# data[].attributes.body
Good morning my name is Ernesto Enriquez

I’m a sophomore at Miami Dade College. I’m majoring in Computer science.

The topic I selected is how homelessness is affected by absurd housing prices in Miami.

I selected this topic because around my community there are a lot of homeless tents. It’s very sad to see this especially since this could happen to anyone.

My research shows that there is a direct correlation between homelessness and rising housing prices. I also found that there was a recent policy in my neighborhood forcing homeless people out of their tents.

My thoughts are that the current housing market in Miami is way too overpriced. There are people out there with diseases and domestic troubles but nowhere to turn to. It’s honestly too much to handle on an individual level. We can volunteer at soup kitchens and hand out a 20 dollar every once and a while but at the end of the day these people have nowhere to go home to and that’s what matters.

The titles of my sources are “homelessness as a moving target” by Lee Barret A and others, “Miami May ban homeless encampments, arrest residents, advocates say it’s a crime” by the Miami herald, as well as “Homeless: the housing first approach” by films on demands

Does anyone have any questions for me?

Thank you for listening.

# data[].attributes.body
Miami is notorious for its expensive housing. Anyone who has ever gone house shopping can tell this by simply pulling up and comparing a 2 bedroom here to, for example, Tampa housing. This spike in pricing has a direct effect on homelessness. The homeless are being displaced from their locations and Miami and to make matters worse, they’re being actively kicked out of their resting locations. Homelessness has many factors, but unaffordable housing definitely takes the cake as one of the most imposing.

Miami is famously claimed to be a party city. A vibrant and growing town known for its clubs, nightlife, and diversity. However, this introduces an important tradeoff to be considered as our city grows and expands. That is, as our city’s consumer driven economy is forcing the homeless out of their homes (Kaiser, 2021). This banning from their shelters is nothing less than inhumane. If we are to fix this situation, we’ll have to band together to target the capital driven policies responsible for these impacts. A possible way to fix this at a local level involves us, as citizens, to research the political candidate for our district, town, city, and state. At the end of the day, it’s our community, all of ours, including the homeless’.

Covid’s impact on the housing market has also played an important part in the homeless situation. Its long been concluded that homelessness has a direct impact on homelessness (Barrett A. Lee, 2021). With the advent of covid, the homeless have not only had restricted access to medical resources, but as everyone else strapped up on masks and sanitation, the homeless were left to fight for themselves. While this issue borders on as a national crisis, it’s here in Miami in which we must locally act. For a great deal for the pandemic, the homeless have no one to help them but themselves.

There is a list of potential solutions for helping the homeless. For example, the housing first approach was tried in Portland in (Films media group, 2008). This collaborative effort emphasizes the tact and prudence required for tackling the problem of homelessness. In this experiment, the stance was to put housing first. This greatly improved the homeless population In Portland Oregon from the years 2008 to 2015. This sort of stance, now that it’s been proven through experiment, endorses the stance that homelessness and unaffordable housing are inextricably tied together

All in all, Homelessness has many factors. Some of which we could write entire books about. From housing to job security to disability. In this paper, we honed into on the implications of rising housing prices in the homeless populace. By doing this we gathered that there is indeed a direct statistical correlation between homelessness and rising house prices. Furthermore, it’s up to us to shift the burden of responsibility from the elected policy makers unto us. After all, we’re the ones electing the people in charge of revamping or improving Miami! Homelessness is an epidemic, something we’re all much too familiar with. As such, whether homelessness is eliminated depends entirely on us.

# data[].attributes.body
What is the Effect of Unaffordable Housing in Downtown Miami?

1. Definition/Introduction

1. As the housing market becomes more and more geared towards the wealthier and more fortunate, it becomes evident that the homeless or those on the verge of homelessness might have found themselves in an inescapable crisis.

2. Homelessness in downtown Miami comes from a direct effect of increased housing rates. Therefore, if any change is to be made to the homeless population in Miami, a decrease in housing prices must be seriously considered.

2. Context/History

1. First point

1. The homeless are not being properly appreciated by my community. They’ve even gone as far as to ban them from their shelters.

