Running Head: HOMELESSNESS IN EL PASO

Community Report Problem: Homelessness in El Paso

Leslie Sariana
Feliciano Arrieta
April 10, 2016

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Abstract
Homelessness is a problem throughout the country, but how can you help a problem
when its illegal in most states to give money to panhandlers? The city of El Paso, TX, gives
little to no attention to the homeless in the city. This is a big problem that the city has ignored for
years. They have even passed an ordinance that makes it illegal to give money to panhandlers.
Begging for money on the streets is the only way these individuals can eat. Not only does the
city lack the resources to help these people, but they do a poor job of advertising the help they do
have. The resources El Paso does have to offer benefit homeless women and families
specifically, not individual males. New programs should be added that help anyone out on the
streets. Opening a shelter for all homeless people would not only help solve the problem but it
would create jobs for people in the city. Much like the programs that assist families financially
when theyre struggling, programs should be created that can help homeless people get on their
feet financially and move forward with their lives. If creating new programs isnt possible, El
Paso should improve the ones they already have. It would be less costly to revamp existing food
banks and shelters.

Keywords: Homeless, El Paso, Programs, Resources, Individuals

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3
HOMELESSNESS IN EL PASO
Introduction

In the city of El Paso, TX, homelessness is the last problem to be addressed when it
comes to trying to improve the city and the lives of the citizens there. This particular issue lacks
attention. They elevate the problem by not dealing with it and ignoring it. If the city wants to
improve the way of living, they should make sure everyone in the city can be safe and have
somewhere to go if theyre struggling. That starts by helping out those out on the streets. This
paper will tackle the issue of homelessness in the city, why its become such a large issue and the
way that the homeless have to live their lives. Creating new programs to help out homeless
people out on the streets would be an excellent way to lessen the problem. If money is a reason
for not crating new programs, the city could put funding into revamping the existing programs.
The few shelters that the city does have, take in mostly women or families. Expanding those
shelters to accommodate male individuals as well, would be a less costly and and quicker way of
dealing with the issue of homelessness. These are all solutions that will expanded on with the
help of local research done on homelessness.
The Problems Homeless Give the City
Part of the reason why the problem of homelessness should be solved has to do with the
image the homeless people create for the city. The city of El Paso, TX, has been recognized as
the safest city in the U.S with a population over 500,000, in past years (Gonzales, 2014). Having
homeless vacate many streets of the city could tarnish the image and rank the city has built up.
Homeless people on the streets tend to put out an unfriendly or unsafe demeanor, that having
them in front of businesses could lead people and families to avoid those businesses. The image
and vibe that homeless people put out has gotten them removed from certain areas of the city.

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Relocating is not easy when they have no where to go and its harder for them to move
throughout the city on foot.
In October of 2011, citizens of El Paso occupied San Jacinto Plaza as a social movement
to portray a message. The occupiers vacated San Jacinto Plaza and in their time there, did not
want homeless to be a part of their community. The citizens set up camp in the plaza and the
community kicked homeless who were previously occupying the Plaza out of the community and
wouldnt share any of the food donations (Smith, Castaneda, Hayman, 2012). That event serves
as an example of how people of the city feel towards homeless. They had the same right to be in
that location but they were treated as if they didnt have equal rights and denied food that came
from donations. Rocha (1995) supports the claim that homeless are seen as less than human by
those who arent homeless on the street by stating, personal deficiency eliminated social action
because they were unworthy of being helped. Shes referring as to how there are certain people
who are successful at working and providing themselves and their families with shelter dont
always believe that help should be given to those forced to live on the streets. The individuals
struggling on the streets should be given help and opportunities. If not for the reason that
everyone deserves to be treated equally and given some form of help when needed, then for the
reason of getting them off the streets to help the citys image and reputation as safe.

