The document outlines a 2000-word paper proposal focused on a personal policy argument addressing a relevant issue, including its historical context, potential solutions, and counterarguments. It emphasizes the complexity of policy claims, requiring writers to demonstrate that their proposed solutions are actionable and effective. Additionally, it covers the structure and essential components required for writing a persuasive policy argument, highlighting the importance of the conclusion and the impact of proposed changes.

1. 2000 word paper total
Project
1.
Your assignment is to propose a solution to the issue you have
identified in the last project, and then develop a policy
argument about an issue that you find to be most
important/relevant to your own life. In order to accomplish this
feat, you must determine a solution that you will argue would
fix/alleviate the issue in a unique manner (something that has
not yet been tried). Then, your job is to consider a proper
organizational pattern like the following, which is based on the
example from page 295 of your text books:
· Introduction
. What is the problem?
. Past/Current Efforts to Fix the Problem
. Benefits of Correcting the Issue
. Thesis Statement
· Cause/Effect related to your issue (based on previous project)
. Explanation as to the causes that led up to the current problem
<or> explanation as to the effects (actual and potential)
resulting from the current problem
· Recommendations (necessary steps to achieve a solution)
. What is the solution?
. How can it be achieved?
. Potential obstacles and ways to overcome them
. What exactly solution will fix, and why it will work
· Counterarguments
. Opposition’s reasons for disagreeing with your solution
. Weaken each reason
· Conclusion
. Summary of whole argument
. Looking ahead to the future (potential issues arising from

2. solution, who benefits and how the world will change
1.
Background Information:
Claims of policy are arguments that urge action. Typically, a
claim of policy ends up as a relatively straightforward
proposition — “X should be done”, but a lot of different paths
might need to be taken to reach that kind of conclusion.
A basic policy claim is an argument that something should or
should not be done. For example, arguing that marijuana should
be legalized or that a friend should try a new food are both
claims of policy. Because policy claims argue for an action,
they imply a value claim — that taking the recommended action
is better than not taking it. This, in turn, means that claims of
fact and definition become involved.
Consequently, policy claims are some of the most complex
arguments that exist. Many academic policy arguments put
forward a specific problem, and they then solve that problem
with a course of action (i.e. you should do X because it makes Y
better). Such arguments have an additional level of complexity,
because they require that writers prove that the solution actually
works.
Because policy arguments actually ask people to act in the real
world, they frequently depend upon whether or not things
‘work’ in the same way that the author claims. In other words,
they must make use of logos in order to demonstrate that they
have validity.
College students frequently write policy arguments. Typically, a
policy argument at the college level involves grappling with a
single issue or justifying a single course of action. This
argument must then be placed into a meaningful context. The
student has to argue that the relative merits of the policy

3. outweigh the relative costs. It might be possible to reduce the
problem of shoplifting rather dramatically, for example, if all
shoplifters are simply executed. Are the merits of this approach
worth the costs? The answer will vary from reader to reader,
and a student’s essay on the subject would have to consider how
readers will weigh the implications of such a policy.
Finally, policy arguments need to identify who has the power to
take meaningful action in a situation. They must then make an
argument that suggests why those with the power should, in
fact, take the action.
What to avoid
One of the biggest reasons policy arguments fall apart is that
they fail to distinguish between doing something and doing
something that matters. Students should avoid thinking that all
solutions are created equal. Sometimes, a supposed solution
actually just makes things worse (e.g. the fabled ‘I’ll help you
deal with your stubbed toe by hitting you with a hammer –
chances are you aren’t worried about the toe anymore, even if
nothing is improved).
Another reason that policy arguments fall apart is that they fail
to identify an entity (an agent) that could take the desired
action. A simple, personal argument (eat less and exercise) at
least attempts to convince individual readers to take action.
However, an argument about lowering tuition or gas prices has
no clear person or group who is supposed to do the lowering.
Counter Argument Paragraph Example
Some people will argue that many parents do, in fact, discuss
sex with their children and therefore a class in school is
unnecessary. However, parents will probably not be able to
cover all of the material covered in a school course due to lack
of proper education on various topics. Parents may also find it
extremely uncomfortable discussing these matters with their

