Reflection 2: Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?—Reflecting on Our Attitudes Toward Homelessness

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),  there are currently over 500,000 homeless individuals in this country—and it's getting worse. This is most evident in our nation's biggest (and wealthiest) cities, where homelessness has become pervasive. And while many Americans consider homelessness to be a national shame, an increasing number of us are becoming indifferent, even hostile, toward the homeless. In surveys, Americans routinely say they are concerned about people living on the streets, but in practice, suggestions of a homeless shelter in our neighborhoods is often swiftly met with NIMBYism. Meanwhile, many cities, at a loss to deal with the epidemic, have fashioned anti-homeless laws, designed to curb the presence or behavior of homeless people. What are your own views of the homeless. Do you engage  with them? Do they scare you? How empathetic or indifferent do you find yourself being toward them?

Cite from at least two of the following:

• "Study Tracks Changing Perception of Homelessness" (Yale Daily News)
• "Americans Want to Help the Homeless—As Long as They Don't Get Too Close. This Explains Why" (Washington Post)
• "Rethinking Your Encounters with Homeless People" (Psychology Today)
• "Attitudes Toward the Homeless Affect Us All" (Daily Californian)
• "Homeless Deserve Opportunities, Not Contempt" (The Daily Texan)
• "The City That Will Never Let You Sleep" (Topic)

Required:

• MLA Style
• Approximately 300 words
• Works cited 

Due: Wed 2.19