Introduction
Homelessness is a serious problem in the USA and is one that seriously affects the socio-economic structure of the country. The problem is more intense in the urban metropolis as it is hard to eradicate. Homeless people are often found on the streets of many US cities and Phoenix is one of the large cities in the country faces chronic homelessness.
Homelessness as a problem needs to be eradicated because homelessness is a symptom of the proliferation of poverty and violence. Many cities in the US have sought to fight against the increasing signs of homelessness, especially among war veterans. Homelessness has also increased cases of violence in many parts of the US.
Because of these socio-economic problems that homelessness causes, it is important to eradicate the issue to push across inclusive development. This essay studies Phoenix as a case for homelessness and studies what has been and can be done to tackle the problem by city authorities.
The problem of the homeless and the process of tackling it is a problem that Phoenix has faced since the seventies. Various models have been adopted to eradicate the problem, but the general formula to control the issue has been through the exclusion of the homeless from the main city as lepers into the territorial confinement of the slum-like abandoned warehouses called the “The Zones.”
Even though, there emerge various socio-political problems in the process of eradication of the problem, a more inclusive perspective may become helpful in tackling the issue. This essay argues that the homelessness issue in Phoenix has so far been handled in a non-inclusive manner.
However, a more tolerant approach would be more beneficial to solve the problem. Homelessness if tackled simply as economic impoverishment and not as a social stigma will help more in the eradication process.
Homelessness in Phoenix
Homelessness, as a problem in Phoenix, has a historical base and did not evolve recently. The city experienced a growth in its population at the beginning of World War II, and the growth of the city was indirectly related to the downturn of other US cities. This problem in Phoenix arose with the end of the Second World War. Military personnel migrated to the city due to the availability of employment in the local military station (Santos A14).
The increased defense spending and industrialization process in the post-war period helped in the growth of the city. However, the development that the city experienced was not inclusive.
The development of the city may be segregated into three areas – the suburban areas where the middle class developed with the aid of the pollution-free electronic industry, the south of the Central Business District (CBD) where the industries that emitted most pollutants were located, and the inner city which did not enjoy many industries or employment opportunities.
The business model of the city concentrated mostly on the development of the uptown and the plush suburban areas, while the inner city perished in lackluster poverty. Thus, the inner city became a slum of perishing businesses. With the development process underway, the city authorities erected massive monuments of development such as the Civic Plaza, but the downtown city remained neglected.
It was not until the late seventies that the authorities started considering the need to revitalize the city and prevent the expansion of the homeless population in the city. However, even during this period, the popular belief was that the homeless population in Phoenix was the primary deterrent to the development of the city. The redevelopment process cleared the city of all homeless shelters present in the city.
On the other hand, the warehouses on the south of CBD were closing down, thus being a breeding ground for the homeless population of the city. Thus, the abandoned warehouses became shelter to the innumerable homeless population of Phoenix city. This area is often called “The Zone” or the “Twilight Zone” due to the high crime rate in these areas such as drug abuse, prostitution, street crimes, etc.
The problem of the homeless population became significantly high in the mid-eighties when the city government started coordinating services for the homeless in “The Zone”.
The issue that arises in the context is the development of a separate area within the city that creates a special space for the homeless. The campus approach to tackle homelessness helps in concentration of the rehabilitation services concentrated in one area and legitimizes a separate space for the homeless in the city.
On the other hand, the campus system is not inclusive in its approach and pushes the homeless to a quarantined existence that stigmatizes them for life. The reason for this separation is to create a separate business and living space for the middle class to live and do business.
The essay argues that the revitalization process of tackling the problem of homelessness in Phoenix is done using this separatist model to segregate the downtrodden from the elite middle class. This creates a process of estrangement deepens the ingrained distrust among the rest of the community. A separate space for homeless creates another economy, another society, and another city separate from the main city of Phoenix.
Eradication of Homelessness
The approach of the authorities towards homelessness is biased by social prejudices that constraints their outlook towards the problem. The root cause of homelessness is unemployment and poverty. The unavailability of the basic amenities of livelihood results in the development of other social issues. Economic impoverishment is the root cause of the problem.
The poverty eradication program will be the first step towards solving the problem of homelessness in the city. Instead, the effort of the city authorities has been to provide a cosmetic solution to a problem that has deeper roots. The revitalization schemes in Phoenix attempts to relocate the homeless and create a model city where the middle class migrate and do business.
However, the process completely excludes the homeless and the poor. The efforts of the city authorities to revitalize the city has led to the eradication of the homeless from semi-permanent slum-like shelters to more remote and unhealthy locations.
But the homeless are not included in the developmental programs. Authorities create separate programs to rehabilitate the homeless, but not one program attempts the development of their economic status. The exclusion of the homeless into a separate space is deemed important to demonstrate to prospective investors that they can do business in the city without any intrusion of the unwanted criminal element namely “homeless” (Aceves 15)
The identification of city space for the homeless directly identifies them as the “other” and criminalizes the act (Aceves 14). Phoenix, like many other US cities, criminalizes the act of homelessness as a violation of human rights and explicitly shows that the homeless are not welcome in the city. Such laws further stigmatize the homeless population by condemning the daily acts that they have to do in public.
The image of the homeless as depicted by the law enforced in the city makes homelessness a flaw in the character of the incumbent and criminalizes all private acts performed in public. Phoenix, in its attempt to revitalize the metropolitan area has pushed the homeless further into the confinement of a socially unhealthy space.
Before creating provisional shelter for the homeless population, it is essential to create a model of inclusive growth for the homeless population. Their predicament is not only poverty but also social exclusion and stigma that permanently brand them as outsiders. The aim should be to create an inclusive model of the revitalization of the city.
Summary of the Issue
The homeless population in Phoenix, like any other city in America, faces ultimate social stigma. The US government has undertaken an ambitious program to eradicate homelessness by 2020. The Phoenix government has undertaken an attempt to provide temporary housing to the youths and veterans in Phoenix. However, these housings again create a separate space for the homeless.
As homelessness among families is one of the fastest growing categories in the city, it is essential to provide complete rehabilitation to these families. Such families also include children who are helpless and cannot provide for themselves. Lack of education facility among children should be eradicated to prevent the creation of another generation of homelessness (Kreisher 7).
Hence, simply providing temporary overnight shelter and monthly poverty allowance will not help the homeless people to survive. The most important aspect of this rehabilitation process should be an inclusive attempt rather than a process of exclusion. The attempt of the city authorities should be to solve the integral problems that strive for the homeless population in Phoenix.
Seclusion of the homeless as a separate and stigmatized social class creates greater problems of increasing criminal activities. A pragmatic approach would be creating housing units for the homeless in the region where they are located instead of pushing them to different areas.
Conclusion
Homeless people in Phoenix are mostly concentrated in the metropolitan areas of Maricopa County that comprises almost 91 percent of the total homeless population of the city. The city authorities have to take a supportive approach towards the homeless and not treat them as a social recluse. The attempt should create an inclusive, instead of an exclusive society.
Works Cited
Aceves, Aurelia Marie De La Rosa. “Phoenix’s Place for the Homeless: Stories from the Maricopa County Human Services Campus.” Phd. dissertation. 2011.
Kreisher, Kristen. “Educating homeless children.” Children’s Voice 11.5 (2002): 6-10. Print.
Santos, Fernanda. “Program to End Homelessness Among Veterans Reaches a Milestone in Arizona.” New York Times 16 January 2014: A14. Print.