How can we help homeless people in our community?

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Helping Homeless People
A report compiled by the Housing and Urban Development (2015) shows that homeless people in the United States were 564,708 in 2015 (The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) To Congress 8). The report indicates a steady decline in the overall number of homeless persons in the U.S. whereby homeless people were 590,364 in 2013 and 576,450 in 2014 (The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) To Congress 8). Despite the steady reduction in homelessness in the recent years, society has to do more to ensure that at least everyone finds a home. Society can help homeless people in several ways as will be explored in this paper.
Firstly, society should ensure that homeless kids enjoy comfort. According to Urban and Housing Development (2015), about 23 percent of homeless persons in the U.S. are below 18 years (The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) To Congress 8). Children are innocent victims who most often find themselves in the streets due to dysfunctional families. Homeless children deserve the basic human rights – food, shelter and at least an education (Burt 68). Shelters should be more willing to receive homeless children. That way, the homeless children can afford food and shelter. Children can also be accorded bedtime comfort through being provided with warm duvets, an initiative already being undertaken by Project Night Night.
Secondly, society should provide food to pets of homeless persons (Burt 15).

About 5 to 10 percent of homeless people are believed to possess dogs and cats as their pets (The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) To Congress 8). The pets not only offer companionship to homeless persons, but also they offer protection. The pets require food as well as the veterinary care that are daunting tasks for the homeless persons. Homeless people mostly rely on handouts that may not be adequate to sustain them and the pets. Thus, the pets are forced to run away, and in some cases, they fall sick and pass away. This increases the psychological trauma of the homeless people from the lack of companionship. Society can support organizations such as Pets of the Homeless that offers food and veterinary care to help pets of homeless people.
Thirdly, the society should offer assistance to veterans (Burt 47). According to Urban and Housing Development (2015), homeless veterans were 47,725 in 2015 (The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) To Congress 50). The number of homeless vets is on a steady decline whereby homeless veterans were 55,619 in 2013 and 49,689 in 2014 (The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) To Congress 50). The steady waning of homeless veterans can be linked to increased monetary assistance by the government to organizations countrywide aiding poor veterans. Society can collaborate with nonprofit organizations, such as U.S. Vets which helps veterans to find affordable housing as well as employment. Employment provides a basic income to the veterans which they can use to cater for themselves.
Lastly, the government should increase its involvement in the affairs of homeless people. The National Coalition for the Homeless is one group that plays a vital role towards a reduction in homelessness (Burt 15). The group pushes public policies geared towards ending homelessness and also advocates for the rights of homeless persons. The Bring America Home Act is one of the main policy by the group, which if enacted by the federal government will significantly reduce the number of homeless people.
It is evident that the number of homeless people is still high despite the effort by the government and nonprofit organizations to end homelessness. Consequently, the society should devise more ways to end homelessness. The emergence of various nonprofit organizations geared towards ending homelessness is a remarkable development towards ending homelessness. Society should increasingly collaborate with these nonprofit organizations to end homelessness.

Works Cited
Burt, Martha R. Strategies for reducing chronic street homelessness. DIANE Publishing, 2004.
The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) To Congress. 1st ed., Te U.S.
Department Of Housing And Urban Development: OFFICE OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, 2015, https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD.