The State of Homelessness in South Florida

We all know that homelessness is not uncommon in the US. In fact, The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty estimates that at least 2.5 to 3.5 million Americans are homeless.

An estimated 31,030 people experience homelessness in South Florida as of January 2018. Of those people, 5,302 of it experiences chronic homelessness. While 2,757 were family households, 2,543 were veterans, and 1,892 of it were unaccompanied young adults.

What’s even heartbreaking is the record of public school students who’ve experienced homelessness in South Florida. At least 72,042 public school students have been or are currently homeless in the South Florida. And this was only for the school year of 2016-2017.

Out of 72,042 students, an estimated 2,001 lacked shelter. While 8,346 slept in shelters and 8,113 were staying in hotels/motels. The rest were doubling up.

What Leads People to Homelessness?

There are a lot of reasons why people become homeless. Some of them are victims of sexual and physical abuse, while others are victims of an unjust system.

Poverty, discrimination, system failures – you name it. But, even if we already knew the root cause of homelessness, it seems that the government is still struggling to end it.

So as a normal human being, what can we do about it? How can we help those who are homeless and in need?

Helping the Homeless

Imagine seeing those people living in the streets, thinking of what they should do to survive for the day. And then waking up the next day, thinking of the same problem they had from yesterday.

Fortunately, there are non-profit organizations in Florida like Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen. They help the homeless by providing free meals, clothes, and other necessities. This soup kitchen has been feeding the homeless in South Florida for more than 30 years thanks to the generosity of its donors.

Yes, shelters and soup kitchens may not be the way to end homelessness. But it allows them to get back on their feet. Don’t you think it’s nice to help the homeless even in small ways?

Aren’t we lucky enough to have a house that we can also call home? Isn’t it nice knowing that when bad weather comes, we can find ourselves curled up under our blanket sipping a cup of hot tea?

It will be a great help for the homeless if we share our blessings. There are lots of organizations around you if you wish to help. You can volunteer your time or donate to their cause. They usually accept donations both in cash and in-kind. 

Sharing your blessings to the homeless can be fulfilling. It may not make you rich, but you can have something in return: happiness.