With the deadly COVID 19 disease running out of control in the United States and no viable cure in sight, millions of Americans are faced with an uncertain future as poverty steadily rises at an exodus rate. Due to pay cuts or income loss altogether it is difficult for the struggling majority to cover expenses necessary to accommodate the quality of life. Families are forced to either live in cars or tents and in a lot of cases, Cruel landlords taunt those who are faced with hard times instead of advocating to the powers that be the importance of keeping their tenants housed. While president Trump claims that the economy is “improving”, the majority of the people say otherwise and the masses of people living in tents in the bay area shows otherwise also.
While the politicians are at a standstill trying to figure out a “bill” that doesn’t include allowing folks to starve to death, people are actually suffering and waiting in vain for the ruling countrymen and women to take a vote on much needed assistance. So far earlier in the year, “we the people” have received a stimulus payment for $1200 along with a $500 child credit that some parents to this day still did not receive. Many folks that I had spoken with in regards to the stimulus package had said that the $1200 payment barely covered a month’s worth of bills and almost immediately, they were right back in the hole again.
Other countries have opted to provide monthly assistance to the people residing within, for instance, Canada was consistent in assisting those in need by providing a monthly $1400 to people living there while Costa Rica provided a little over $200 (USD) a month. Bailout programs for employees in other countries have their wages covered up to 90 percent and 100 percent to those earning minimum wage in the event that the workers’ hours were cut or they lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
If the people living in the US were assisted with monthly support payments it would help to get the economy back on track in the long run and minimize the demonization of people and families who are forced to live in tents and automobiles. Since the COVID outbreak city services have been coming up short such as street cleaning, garbage and other obligations to help with the maintenance of the city. However traffic enforcement and utilities such as phone, internet, cable and even convenience stores particularly in low-income neighborhoods have no boundaries when it comes to leniency during a pandemic and in many cases, businesses such as those mentioned above have inflated their prices capitalizing off the people’s hardship.
Another tragic fact is that while there are complaints of the “blight” contributed by houseless folks there is no immediate housing available for many who are forced to live in the streets. One suggestion would be for homeless people to be compensated for the upkeep of any area they are “camped out” on, instead of power washing poor folks to the next street over. A percentage of what is earned can be set aside to tend to housing, mental health and substance abuse services. This suggestion that crossed my mind personally can help to motivate those living out on the street to utilize a fault that would help them to help themselves.
What also proved to be helpful as a “temporarily band-aid” is that the owners of private parking lots and other slices of unused land have allowed for people who are forced to live in tents to “set up camps” on the space. There are security guards, porta potties and wash basins on the sites to accommodate the folks living there temporarily. Reports of violence, drug use and unsightly filth was very low due to the accommodations and the “camp sites” are cleaner because the “tenters”, formally “renters” have access to water, cleaning and hygiene products. Like I had mentioned before, those going through this hellish hardship deserve to have those who rule over this “richest country in the world” assist in helping us misfortunates get back on our feet without waiting hopelessly on the “votes” of the powerful to do the right thing by the people without “Taking a break from Capitol Hill” because while the politricksters are “breaking” real people are suffering and dying and when it comes to lives and folks’ livelihood that should be “non negotiable”...
Queennandi Xsheba PNN KEXU -2020