4. children. Dr. Johnson (2016), a sociology professor at Stanford
University, reminds his audience about the perils of leaving
children to figure out answers to sex-questions on their own:
“schools have long, thorough hiring practices that allow them to
hire only the most qualified people to teach children, which is
vital for children’s sexual development” (p. 246). Teachers are
qualified and capable of answering many questions that parents
may not be able to, nor want to, and therefore kids have an
excellent resource at their disposal when in school. While
parents are important and should be involved in discussions
with their kids about sex, schools can play an important role as
well.
Conclusion Writing
Start by restating the thesis statement (just like you did in the
introduction – thesis root + reasons), but say it in a unique way.
Consider maybe writing all of the points being made concisely
instead of listing them all out.
In the first half of the paragraph, connect the Reasons to each
other:
· How does the Reason’s arguments help support the other
Reasons?
In the second half, explain how exactly each Reason’s argument
contributes to proving/arguing that the Thesis is true:
· How does each Reason support the Thesis?
· What is the logic behind these three Reasons proving that the
Thesis is true?
· How do the Reasons connect to the Thesis?
Finally, talk about the future:
· If your argument is accepted, how does that fix or change the
issue overall?
· Will this issue lead to new problems that will have to be
solved?
· What is the effect on the people/community directly affected
by your argument?

5. Remember also that if you used an example or scenario in the
introduction (background paragraph), the conclusion is a perfect
place to discuss the conclusion of that specific situation. This
helps bring the whole essay full circle.
Introduction:
o What is the problem?
o Past/Current Efforts to Fix the Problem
o Benefits of Correcting the Issue
o Thesis Statement
Cause/Effect Relationship
o Cause/Effect 1
Evidence
Evidence
o Cause/Effect 2
Evidence
Evidence
o Cause/Effect 3
Evidence
Evidence
o Cause/Effect 4
Evidence
Evidence
o Cause/Effect 5
Evidence
Evidence
Recommendation
o Agents:
Ability to carry this out:
Evidence:
Evidence:
Power/Authority:
Evidence:
Evidence:
Agents’ stake:
Evidence:

6. Evidence:
o How does it work?
Step of Implementation
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Timetable
Maintaining in the Future
o Why will it work?
Reason (Support) 1:
Warrant 1:
o Evidence:
o Evidence:
Warrant 2:
o Evidence:
o Evidence:
Warrant 3:
o Evidence:
o Evidence:
Reason (Support) 2:
Warrant 1:
o Evidence:
o Evidence:
Warrant 2:
o Evidence:
o Evidence:
Warrant 3:
o Evidence:
o Evidence:
Reason (Support) 3:
Warrant 1:
o Evidence:
o Evidence:
Warrant 2:
o Evidence:
o Evidence:

7. Warrant 3:
o Evidence:
o Evidence:
Counter Arguments
o Summary of the reason that the opposition would still
disagree with the argument
Rebuttal
Evidence
Explanation
Concluding Statement
o Summary of the reason that the opposition would still
disagree with the argument
Rebuttal
Evidence
Explanation
Concluding Statement
o Summary of the reason that the opposition would still
disagree with the argument
Rebuttal
Evidence
Explanation
Concluding Statement
Conclusion
o Summary of whole argument
o Potential issues arising from solution
o Who benefits
o How the world will change
o Looking ahead to the future
specifically, you will be graded on the following:
Grading Criteria
Essay Specifics
Explanation

8. Length
2100 to 2500 words
Maximums and just as important as minimums, so make sure the
story is limited to ONE event/situation
Format
APA Format
· Times New Roman Font
· 12-point font
· 1-inch Margins on all sides
· Uniformly double-spaced (no extra spacing anywhere)</
ORGANIC FOOD IS BETTER FOR YOUR HEALTH
Beth
April 10th 2019
Composition 2
Annotated Bibliography
In the new Century of Foods. Many choose food they purchase
simply for nurturing their body. Some Choose the food they buy
off the sale price never taking into consideration the risk they
are putting themselves and family at. I’ve searched for proof
that organic food is healthier to digestive, not only for taste but
for nutrients. Organic food has benefits of higher nutrients that
help cancer causes effects.
Patil, K. (2019, April 3). 9 Amazing Benefits Of Organic Food.
In Organic Facts . Retrieved from
https://www.organicfacts.net/organic-products/organic-
food/health-benefits-of-organic-food.html
Kiran Patil is the founder of Organic Facts. He has a been
interest in health, nutrition, and organic living. He completed
his B.Tech and M. Tech (Chemical Engineering) from IIT
Bombay and has been actively writing about health and