Struggles to Get Off the Streets and Survive

Not enough consideration or thought is given to the conditions the homeless face as they
have to live outside and find food however possible. Many homeless no longer resort to begging
for money on the streets because it is illegal in El Paso to give money to panhandlers. This law
makes it much harder for people on the streets to obtain food. The city of El Paso has a few food

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shelters, but they do a bad job at advertising and letting people know of their locations and their
services. The city lacks resources to assist individuals and try to get them off the street, and they
dont make the few resources they do have available very known of. Homeless have no means of
transportation and struggle to get access to the help available to them. As a community, El Paso
should make these programs and places as accessible as possible to all.
Shelters in El Paso for homeless serve specific purposes and arent open to just anyone.
Some of the shelters in El Paso include: Migrant Shelter, Agricultural Worker Shelter, and Dame
La Mano (Lachica, 2013). Existing shelters in the city cater to certain groups of homeless, most
being for victims of abuse and their children. There should be shelters in the El Paso that can
assist all who need help. Better means of shelters should be available to those who need it.
Programs for the homeless depend heavily on donations as they get very little funding from the
city. Revamping and improving existing programs in El Paso that offer help to the homeless
would be less costly than investing in creating new programs. City taxpayers would not want to
pay more in taxes to help out those in the streets (Lachica, 2013). The existing programs should
make their assistance more known of as well. The overall effect of having to sleep on the streets
or abandoned cars and buildings can be devastating, according to Rocha (1995). She evaluates
the increase in health problems that homeless face by having an unstable shelter or no shelter at
all. She notes that, homeless people suffer more illness than their counterparts in the general
population. The homeless population of El Paso is made up in part by mothers and their
children who have no refuge. Help should always be available because the homeless population
of the city is broad and not only includes adult males. The solution to refine and enhance existing
programs might not eliminate the problem completely, but it could help lessen the problem and
get people off the streets and under a roof.

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The number of homeless people in El Paso is really high because it is a border city
(Hartman and Ryan, 2000). Being a border city means that there is a large number of people
crossing the border in attempts to create a new life in the U.S. Most of the people who cross
come with little or no money. As they all look for jobs it becomes harder to become employed,
not only because of their background but because of the limited amount of work there is.
Unemployment rates even go up as the immigration population increases (Hartman and Ryan,
2000). Struggles to get and maintain a job ultimately lead to a significant amount of immigrants
on the streets looking for a place to stay. The homeless population seems to keep increasing but
the resources to help them dont. Struggling immigrants are an example of why the issue needs to
be emphasized. The target of these programs arent only to provide temporary shelter and food
but to assist the homeless in getting off the streets and improving their lives. These programs
should help people find jobs, maintain homes, and improve their health, both mental and
physical. Rocha (1995) emphasizes the health problems people who are forced to live out on the
streets face. They are more susceptible to diseases and suffer from mental health issues because
of the environments they have to live in. People on the streets dont have access to clean food or
water so they cant clean themselves and dont always have safe or healthy food to eat. Their
health issues should be addressed and treated the same as the people of the city. Much like how
transportation should be available to shelters and food banks, transportation should be given to
clinics for homeless people.

Conclusion
Despite being one of the safest cities in the country, homelessness is a prevailing problem
that has not seem do have decreased over time. El Paso has done a poor job at addressing the

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problem and providing adequate solutions. Solutions that would benefit the whole homeless
population and not just parts of it. In order to maintain the reputation of the city and actually
keep it safe, the issue should be given more attention. There are multiple solutions that wont be
costly and will keep the city thriving. The goal isnt just to help the citys image, but to help
those that struggle to maintain a steady home. Homeless people in in the city have the same
rights as any citizen of El Paso and should be treated in the same manner and offered at least the
same amount of assistance.

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References
Castaeda, E., Klassen, J. D., & Smith, C. (2014). Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Homeless
Populations in El Paso, Texas. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 36(4), 488-505.
doi:10.1177/0739986314552993
Gonzales, A. (2014, January 7). El Paso Ranked No. 1 Safest City in America for Fourth Year.
Retrieved April 04, 2016, from http://elpaso411.com/2014/01/el-paso-ranked-no1-

safest-city-in-america-for-fourth-year/

Lachica, G. J. (2013). Homelessness and migration at the edge of America: Transnational

mobility and survival in the streets of El Paso. El Paso.
Rocha, R. (1995). Homelessness in El Paso Shelters: Needs of Mothers with Children. El Paso:
University of Texas-El Paso, Department of Sociology.
Smith, C., Castaeda, E., & Hayman, J. (2012). The Homeless and Occupy El Paso:
Creating Community among the 99%. Social Movement Studies, 11(3/4), 356-366.
doi:10.1080/14742837.2012.704179