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Abstract

Since the 1980s, the rising number of homeless people has caused the problem to become a significant political issue. Politicians have made promises in their campaigns to solve the emergency every election cycle. Most of these campaign promises never come to fruition, and we see a continuing rise in homelessness. This paper examines the political context of housing insecurity to argue that housing is a human right, and that homelessness is a failed policy decision. Homelessness comes in four different forms that all require individual attention. The current policies aimed to address homelessness cannot be one size fits all. While temporary housing shelters and cash assistance are essential to sheltering homeless people, it would be better for people to keep them in their homes. On the other hand, punitive measures enacted to punish homelessness only exacerbate the problem. Homelessness can go beyond the ideal of individual financial responsibility as some maintain minimum-wage jobs and still live on the streets. Americans must look internationally to see how some countries have bolstered housing rights and ownership to decrease homelessness. To solve the homeless crisis, politicians and voters need to understand that housing can be a human right.

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