7A Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

The Opportunity:  There is a large homeless population in Gainesville and there are not enough resources to get them off the streets.

The Who:  The Gainesville community at large who must deal with the homeless, and the homeless themselves who have a low quality of life.

The What:  There is a large, and growing population of homeless people in Gainesville.

The Why:  There are too many homeless people, living is expensive, and there are not enough shelters and services for them.

Testing the Boundaries:

• Testing the who: Even though I am not personally homeless, doing something about the issue in Gainesville will still affect me.  Specifically, the homeless issue in Gainesville is particularly bad, but it also affects people nationally and in every city.
• Testing the what: Some people, not many, don’t mind being homeless.  Some people choose to live that way, and don’t want to accept help.  Whatever solution I can provide, there will still be people who wouldn’t want my help, and that is ok.
• Testing the why: Reasons for high levels of homelessness around the country have similar root causes: lack of funding and resources for homeless people.  However, there is a difference between simply providing homeless people with resources, and helping them get back on their feet so that they no longer require help.  Some cities may be trying to  help the problem but don’t know where to draw the line, or will be afraid that the taxpayers will be angry if they think that all of their money is going towards sustaining the homeless in their city.

The Interviews/Takeaway:

        Overall, I got some very interesting feedback from the 5 people that I interviewed.  One of my friends, who lives in the Standard, said that it is very upsetting seeing so many homeless people around the building.  Not only does she feel for them, but she says that some of them frequently ask for money and loiter, which makes her uncomfortable.  Another guy I know did not even think that it was an issue.  He said that the government, whether it be federal, state, or local, should not have to intervene.  He did not think that it is the community’s responsibility to help the homeless population.  Another girl I interviewed told me about the “village” of homeless people living downtown.  She thought that it was good for them to live in close proximity and help each other out, but that it is unsightly for people driving by.  Most people I interviewed agreed that something should be done to help the homeless population in Gainesville get back on their feet.