The recent case of the death of a lady in a McDonald’s restaurant has rung the bell about the plight of the homeless in our city. Write an article for your school’s newsletter, accounting for the mounting number of homeless people and suggesting measures to tackle the issue.
Give a home to the homeless!
Recently, the plight of homeless is being put under the spotlight in our city. It is shocking that a lady was found dead in a McDonald’s restaurant after sitting there for a whole day. Sadly but true, it is not an isolated case. In fact, the number of homeless people is surging. According to the statistics from the government, the number of homeless people rises from 393 in 2010 to 806 in 2015 while there are still some unreported. In my opinion, there are two reasons leading to the mounting number of homeless people.
First and foremost, the sky-high rent and living cost in our city are unaffordable to the poor. Many people can only get a low-paid job and earn about a few thousands a month. On the contrary, the rent of the flat and the prices of daily necessities keep skyrocketing. So, how can the poor rent a flat after paying for their daily expenditure? It is obvious that they have no choices but to sleep on the street or stay overnight in some round-the-clock outlets. With the unreasonable property prices, the number of homeless people is therefore rising sharply.
Apart from this, the lack of financial and welfare assistance from the government comes to play. The government should have shouldered the responsibility of taking care of the underprivileged in our city. However, what we can see is not the case and the shortage of public housing is a case in point. Seeing no chances of owning a flat, the poor must turn to the government. But the response is that the poor need to queue for a long time. It is hopeless for them. Moreover, the government does not offer any extra financial help or policy to alleviate the poor situation of the homeless. Therefore, the government is to blame.
As an international city, it is shameful that many underprivileged people lack a roof. All of us should spare no pains to do our parts so as to tackle the problem.
Undoubtedly, the government should build more public housings. Instead of selling all the land to the developers to build luxurious and grand housings, the government should use the land to build more public housings for the poor and needy. This can shorten the waiting time of having a flat. What is more, the government should give priority to the homeless so they do not need to live on the street. This can curb the rising number of street sleepers. For financial support, the government can introduce some housing subsidies for those whose income is lower than a certain level. This can help the low-income people rent a flat and lessen their financial burden.
Other than the government, the NGOs can also do more. Although many NGOs have got emergency shelters and hostels for the homeless, the requirements are so strict, making many homeless unable to receive help. So, the NGOs should loosen the control over the shelters in order to help more. Furthermore, the NGOs could offer more support to the poor. Through reinforcing the outreach programme, the poor can know about where they can seek help when they have financial or health problem. The social workers can also take care of their mental health as well. Indeed, the NGOs can take a proactive attitude towards the issue.
In fact, we teenagers have a role to play, too. We can keep a watchful eye on the needy around us. Also, we can help the needy by donating money, clothes and doing voluntary work. By visiting the homeless and expressing our love to them, they will realize that there are people who actually care about them and they are not alone. Moreover, the parents and schools should inculcate the concept of financial management to teenagers so as to avoid the next generation being homeless. By doing so, teenagers can build a habit of saving and will not lead a wasteful life, which will be easier for them to own a flat in the future.
In a nutshell, the plight of the homeless is not something to be overlooked. Instead of just focusing on economic growth, the government should face and tackle the difficulties the poor meet now. We, as a teenager, should also hold a respectful attitude towards the underprivileged. It is high time we put our words in actions to turn the situation around.
Yau Yee Man Evan
6E 2015-16