9. nutrition since over past 12 years. Patil explains what organic
food is, how it is beneficial to our life, and what are the
standards for organic foods. Patil says organic food is better for
our health overall. Patil says research shows that there are more
antioxidants and nutrients in organic food than in conventional
foods. Also, he isn’t bias to conventional foods do have a
similar and close call to antioxidants and nutrition, but overall
says organic is just better. Studies have shown that organic
food holds more antioxidants and nutrients than conventional.
Mole, B. (2014, July 18). Organic foods may contain extra
antioxidants. In Science News . Retrieved from
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/organic-foods-may-
contain-extra-antioxidants Wikipedia contributors. (2019,
February 17). Chuck Benbrook. In Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:43, April 10, 2019, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chuck_Benbrook&ol
did=883773408
Mole writes that with just the change to organic foods you can
increase nutrients and have more antioxidant intake a cancer
causes nutrient. Charles M. Benbrook is an American
agricultural economist and former research professor at the
Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources at
Washington State University, He holds a bachelor's degree in
economics from Harvard University (1971), as well as an M.A.
(1979) and a PhD (1980) in agricultural economics from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison In July 2014, Benbrook was a
co-author of a meta-analysis of 343 studies examining the
nutritional differences between organic and non-organic food.
studies finds that, compared with conventionally grown foods,
organic plant-based foods packed 20 to 40 percent more
antioxidants and around 48 percent less cadmium, a cancer-
causing metal.“The totality of the evidence is that there are
higher levels of nutrients in organic foods,” says study co
author Charles Benbrook. Benbrook also wondered if the

10. increase in antioxidants is directly caused by organic farming’s
and lower use of pesticides, Benbrook felt it was because plants
make some antioxidants as defense against pests, and organic
crops may suffer more from pests.
Ramesh, R. (2017, January 24). Higher Energy Levels and fewer
disease: Health benefits to an organic diet . In The Economic
Times . Retrieved from
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/highe
r-energy-levels-and-fewer-diseases-health-benefits-of-an-
organic-diet/articleshow/56750246.cms
Rashmi Ramesh a software professional explains her outcome
for herself after changing over to organic foods. Ramesh said
after intake of organic foods from a friend’s farm there was no
looking back, Ramesh says after 1 year "My energy levels are
higher; we have fewer diseases – especially my young son who
easily catches a cold if he eats store bought guavas, but is
healthy when he eats the organic ones” Dr Krishna Kumar,
founder of Keva Ayurveda, Bengaluru Health Care, said,
Organically grown vegetables have better efficacy, nutrients get
absorbed faster and digest faster. The cost is much higher for
organic food since the crops take much longer to grow. The
benefit I see is much powerful. Digesting These chemicals are
linked to diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s disease,
hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and infertility – you name
it and it’s there. Look at the wax on the apples we get these
days, even green leafy vegetables don’t have that fresh taste
that they did when I was growing up about two-three decades
ago. Then, there was only organic food; inorganic farming was
not this relevant at all."
Barr, A. (2002, May 8). Consumers Union Research Team
Shows: Organic Foods Really DO Have Less Pesticides. In
Consumer Union Reports . Retrieved from
https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/cu-research-
team-shows-organic-foods-really-do-have-less-pesticides/
The Consumer Union explored the USDA data that showed that
73 percent of conventionally grown foods had at least one

11. pesticide residue,while only 23 percent of organically grown
samples of the same crops had any residues. The study showed
More than 90 percent of the USDA’s samples of conventionally-
grown apples, peaches, pears, strawberries and celery had
residues, and conventionally-grown crops were six times as
likely as organic to contain multiple pesticide residues.
There still is no study that shows the long term effects of high
amounts of pesticides and chemicals in our food, but have been
linked to breast cancer and many other causes cancers. Brian
Baker, a co author of the study states that "If we take the results
as a whole, the evidence is very convincing that-as you’d
expect-there are fewer residues by far in organically grown
foods. Baker has conducted research in organic agriculture
systems since 1983. received a Ph.D. from Cornell University,
and held a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of
California at Berkeley. A good portion of his career was spent
with the California Certified Organic Farmers.
Retrieved from https://www.organic-research.net/tipi/tipi-
council/brian-baker.html
Myer M.D., A. (n.d.). A doctor's top 4 reasons to eat organic .
In MindBodyGreen. Retrieved from
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14763/a-doctors-top-4-
reasons-to-eat-organic.html
Amy Myers M.D, writes how great-great-grandparents subsisted
on a completely organic diet but over the century farming and
diet has changed. Meyers says “You can’t expect to fuel your
body and achieve optimal health by eating food, laced with
toxic chemicals, that your body doesn’t recognize” Pesticides
and herbicides are by their very nature toxic, and your diet
chronically exposes you to these dangerous poisons.
There is genetic engineering alters crops to make them
weather- and pest-resistant. GMO Corn for example was
combined with bacteria in order to produce its own insecticide,
called Bt-toxin. Bt-toxin kills insects by destroying the lining of

