Getting at the roots of poverty
I would like to propose a solution to the housing issue within the Washington area.
As it stands now, we have Community Action Southwest, which assists when it comes to the security deposit and the first month of rent, and requires that an individual or family earn at least half the cost of the rent. While this might seem like a quick solution and remedy to an ever-increasing problem, it really doesn’t get to the actual root of one of the problems of poverty itself.
Furthermore, it perpetuates fraud, abuse and long-term dependence on welfare and social assistance programs.
The problems surrounding the homeless population revolve around lack of education and transportation to support the cost of living required to live in the Washington area. In other words, it is rather difficult to study for a GED, find cost-efficient public transportation and, should you be a parent, achieving all of this while also finding affordable child care.
Therefore, I propose that Community Action Southwest take a deeper look into their efforts to end poverty and address these issues by allotting some of their funding specifically to constructing a program that provides housing assistance specifically for those seeking a GED to make postsecondary education a more viable option for all.
Jodi M. McKenzie
Washington