After doing some research, I found that one possible solution to the homelessness crisis throughout America would be to simply expand housing subsidized by the government in some form. This fundamental step would help meet the needs of populations that are particularly disadvantaged. Examples of such groups include the weak and elderly, people with disabilities, and those with lower education levels. Currently, both public and private housing efforts exist as means of assistance. In public housing, the government directly owns certain housing facilities that are available to individuals and families who are eligible. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) runs public housing programs across the country for those in need. Private housing is slightly different, but the government still plays an important role. Private corporations develop normal housing, and the government can subsidize the rent that struggling individuals would otherwise be required to pay.

While both types of housing assistance programs (public and private) are already in place, they are not yet on a large enough scale. One issue with this approach is that the expenditure involved with providing public housing may sometimes become an unfavorable form of spending for legislators, especially when government budgets are tight. This can result in some periods of housing expansion, followed by periods of withdrawal, etc. This occurs especially in rural areas, as funds allocated to housing support programs and homelessness is significantly lower in rural communities than in urban areas, if not entirely nonexistent. In addition, the growth of such support programs is slower than the worsening housing crisis, explaining America’s increasing homelessness numbers over recent years. Stronger, more sustained housing expansion programs that are especially focused on disadvantaged populations like those in rural areas will prevent people from resorting to homelessness.