12. their digestive tracts. The poison is not specific to insects and
also pokes holes in human cells, damaging the intestines and
causing leaky gut. Overall Myers M.D. describes what the
“clean fifteen” and “dirty dozen” are hile shopping. Explaining
fruits and vegetables like avocado, sweet potato and onions
have thick skin and if conventional grown have the least
pesticides. She recommends to stick to organic for a healthier
lifestyle.
Wales, M. (2018, May 1). WHY ORGANIC FOOD IS MORE
SUSTAINABLE. In Nature's Path Organic . Retrieved from
https://www.naturespath.com/en-us/blog/organic-food-
sustainable/
This article explains how organic crops are grown v.s.
Conventional. Mary Wales a communications / marketing
professional and writer with a focus on healthy and sustainable
food and agriculture. Wale explores what exactly goes into our
soil. Wale says Organically grown and produced food uses a lot
less of the toxic fertilizers and pesticides that can deplete soils
over time and pollute our water supply that we consume. This
also rebuilds soil health and stops harmful chemicals from
getting into our water supplies that we consume. Water and soil
are two extremely important resources necessary for growing
food. Wale says Eating organic is eating sustainably! Organic
food is a long-term solution resulting in less soil and water
pollution, a decreased reliance on oil-based fertilizers and
pesticides, greater biodiversity, and less greenhouse gas
emissions overall better for your food intake and air you breath.
Rabin, R. C. (2018, October 29). Can Eating Organic Food
Lower Your Cancer Risk? New York Times, pp. D4, D4.
Retrieved from
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/23/well/eat/can-eating-

13. organic-food-lower-your-cancer-risk.html
This publish Roni Rabin a writer for the New york time writes
about a tests from a french study where 68,946 volunteers who
were 44, and mostly women. Every participant provided
information of what they eat, drink, down to smoking and
drinking. Participants were studied for 5 years and gave 24-hour
records of their intake. The study for most frequent consumers
of organic food had 76 percent fewer lymphomas, with 86
percent fewer non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, and a 34 percent
reduction in breast cancers that develop after menopause.
The most frequent of organic food consumers had 25 percent
fewer cancers overall than those who never ate organic. This
study done has proven many of the pesticides found in
conventional foods and not found in organic foods, like
malathion, diazinon and, herbicide glyphosate cause an
increased risk to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and breast cancer.
“We did expect to find a reduction, but the extent of the
reduction is quite important,” said Julia Baudry, the study’s
lead author and a researcher with the Center of Research in
Epidemiology and Statistics Sorbonne Paris Cité of the French
National Institute of Health and Medical Research.
Julia Baudry is an epidemiologist of nutrition. Specialist in
issues related to sustainable consumption and its challenges, she
has published articles on the consumption of products from
organic farming, its determinants and correlates, as well as its
impacts on health, particularly within the framework of the Bio
Nutri-Net project. Baudry obtained a doctorate in epidemiology
of nutrition in 2016 in Paris.
Baudry, PhD, J., Assmann, PhD, K. E., Touvier, PhD, M., Allès,
PhD, B., Seconda, MSc, L., Latino-Martel, PhD, P., ... Kesse-
Guyot, PhD, E. (2018, December). Association of Frequency of
Organic Food Consumption With Cancer Risk Findings From
the NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort Study. In Jama Network.
Retrieved from
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-
abstract/2707948

14. Retrieved from https://expertes.fr/expertes/69726-julia-baudry
Less Pesticides
http://time.com/2978648/organic-food-pesticides-antioxidants/
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/12/science/earth/study-of-
organic-crops-finds-fewer-pesticides-and-more-antioxidants-
.html
https://www.naturespath.com/en-us/blog/organic-food-healthier/
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14763/a-doctors-top-4-
reasons-to-eat-organic.html
More antioxidents
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/organic-foods-may-
contain-extra-antioxidants
Reduce head ache

