We are so used to seeing homeless people on the streets, that we sometimes forget the repercussions of not having a place called home. UN estimated that 100 million people were homeless worldwide. While 1.6 billion lack adequate housing. Around 2% of the world’s population is homeless. These figures are truly shocking and it demands our immediate attention.
Homelessness is a crisis that should not be ignored any longer!
Here are some of the problems faced by homeless:
1. Hunger and Nutrition 2. Mortality and Injuries 3. Infectious Diseases 4. Sexually Transmitted Diseases 5. Mental Health Issues.
Harsh weather conditions become a life threatening problem for people without shelters. With no roof over their heads, they become more vulnerable to diseases and violence. Not having a place to call a home is a real problem faced by millions of people around the world and it is time, we stepped up.
What Are The Solutions?
Temporary Shelters
Every city around the world should have shelters for homeless people. The government should set up tents and shelter to give homeless people a place to sleep, eat and live. With the low cost and different sizes of tents available, temporary shelters can help provide a basic right that every person in this world should have. It is cost effective, long lasting and the right first step to combat the homelessness crisis.
Education
Portable schools are low in cost and easy to set up. It would help homeless children acquire basic skills that would be beneficial to them and to the whole country in the near future. This is being carried out in Pakistan, where street schools are being set up to help and educate children. Giving children a goal and a purpose would help them get better jobs and a way out off the streets. It would help stimulate the economy and be a great investment for mankind.
Encourage Foster Care
Foster Care is an alien terminology for a few countries. The government should support the foster care program. It’s a program provided by the State for minors who cannot live with their parents. They can live with unrelated Foster parents or their other stable relatives. The program can vary depending on the seriousness of the issue. It would give children adult supervision and a roof over their head.
Shelter As A Right!
We believe that shelter should be a basic human right and every person in the world should have that. We believe that NGOs around the world need to make homelessness a priority issue and declare basic shelter as a human right. Having a roof over your head during harsh winters is not enough. People should have the option of public or private shelter 24/7, 365 days a year. When we realize shelter as a basic human right, we can truly change the narrative and bring real change to this world.
The Government and charitable organizations should play an active role in solving this issue. We as individuals should also help the homeless in any way possible. Getting them a job, offering them food, give them basic medicines and hygiene products, set up portable toilets. There is so much we can do to help them but the most important thing is to give them a sense of belonging and a place called home.