a word on homeless people

A Word on Homelessness

On any given night there are 564,000 homeless people in the United States, giving it the deplorable distinction of having one of the highest rates of homelessness among developed nations. Given that politicians frequently debate this issue, it is valuable to give it some consideration and look at how other countries handle it.

With the recent economic downturn, homelessness has become a bigger issue in Spain. This may seem logical considering the current rate of unemployment in the country, but historically the government has taken measures to protect the poor and disadvantaged in its country. However, things have changed since the crisis began and the government began tightening its belt. Couple this with the skyrocketing number of evictions due to payment default and you have the makings of a social disaster. Interestingly, the attitude of these less fortunate people, and that of the government towards them, is notably different than in the U.S.

Begging in Spanish cities is not the same that you see in Los Angeles or New Orleans, where you sometimes feel like the person is conning you or guilting you into giving a little bit. It may happen that way in Spain, but overall, it is a simpler statement: "I´m poor, the economy is horrendous in this country, can you give me some change?" Local governments  and the general population seem to understand the situation; there seems to be a lot more sympathy and understanding that this could happen to anyone at anytime.

This sympathy is reflected in the attitude of people in Spain and the U.S. A great example is that, with a severe cold front approaching one week in Galicia, the local authority visited the banks to drop off coats, hot drinks and blankets to the homeless as they took shelter in the ATM rooms. This would not readily happen in the U.S. because the interests of the business would supersede that of the individual. The homeless person would not be allowed to sleep in the ATM room because it might disturb more fortunate patrons, patrons that fear the homeless. Granted, there are institutions that provide for the homeless here in the United States, but in general, they are somewhat scorned in this country. There is less solidarity, and this attitude bleeds in to the rest of the country's culture and identity.

The United States built itself around the sacredness of private property, and its cultural identity grew out of the assumption that it is of the utmost importance. While there is no doubt that it is important and must be protected, it is increasingly relevant to study other countries' ideologies and adjust our national consciousness if it is found that we can learn from them.