15. https://www.naturespath.com/en-us/blog/organic-food-healthier/
Higher Energy Levels
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/highe
r-energy-levels-and-fewer-diseases-health-benefits-of-an-
organic-diet/articleshow/56750246.cms
Organic foods are believed to be safer than conventional ones,
and it has natural origins, which makes it a reasonable choice.
According to the requirements of the British Soil Association,
organic food should consist of at least 95% natural ingredients
(Soil Association). “Natural” means the ingredients should
come from the plants and animals grown or bred without any
chemicals or artificial nutrients. In the United States, there also
exists strict requirements for the products labeled as organic:
the U.S. Department of Agriculture has enabled a special
certification program that requires organic food to meet specific
standards.
In correlation to this, customers should pay attention to the
labeling on the packaging of food products. If it says 100%
organic, this means the product has been manufactured without
the use of any chemicals or artificial additives; simply organic
means the product consists of 95% natural ingredients
(MayoClinic). Returning to the standards of organic nutrition,
organic food cannot contain, in particular, such ingredients as
synthetic fertilizers or pesticides; genetically engineered
organisms; raw manures cannot be used to fertilize fields as
well, because of its potential contamination (Canadian Living).
The other 5% of ingredients are allowed as they are not
available in organic form, and for non-food ingredients (such as
salt, water, and a restricted number of additives like iron or
thiamine).
Organic food is known to be healthier than conventional food.

16. According to recent research in the United States, organic food
contains an average of 63% more calcium, 73% more iron,
125% more potassium, and 60% more zinc compared to
conventional food products.This is not to mention the fact that
common food is about 25% more toxic than the food produced
from natural components (Canadian Living). Besides, many
people claim it tastes better than other products.
Organic products—not only food, but also textiles and
cosmetics—are becoming more popular among people globally.
Though the price of organic products is often higher than
regular ones, its safety, healthiness, and natural origins fully
compensate for this disadvantage.
A HOMELESS UTOPIA12
A Homeless Utopia:
Homeless Shelter by the Homeless, for the Homeless
Honors Student
May 12, 2018
College

17. Introduction
The Department of Health and Human Services describes a
homeless person as an individual who lacks housing, including
an individual whose primary residence during the night is a
supervised public or private facility that provides temporary
living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in
transitional housing (U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, n.d.). There are three types of homelessness:
Unsheltered, Sheltered, and Doubled up. Unsheltered
homelessness is an individual living on the streets, camping
outdoors, or living in cars. Sheltered homelessness is an
individual staying in emergency shelters or transitional housing.
Double Up homelessness is an individual that is residing with
family or friends temporarily (SAMHSA, 2017). The U.S.
Government should construct self-sufficient communities for
the homeless population, because this would create the ability
for individuals to become a working part of society and allow
government time and money to be focused on other major
economic issues. The reason homelessness can be an issue is
because it can create dirty urban streets and sidewalks, increase
in pan-handlers, and increase crime and drug use. Some
benefits of reducing homelessness can be cleaner city streets
and less crime.
Homelessness is a major problem in the United States. In 2016,
564,708 people living in the United States were homeless. Of
that total, half a million were living on the streets, in their cars,
shelters, or in a transitional housing during a one-night survey
of the same year. These statistics were provided by Social
Solution

18. s.com, a company that assists Non-Profit organizations with
resources and tools that help them measure progress in the
world (“2016’s Shocking Homeless Statistics, 2017”). There
are four major contributors to why homelessness exists:
addiction, work force, affordable housing, and
economy/poverty.
Causal Relationships
The relationship between addiction and homelessness is
complex and controversial. Many people who are addicted to
alcohol and drugs never become homeless, but people who are
poor and addicted are clearly at increased risk of homelessness
(“Homelessness in America”, 2018). The following statistics
were provided by the Michael’s House Organization, nationally
recognized for providing integrated treatment for drug and
alcohol addiction. According to Michael’s House, about 38% of
the homeless abuse alcohol, alcohol abuse is more common
among the older group within the homeless population, about
26% of the homeless abuse drugs other than alcohol, and drug
abuse is more common among younger homeless people than
older (“Connection between Homelessness and Addiction”,
2017)
Businesses are screening out unemployed applicants under the
perception that anyone what has been laid off must have been
let go for performance issues. With job openings being rare
(and often requiring advanced degrees for even general labor

