What should be done about the scarcity of low-cost housing and the large population of homeless people roaming the streets?

Federal Agencies and the Homeless

After the terrorist attacks of September 11th , 2001 , the United States government shifted its focus from infrastructural , social and economic maintenance to a security and defense orientation . This would be underscored by the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the massive upheaval of government agencies . With an ailing economy and questionable tax laws in place , this recalibration would result in a dramatic shortfall in available resources for other important areas of governance . Among them , the homeless problem in the United States has experienced an

intensification , due both to the flagging economy and the diminished available of responsible agencies . In to address the homeless problem in America , it is necessary to dispatch the proper agencies with sufficient resource and oversight

The agency which is most primarily responsible for the administration of programs designed to assist the homeless , and especially those who are homeless and suffering with mental illness , is the U .S . Department of Health and Human Services (HHS . Its central role in monitoring or sponsoring all programs , services and campaigns related to public health makes it an important vehicle through which legislation is implemented to aid the homeless

Specific aspects of its relationship to America 's homeless problem are derived through its role as the arbiter of grant moneys for a variety of programs which either directly or indirectly attempt to meet the issues of the specific demographic at hand . The groups which directly attempt to assist the homeless and which , in this role , are recipients of HHS grant allocation , fulfill a range of distinct needs or problems affecting the homeless . Each of these is correlated to some aspect of public health , such as in Health Care for the Homeless (HCH , which is centrally focused on helping the homeless gain access to primary health attention , consultation of substance abuse issues or referrals in some capacity for in-patient treatment . All of these opportunities directly relate to the root needs of those homeless individuals suffering from mental illness and , moreover , the program attends to the inextricable relationship between these factors and the continuity of one 's homelessness by offering counseling on services relating to housing and welfare eligibility

Naturally , it is of the utmost importance that such an agencies is bestowed with all the financial , facility and personnel demands required for this very challenging responsibility . With a new presidential administration on the close horizon , it is hoped that such areas of social service will take priority over such interests as foreign warfare and the creation of thus far ineffective homeland security measures

There must be balance in the level of standardization applied to allocation , demonstrable in both the long list of state-based programs eligible for grant funding and in the centrality of local programs in truly meeting homelessness head on . There are innumerable groups and organizations receiving federal , state and local funding in to carry out crucial community orientation activities such as the initiation of housing sites , the organization of charity drives and...