Homelessness is not new to our country and it has increased significantly over the last ten years. (Baum, 1-4) For a growing number of people, work offers little, if any, protection against homelessness. Low national unemployment levels do not mean that all workers are well off. (Baum, 21-24)What is homelessness? As defined by Stewart B. McKinney, for purposes of the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, "a homeless person (homeless) is a person who does not have a fixed permanent night residence, or whose residence night is a temporary shelter, a social hotel, or any public or private place not designed as a sleeping place for human beings. (Baum, 8 years old) A rather misleading definition if we consider the fact that homelessness is not a natural state, but one created and maintained by political agendas. Our government is not doing everything it can to combat homelessness in our country. In 1987, the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act was signed into law. (Burger, 68-83) However, our government has moved away from the need to address the causes of homelessness. Instead, our government has focused on the individual responsibility of those who find themselves homeless, blaming their misfortune on their own fault. (Baum, 5-9) It is this belief that has contributed to increasing homelessness in our country, and it is this belief that will continue to do so if our government does not take a closer look and more realistic way the causes of homelessness. in our nation. Unless our government commits to ending homelessness through public education, policy advocacy, and technical assistance, homelessness will become a national disaster for the United States. Currently, our government is not doing everything it can to put in place the solutions needed to combat homelessness. Who are/where are the homeless? Many homeless people have completed high school. Some have completed their university studies. Some are AIDS victims, many are elderly, many are children, some are disabled veterans, some are illegal immigrants, and many homeless people have full-time jobs. (Shepherd) They are found not only in cities, but also in small towns, rural areas and affluent suburbs. (Christian). Some even constitute the "hidden homeless" (Christians), or people who are on the verge of losing their housing for various reasons, such as a sudden medical emergency or an unforeseen situation...... in the middle of a paper... ... late. New legislation should incentivize states to address homelessness issues, something they've never really done in the past. To solve the homeless problem nationally, we must, as a people, work with our community, state and federal officials to share ideas, information and resources. We must work together to actively recruit service providers, policymakers, private sector partners, and people who are or have been homeless to collaborate on policies and solutions. Works CitedBurger, Steve. “The Truth About Homelessness.” October 13, 2014. http://www.iugm.org/families.html Baum, Alice and Donald Burnes. A Nation in Denial: The Truth About Homelessness. Boulder: Westview, 2011. Christiansen, Elaine. “The SRI Gallup Study on Recovery from Homelessness.” » October 13, 2014 http://www.iugm.org/gallup.html/Franklin, D. “Homelessness is a housing problem. » Health February 92: 15. Hess, Robert. “Helping people get off the streets.” USA Today Magazine 2012: 6.