19. jobs) and many people being available to fill them, employers
will understandably be choosier than during better times (Shay,
2017). With these two negatives for the work force, it really
limits a homeless person not only in the skills they can learn,
but also puts them at a disadvantage for getting the correct
education for the future.
Affordable housing is one of the biggest, if not the biggest,
issue that causes homelessness. Today, there is much focus on
creating permanent, supportive housing for people who
chronically experience homelessness due to disability or health
issues, but building affordable housing takes too long in most
cities because of political foot-dragging, municipal agency
delays, and the painstaking process of raising money from
multiple sources. Because of this, affordable housing is not
being built at a pace fast enough to end homelessness
(“Homelessness in America”, 2018). This makes getting to the
end of the epidemic harder and harder to achieve.
Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked. Poor people
are frequently unable to pay for housing, food, childcare, health
care, and education. Difficult choices must be made when
limited resources cover only some of these necessities.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the national
poverty rate in 2016 was 12.7%. Two factors help account for
increasing poverty: eroding employment opportunities for large
segments of the workforce and the declining value and

20. availability of public assistance (“Homelessness in America”,
2018). This is from The National Coalition for the Homeless, a
national network of people who are currently experiencing or
who have experienced homelessness, activists and advocates,
community-based service providers, and others committed to a
single mission.
Photo depicts homeless man in unnamed city. Photo provided by
Pixabay.com
The Proposal
To combat the homeless epidemic that has occurred in the
United States, there are a couple of ways that America can
change. The proposed solution to this issue is building a
homeless community run by the homeless, for the homeless.
For something like this to become a reality, it would require the
United States government to support this idea, as well as supply
funds and building supplies for the construction and upkeep of
these newly built “Homeless Community Centers”. The reason
the U.S. government can make this change is because they are
the highest single body of individuals who can enforce laws and
bring change to the entire U.S. population. While the
government may think that there is a huge risk or stake
involved, it is quite the opposite. There is proof that supporting
the homeless can save a city money. In a study performed at
the University of Pennsylvania, Professor Dennis Culhane
showed that New York, after providing affordable housing,

21. saved the city over $16,000 per homeless person, per year. In
the same study, it was also found that Denver, Colorado saved
$15,000 and Portland, Oregon saved $25,000. The savings were
due to a reduction in city-financed emergency medical care and
criminal justice proceedings (Budge, 2013).
To start to create a homeless community, there are first 3 steps
that are needed. The first is to secure financing for the
construction of the shelter. The second step is carrying out the
construction of the actual shelter, including location,
employment, and housing. The third step is creating a self-
sustained workforce and future training/support for the eventual
departure from the shelter. The hope of this proposal is to not
only provide shelter for hundreds of inner city homeless people
but to also give them the tools need to succeed and the ability to
create a strong work ethic and develop life skills. This solution
should only be a temporary fix to a permanent solution;
however, with this proposal, the general population can benefit
from having more people added to the work force.
Unfortunately, with the way the United States government is
run, there can be no set time table for when this can be
implemented or when it will be completed. To get ahead on the
homeless issue, it would be wise to start this process as soon as
possible. This way, with proper organization and follow
through, in the future years this issue can be subsided. A good
way to make sure that this solution is a permanent fix is to

22. enable volunteers/staff to offer classes, on the job training, and
set up guidance counselors that will help the homeless
individuals come up with a 5-year plan. This plan will be a way
to make sure the homeless people are provided with the right
materials to fit their plan and staff can hold them accountable to
that plan and make sure that they fulfill their plan.
The first reason building a homeless community shelter will
work is because there are already hundreds of small, homeless
shelters open in all parts of the United States. There are
multiple issues with today’s homeless shelters. Some of these
issues include discrimination against LGBTQ people, not
allowing pets, fear of contracting diseases, an invasive and
disrespectful check-in process, dangers of theft, religious
differences, and the number one issue, lack of beds (Shay, Jan.
2017) However, with my proposed change, these shelters will
not only be constructed and have jobs available strictly for the
homeless, but it will be very similar to a nursing home or even,
comparatively speaking, a college campus.
The second reason building a homeless community shelter will
work is because there have been similar attempts that almost
worked in the past. One example is taken from a book written
by Scott Seider, an assistant professor of Education at Boston
University School of Education, titled, “Shelter: Where Harvard
meets the Homeless”. In his book, he talks about the only
student ran homeless shelter in America, located inside the

