Tre’jen Weber

1st hour

Lack of Shelter

I believe that the lack of shelter is easily

one of the biggest global problems, and
we as a society have not done enough to
help.
Why do I care about this?

This topic hits home for me because me and my family have had our own troubles with finding
places to live.

What are problems associated with this?

Hunger, unsanitary conditions, and even death can be associated with lack of shelter.

Who is impacted by this?

Almost every country globally. In a 2015 Study by Habitat states that 1.6 billion people in the
world lack adequate housing.

● The problem is around all of us: A 2017 study by the National Alliance to End
Homelessness studied that over 9,000 in Michigan are currently experiencing
homelessness
● The last time the United Nations tried to gather up a survey in 2005, they estimated that
over 100 million people in the world were homeless

Speech:

Growing up moving from household to household, packing up and leaving the place that you
think you’d call home eventually can either discourage or influence a young mind. All my life i’ve
lived everywhere in my town, with each living situation becoming worse and worse. Sometimes
not evening knowing if I will have a place to sleep at night. I am a firm believer in that in order to
help yourself, you must help others first. I, and most my fellow peers have not done enough to
help the homeless crisis not only in America, but around the world. Our naivete does not stem
from a lack of awareness, but not knowing how to contribute to end the issue has plagued us as
a society. In a 2015 study by Habitat for Humanity, over 1.6 billion people globally lacked
adequate housing. The problem has not distanced itself from around us either. The US
Department of Housing and Urban Development analyzed that over 550,000 people in the
United States were homeless. Substance abuse can have a correlation with being homeless.
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, 38% of homeless people depend on
alcohol, and 26% used drugs.

Every country around the world faces problems with homelessness, with the some of them
calling it a epidemic. In a study by IRIN News, over 7.5 million people in South Africa lack
stabilized housing. The continent of Africa as a whole has suffered from poverty for years, and
due to the increasing population and agricultural deficiencies, the number of homeless people
and poverty stricken homes are guaranteed to increase.

So how can we help with the situation? The problem with homelessness will forever be a battle
that we’ll probably never fully comprehend, but it does not have to be a battle that we will lose.
Actions like giving away clothing, food, and housing materials can make a difference.
The term “another man's trash is another man’s treasure” has become more and more
prominent throughout the years.