Argumentative Dialogue: Should the government provide low-income houses?
I’ve recently heard a politician saying that the government should offer more affordable housing to low-income housing. You know, I do support this idea because there are more than 1 million people in the country who are either homeless or can hardly afford permanent housing (McNamara, 114). In the future, this number of such people may double (McNamara, 114). At this point, they have virtually no opportunities. So, I think that the government can and should help them with finding proper housing.
I am not sure that I can agree with you. You are looking at this problem from a utopian point of view. There has always been some form of inequality in any society and it will always exist. Besides, don’t you think that it is unfair to people who worked very hard to pay their mortgages. They may say that they deserved the same support from the government.
You may be right to some degree, but the task of government is to help those citizens who are in trouble. I still think that affordable housing should be provided to low-income people. The thing is that lack of permanent housing often results in crime, for instance, robbery, burglary, or even murder (Dempsey and Forst, 337). Remember such people have nothing to lose, and they are engaged in illegal activities. If we want to resolve many of our social problems, we should start with housing.
You seem to forget that crimes are not necessarily committed by homeless people. I think that it is a very far-fetched argument to believe that more affordable housing can resolve every social problem. Such an approach will hardly help the country overcome its difficulties.
Maybe, you are right, but more housing will benefit not only adults but children and teenagers as well. Many low-income people have children who are exposed to the same risks. Perhaps, the government cannot care about every adult living in the country, but their children have a right to good housing since without it they will have no chance of achieving any status within the society.
Certainly, these children must live in healthy conditions, but I think they have many other needs, for instance, education or healthcare. Perhaps the government should first address these needs. In my view, such an approach would be more rational and less expensive.
Yes, but at first people need a place to live in. Remember that lack of permanent housing is particularly harmful to a child. It is quite likely that this child may use drugs and eventually turn to violence (Arrighi and Maume, 20). Besides, people, who lack permanent housing, are more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses (McNamara, 165). This is why affordable housing is crucial. Affordable housing is not a form of luxury; it is the cornerstone of society.
It seems that you overemphasizing this problem. Keep in mind that the behavior of a child does not depend on the availability of housing. In my opinion, schools are much more important. Similarly, public health is more determined by people’s lifestyles and the effectiveness of medical organizations. At any rate, you are following the ethics of purpose or principle, but you completely overlook the consequences of such a program.
Do you mean that the costs will be too high?
Yes, it will be necessary to fund such a program and this may result in significant budget cuts, for instance, the government may have to reduce the spending on healthcare, social security, or education. Besides, it will be necessary to find a space where new houses will be built. I think that this policy can harm many people. You should not overlook the potential drawbacks of this idea.
Well, I think that many inner-city areas have become virtually desolate. I think that such areas can be used for such projects. I know that these inner-city areas may not be the best parts of a city, but this is the only available option. In my opinion, the government should make use of this land. This is a chance that public administrators should not turn down.
However, but you should remember that such inner-city areas usually have very high crime rates (McNamara, 94). I think that such housing programs will put an extra burden on the police. The strategies that you are advocating can make life in modern cities much more dangerous. Again, don’t turn a blind eye to the consequences of such a policy.
Of course, such a problem does exist, but it will become even more acute if low-income people will not have any access to permanent housing. By providing affordable houses to low-income people, the government will only make one of the important steps in helping them.
All right, but you do not say how such a program can be funded. You cannot deny the fact that the country is passing through a period of economic crisis. How exactly will the government find finances for such a project?
Well, I think that you overemphasize the problem of funding. It is possible to conduct fund-raising campaigns for this purpose, and I am sure that a substantial amount of money can be collected. Besides, the government can reduce its expenditures on the military industry. In my opinion, such cuts will not have any adverse effects. They will not affect the wellbeing of many people.
Are you sure that with the help of budget cuts, the government can effectively finance the construction of houses for low-income people? As far as I understand, it is a long-term project and its implementation can be affected by many factors that can hardly be predicted. It is quite probable, that affordable housing programs will never reach their main goals.
I am not saying that such a program can be completed within one or two years. Most likely, it will last for more than one decade. However, proper planning and risk management can minimize possible threats. Now we are speaking about the details of implementation, but we have to determine whether such a project is necessary.
Well, if the potential pitfalls of such a project can be avoided, then I may support your idea. Yet, I still think that such an initiative will be difficult to implement. It is far more complicated than you think.
So, you don’t deny that more affordable housing should be offered to low-income families.
You have partly convinced me, but such a program still needs more discussion. But I admit you have changed my views on this problem.
Works Cited
Arrighi, Barbara, & Maume, David. Child Poverty in America Today: Families and Children, Washington: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007. Print.
Dempsey, John and Forst Linda. An Introduction to Policing, New York: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
McNamara, Robert. Homelessness in America, New York, ABC-CLIO, 2008. Print.