23. basement of a church in Harvard Square. The students who
work there are volunteers and do everything for the shelter.
They clean the facility, serve and cook breakfast, lunch, and
dinner, talk with the guests, provide information about and
referral to various agencies, and, most importantly, make all the
decisions. In this book, Seider uses data collected, consisting
of interviews, attendance at shelter functions, and his own
experience as a volunteer (Seider, 2010). The reason that this
has worked before is because through this program, the
homeless community in the Harvard area had shelter and full
staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This shelter was not
without its own problems though; shelter rules were
inconsistenly applied, the students lacked professional skills,
and structural issues such as the need for affordable housing
continued. With proper structure and training, this could be
very similar to the proposed idea.
Photo provided by Pixabay.com
The third reason building a homeless community shelter will
work is because there will be jobs, training, and resources
available, as well as the ability to gain job experience and life
skills. The homeless community will have the ability to acquire
jobs in field they are interested in, like cooking if they want to
be a chef or construction if they want to be a construction
worker or carpenter. The ability to get job training and

24. experience is an opportunity that most homeless people do not
have on a daily basis. Research consistently shows that people
experiencing homelessness want to work; in fact, many
homeless people are employed but often make under the poverty
line. Researchers with the Department of Labor’s seven-year
Job Training for the Homeless Demonstration Program “found
that with the appropriate blend of assessment, case management,
employment, training, housing and support services, a homeless
individual can secure and retain jobs and that contributes to
housing stability” (“Overcoming Employment Barriers”, 2013).
With the proper preparations and tools available, homeless
people should be able to get and retain employment, leading to
house stability.
Counter-Arguments
Some people argue that homeless people, as a community, are
bad due to do illegal drug and alcohol use prior to becoming
homeless. In a study performed in the United Kingdom, 80% of
respondents revealed that they had started using illegal drugs
after they had become homeless, not before. According to
Didenko and Pankratz (2007), two professionals that work with
the homeless community, “There is nothing new about the idea
that people on the street self-medicate to relieve life’s stresses.
After all, the non-homeless population also uses more alcohol
and other drugs when they have trouble coping in their world.
Nor is it surprising to learn that alcohol consumption is key to

25. acceptance in the homeless subculture, and thereby supports the
causation theory” (Didenko, E. & Pankratz, N., 2007). What
these two professionals are stating is that after observation, the
assumption that every homeless person used drugs or alcohol
prior to becoming homeless is false. This could be a reason for
someone to become homeless, but there is not enough evidence
to back up the claim.
Another argument people assume is that all homeless people
already had a chance at affordable housing, why should they get
another chance? However, affordable housing has positive
effects on everybody, not just the homeless. In a study done in
Seattle, it was shown that homeless alcoholics placed into
permanent affordable housing showed a 33% decline in alcohol
abuse. After finding affordable housing, the population became
less dependent on drinking daily. In the same study, it was
documented that children who live in permanent housing do
significantly better at academics. With these two examples, it
was demonstrated that both homeless alcoholics and homeless
children both are positively affected by affordable housing
(Budge, 2013).
The last argument people could make is that the government
should not be involved in helping the homeless community, it
should be up to fellow citizens and private organizations.
While not entirely false, it should fall on everybody (the
Government, the citizens, the homeless, and everything in

26. between) to rise and help our fellow man in a time of need. In
an example provided by Mary Ruwart, a leading expert in
libertarian communication, “The government spends about 70%
of tax dollars to get 30% of tax dollars to the poor. The private
sector does the opposite, spending about 30% or less to get 70%
of aid to the poor” (Ruwart, 2013). Private sectors tend to give
a higher percentage of their donated money directly to the
homeless, as the government gives a much lesser value. An
issue with this is the government atones for more of the overall
market, as there is more money donated to government run
charities over the private organizations. If they were combined,
or worked dependently on each other, the homeless community
could only benefit more.
Ending
In conclusion, we have discussed what homelessness is, the
problems homeless people face, the effect it has on the general
population, and how to solve it. Homeless individuals lack
housing, including an individual whose primary residence
during the night is a supervised public or private facility that
provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual
who is a resident in transitional housing (U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, n.d.). Homelessness is a national
problem that can be fixed if the population banded together and
stood up. While I do understand that it is physically impossible
to completely eradicate homelessness, with building a homeless

27. run community as proposed, we can create a high-functioning
group of individuals that can help make a difference in this
country. I will leave you with the following question; “What
can we do?”

28. References
“2016’s Shocking Homelessness Statistics”. (2017, June 21).
Social