Academic English

Describe the homeless situation in your community, city, or country? Where do they live, and what kinds of homeless assistance programs exist to serve this population? What are some possible solutions to the problem from an individual or government standpoint?

1. Homelessness is mostly caused by a lack of affordable housing.
2. Governments should provide free shelter for all homeless people.
3. Homeless people should be helped with job training programs.
4. Mental health support is essential in reducing homelessness.
5. Some homeless people choose to live on the streets.
6. Communities should do more to welcome homeless individuals.
7. Homelessness affects both cities and rural areas equally.
8. Laws against begging make it harder for homeless people to get help.
9. Homeless shelters should have stricter rules to encourage responsibility.
10. Education about homelessness can reduce public stigma.

“be short on cash” = have very little money
“Many people are so short on cash that they become homeless and live on the streets.”

“be hard up” = have little or no money
“I’m really hard up right now, and I don’t have enough money to rent an apartment or live on my own.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• perception (noun): the way you think about or understand someone or something
  – We need to change people’s perceptions of the homeless to build better understanding.
• traumatic (adjective): causing someone to become emotionally upset, angry, or hurt
  – For many youth, living homeless on the streets can be a very traumatic experience.
• stark (adjective): a very plain, unpleasant, or difficult to accept
  – Many homeless face the stark reality of living without food and shelter for long periods of time.
• domestic (adjective): related to a person’s home or family
  – Steve wasn’t happy at all with his domestic life, so he left home to live on his own.
• alleviate (verb): reduce the pain or discomfort of something
  – What can citizens do to alleviate hunger and poverty?
• desperate (adjective): very sad or upset and having little hope
  – The holidays are very desperate times for many homeless because they sometimes have no family around to visit.
• plight (noun): a very bad or difficult situation
  – The city needs to do more to address the plight of the homeless in our community.
• prejudice (noun): an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, religion, or sexual identity
  – Some people experience prejudice because of the color of their skin.
• preconceived (adjective): having an opinion or idea that you form beforehand
  – It is unfortunate that so many people hold a number of preconceived ideas that are just not true about the homeless.
• intention (noun): plan or goal
  – What is the city’s intention on building a new homeless shelter in the downtown area? Many citizens want to understand the plans better.
• anonymously (adverb): something done by someone who is not named or identified
  – Our family would like to give some food and clothing anonymously.

What are some ways in which everyday citizens can help meet the needs of the homeless in their area?

Use the internet to find the answers to these questions:

• What local organizations in your area serve the poor and/or homeless?
• What kinds of services do they provide (e.g., emergency shelter, free meals, food pantries, clothing, and other personal care items, and/or addiction recovery services)?
• In what ways can people volunteer their time and money to such organizations?