Briefly discuss the reasons for increase in the number of homeless and the possible solutions. ...

There are a variety of reasons for the large increase in the number of homeless. Deinstitutionalization of state mental hospitals is one cause. Cutbacks in social services by the federal government is another. Urban renewal projects have demolished low-cost housing in many areas. The shift from blue-collar jobs to service and high-tech jobs in our society has sharply reduced the demand for unskilled labor. Another factor has been a recent trend to ignore members of our society who are unable to fend for themselves. Most of the homeless are such because they cannot afford the housing that is available; our country does not have a commitment to a social policy of providing affordable housing to the poor. The majority of the homeless are not mentally ill, but simply too poor to afford available housing.
Solutions to the dismal conditions in which the homeless are living include low-cost housing, job training and placement programs, and community services for those with emotional problems.