2. There have been several opportunities and options for alleviating homelessness in Miami that have been tried in other cities, but they did not include any progress in the housing market.

2. Second point

1. If progress is to be made on the homeless situation, those more fortunate will have to get together and work on the situation as a whole

2. There are multiple other ways to fix homelessness that work in tandem with fixing the housing crisis in Miami. It’s important to mention those as well.

3. Causes and consequences

1. First Point

1. The housing crisis is a significant cause of homelessness and COVID has not been of any help.

2. People are less likely to help the homeless unless they notice those around them willing to help and do the same.

2. Second point

1. There are things outside our range that may also have an impact on homelessness such as climate change which may, in fact, also affect the housing market

2. Local emergency shelters are becoming more and more sparse as a direct consequence of Miami’s housing market ‘flourishing’.

4. Possible solutions

1. Possible solutions would be working and banding together to focus and fix the absurdly overpriced housing in Miami.

2. This is a local issue. Though it’s one that spans across America. As citizens of Miami, we should take pride, not in our personal economic situations or the beauty of our environment, but in the rising of all tides.

3. Homelessness could happen to any of us, from any background. We never know what deck life will deal us and to claim that something as apparently as uncontrollable as housing prices should mediate which of us has a roof over our heads is unjust.

# data[].attributes.body
Lee, Barrett A., et al. “Homelessness as a Moving Target.” The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 693, no. 1, 2021, pp. 8–26., https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716221997038.

The main bridge between homelessness and unaffordable housing. Provides the most in-depth analysis. Also draws corollaries with unaffordable housing which further influences homelessness.

Kaiser, Anna Jean, and Joey Flechas. “Miami May Ban Homeless Encampments, Arrest Residents. Advocates Say That’s the Crime.” Miami Herald, 24 Sept. 2021, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article254286628.html.

This article comments on a recent crisis in my community. The homeless find themselves procedurally forced out of their 'spots’ by local authorities with the intention of aesthetically revamping the community. Newspaper article claims this to be inhumane.

“Homelessness: The Housing First Approach.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2008, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=16925&xtid=40075. Accessed 13 Oct. 2021.

This video provides a more empathic perspective on homelessness. It also illustrates a potential solution proposed a decade ago in Portland which just goes to show how difficult it is to deal with the homeless epidemic.

# data[].attributes.body
My local community remains riddled with tents, within which souls reside—belittled by their environment, neighbors, and political representatives. Though a plethora of suggested causes deemed the potential ‘roots’ for the problem of Miami Homelessness have become more mainstream and thoroughly examined, most of us never interact with drug addiction, mental illness, or job loss to the intimate extreme which plagues a sizeable portion of the homeless populace. One factor which we are all likely experienced with, however, is housing. Specifically, affordable housing. My research will delve into the primary causes for the state of the current housing market in Miami. Eventually, I will draw a parallel between said factors and one of their most inhumane repercussions, homelessness.

# data[].attributes.body
The Research tool which caught my attention was the variety of databases offered to us through the MDC Libary. There's a seemingly unending list of databases with topics ranging from science to literature. There are also a hefty amount of databases that offer peer-reviewed journals as sources. With this, it'll be a lot easier to find sources for my class project. Another immensely useful resource was Flipster which offers a variety of articles on varying topics. Some of those topics might not help as much (such as sports or gaming magazines) but because of the fact that they document and opine on current events, it makes it all the more useful to supplement my research with more grounded perspectives, should they become available through Flipster.

# data[].attributes.body
Hello,

My name is Ernesto Enriquez. I am 21 years old. My major is computer science and my hobbies include playing the paino (classical), coding personal projects, working out, and going on nature walks. I'm in the national guard so, hopefully, no hurricanes decide to attack us throughout the semester (fingers crossed). Though my aspirations require a greater focus on the meticulous, procedural, and mostly linear thinking condusive to rigorous math classes, I have always held a soft spot for the life sciences, especially biology.  My enthusiasm is based on a genuine curiosity for the innerworkings of man and his enviornment. Back in highschool, i took AP bio but the experience felt rushed and thus quite cut and dry. Nevertheless, I'm excited to take this class. Let the adventure begin!