Perl, 2017). The new policy will compel the government to provide financial support, job opportunities, and counseling to overcome the problem of alcohol abuse.
Another superior policy capable of delivering positive results is the introduction of coordinated local homeless systems. Leaders and social workers at the community level tend to be aware of the nature of the recorded problems and the best strategies to transform the situation (Nisar et al., 2019). Such a program will empower local agencies to collaborate and identify the best approaches to use the available financial resources efficiently (Beralas et al., 2017). They will implement plans that resonate with the personal demands and cultural attributes of the people. These proposed programs will make a significant difference and ensure that the American government addresses this problem of homelessness efficiently. Consequently, more citizens will become empowered and be in a position to lead high-quality and contented lives.
Conclusion
The above discussion has identified the HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Program as one of the most outstanding policies in the area of homelessness. The presented federal funds allow community organs to identify specific populations that are at risk and provide the most appropriate housing solutions. However, the policy has some weaknesses that all stakeholders should collaborate to address. The consideration of the recommendations outlined above will make it possible for American society to address this social predicament.
References
Beralas, A., Howell, H., & Goodsell, R. (2017). Solutions for homelessness: Global, national, and local interventions. TCI.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Homelessness as a public health law issue: Selected resources. 2020, Web.
Fowler, P. J., Hovmand, P. S., Marcal, K. E., & Das, S. (2019). Solving homeless from a complex systems perspective: Insights for prevention responses. Annual Reviews, 40, 465-486.
Horton, M. H., Dworsky, A., Matjasko, J. L., Curry, S. R., Schlueter, D., Chávez, R., & Farrell, A. F. (2018). Prevalence and correlates of youth homelessness in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 62, 14-21.
Nisar, H., Vachon, M., Horseman, C., & Murdoch, J. (2019). Market predictors of homelessness: How housing and community factors shape homelessness rates within continuums of care. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Perl, L. (2017). The HUD homeless assistance grants: Programs authorized by the HEARTH Act. Congressional Research Service.
Perl, L., Boyd, E., Duff, J. H., Fernandes-Alcantara, A. L., Granovskiy, B., Heisler, E. J., & Saco, L. N. (2018). Homelessness: Targeted federal programs. Congressional Research Service.
Phillips, L. (2015). Homelessness: Perception of causes and solutions. Journal of Poverty, 19(1), 1-19.
USICH. (2016). U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness: Historical overview. Web.
Yousey, A., & Samudra, R. (2018). Defining homelessness in the rural United States. Online Journal of Rural Research & Policy, 13(4), 1-24. Web.