Homelessness is nothing new to our nation and has increased dramatically over the past decade. (Baum, 1-4) For a growing number of people, work offers little, if any, protection against homelessness. Low levels of national unemployment do not mean that all workers are wealthy. (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 is a person who lacks a fixed and permanent nighttime residence, or whose nighttime residence is a temporary shelter , a welfare hotel, or any public or private place not intended for the accommodation of human beings.” (Baum, 8) A rather misleading definition when considering 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 nation. In 1987, the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act was signed into law. (Burger, 68-83) However, our government has distanced itself from the need to address the causes of homelessness. Instead our government has focused on the individual responsibility of those left homeless, blaming their misfortune as their own fault. (Baum, 5-9) It is this belief that has helped increase the number of homeless people in our nation, and it is this belief that will continue to do so if our government does not take a more careful and realistic look at 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. Right now 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 college. Some are victims of AIDS, many are elderly, many are children, some are disabled vets, others are illegal immigrants, and many homeless people hold down full-time jobs. (Berger) 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 one step away from losing their homes for a variety of reasons, such as a sudden media emergency or an unexpected h...... middle of paper.. . ...vegetables. The new legislation should provide incentives for states to address homelessness, something they have never done in the past. To solve homelessness nationwide, we, as a people, must work with representatives from our community, state, and federal government to share ideas, information, and resources. We must work together to actively recruit service providers, decision makers, private sector partners, and people who are or were homeless to collaborate on policies and solutions. Works CitedBurger, Steve. “The truth about homelessness.” October 13, 2014.http://www.iugm.org/families.htmlBaum, 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 Feb 92: 15.Hess, Robert. “Helping people get off the streets.” USA Today Magazine January 2013: 18.Karinshak, Carole. “Teaching Homeless Adults.” Adult Learning September 2011: 28.Shinn, Marybeth. “Housing is the best cure for homelessness.” New 2012: 6.