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!

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.

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.

 

                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.