23. Are The Homeless Crazy?

Jonathan Kozol writes there exists a misconception that the cause of homelessness is the mental instability acquired from the lack of mental institutions to treat them. Workers who work among the homeless disagree with this claim, because the homeless situation is more of an economic issue. Poverty has intensified, since the number of traditional industrial jobs has declined. Number of low-income housing has also declined due to urbanization, and while rents have risen drastically, federal support has also dropped. Despite the fact that a study has shown mental illness is not the most common medical problem among the homeless, people still assume their correlation, because both are issues attributed to the lowest part of society. Usually, it is forgotten that, even though many homeless are also mentally ill, the real cause is an economic one, specifically the lack of housing opportunities. Mental illness does not cause homelessness, but the stresses of homelessness can cause mental distress, which is why this issue has caught the attention of so many people.

Kozol writes beautifully by clearly establishing his points and supporting them. This article is overflowing with statistics, research, and backup information, which constantly support the author's claims. For instance, Kozol uses the account of an enraged homeless woman that was evicted from her small room to support his claim that the homeless may seem a little odd and out of their mind, but only since they are constantly having to face harsh situations. Also, by presenting the "common knowledge", the misconception, first, before his own arguments, the author is able to refute it more expertly by pointing out its flaws. However, the organization of the article does seem a little messy. Kozol seems to have written two articles in the same one, because the second section simply restates many of the ideas already introduced in the first section while merely adding some additional information and research. Although it may sound repetitive at times, this essay is able to successfully support its arguments.