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Prompt: Recently there has been a spike in California’s homeless population, what can be done to solve this problem?
Write a debatable thesis in response to this prompt, support it in a 5-7 paragraph essay, offering a solution to this problem.
Your thesis must take a stand to be debatable. Underline keywords in your thesis.
Answer the prompt in an essay between 700-750 words. (about 3 typed pages: double spaced in 12 pt TNR font. typed in MLA format).
Submit a skeletal outline based on ‘Structure of an Essay’, using Roman numerals to list only the main parts of the essay. Submit a separate Works Cited page with 3-5 sources to support your thesis. Find relevant sources and information in Module # 5: Readings and Videos on Homelessness
Upload in this order: First the Outline, then Essay and finally a separate Works Cited page in ‘Assignments’ ONLY, as a single WORD document, to be graded in SpeedGrader. If you have a problem submitting in Assignments—contact Canvas support!
Be sure to check the Rubric for an Eng 101 argument essay below, and the format in sample MLA essay: scroll down to see MLA format for Works Cited. Skip ‘notes’ — scroll down to Works Cited: notice entire document is double spaced, sources are alphabetized and left margin is indented with hanging tabs—there are NO blue URLS. See: “Ask the MLA” pageLinks to an external site. in OWL for questions about documenting sources in MLA format. Check the screenshot of a sample Works Cited page posted on the Home page.Links to an external site.
Sample Essay with Works Cited
Find a sample of a debatable thesis statement in the PowerPoint specific to the topic of Homelessness: Steps to Outlining an Essay- Edited.pptx Download Steps to Outlining an Essay- Edited.pptx
Feel free to use theses discussed in Discussion #9 to write your essay!
Don’t forget to upload the Outline, the essay and a separate Works Cited page: in a single WORD document, submit it in Assignments by the due date:
Homelessness: Module 5
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This is the research from a couple of years ago: Update with own research! The Los Angeles Times has a ton of information. Check: when was the last census, on the homeless population? Use Key Words in Google for the latest status on: Homelessnes in California, and to update the information here.
Access the LAVC databases from home! Click on LAVC Library in the left menu.
This is an important resource particularly for the Research Essay, due end of the semester.
A Research Essay on Homelessness is an excellent topic, should you want to write one: Consider writing a debatable thesis statement on what is required to end homelessness in California & what is being done—what still needs to be done? Then, collect data. Visit the LAVC databases, check major news sources. Jot them down. Outline the essay, then, write it!
Use for Rebuttal to a CounterargumentLinks to an external site.
Neighborhood Residents’ ObjectionsLinks to an external site.
CA Governor’s 12 Billion Dollar Pledge to End HomelessnessLinks to an external site.
“Measure H and Proposition HHH”: Passed by voters.To End Homelessness in Links to an external site.LA County: Research the latest status of the Homeless in CA, by looking up the results of the recent elections. Check the LATimes — free through the database of the LAVC library.
Scroll down in “Successful Program” article for the latest stats (Jan 2021) that you can quote in the essay. Note the reliable source.
Research: Explore and browse websites like the ones below and jot down statistics and examples to support your thesis:
Everyone InLinks to an external site.
https://Haven House Youth ServicesLinks to an external site.
Another agency that is successful in getting homeless youth “get off the streets towards a positive trajectory” is Havens House Youth Services.org. Google for information, then summarize for the essay.
Latest position: Consent Decree to cure HomelessnessLinks to an external site.
L A’s Homeless: Access the L A Times from the LAVC databases to read more articles on this topic.
Check out the PowerPoint specific to the topic of Homelessness: Steps to Outlining an Essay- Edited.pptxDownload Steps to Outlining an Essay- Edited.pptx
You need to browse these videos and readings and update/supplement it with your own research, before deciding which ones you will use, say if your thesis is:
Providing brick and mortar housing will not end the crisis of homelessness in California, unless services that include medical treatment and mental health counseling, with access to job training are also included. This is a debatable thesis: Counterargument: critics complain it is a waste of city’s resources because the homeless people don’t want to work and the situation remains unchanged. Research the charitities that have achieved success and write a rebuttal supported by statistics; then conclude by revisiting your thesis. You may adapt or tweak this thesis or copy and support it in an essay with 5-7 paragraphs.
Compose the Skeletal Outline for the essay first, and include it in the submssion.
The 3 keywords are underlined above to be developed in the 3 BODY paragraphs of the essay.
Governor Newsom has pledged a huge amount of money and: Newsom has earmarked almost seven hundred million dollars to be used for Medicaid for those with medical problems. (scroll to find these articles) but a judge called out the city for ‘inaction’ on this issue. Summarize the articles and videos to support the thesis. Then google: Organizations that provide services for the homeless and jot down what they provide and if they have had any success. Scroll to ‘Haven House Youth Services’ above, to check. Google: “Chrysalis”: Summarize what they have achieved in providing shelter, mentoring and jobs. Use these to write the rebuttal for the counterargument.
This article lists services: List of Homeless ServicesLinks to an external site.
Additional Readings below will help with requirements for Research Essay:
More Readings for Research on “Homelessness”
Take your pick from these links to support your thesis and research on your own for the latest status and statistics on the Internet.
1. Read this famous essay: “Homeless” by Anna Quindlen. This is a timeless essay–the reader shares the writer’s feelings of empathy.
Now, think about the growing crisis of Homelessness in California.
What is the author’s purpose for writing it? What is the solution for this growing problem?
What’s the main idea? Click on the link below to read the article:
Link (Links to an external site.)
Example of a summary using the 5 Ws: (Who, What, Where, When & Why, are only for explanation not for the final draft)
Journalist, (Who) Anna Quindlen, in (What) the article titled, Homeless published in (Where) Newsweek, in (When) 1987, writes about the problem of homelessness. This article published more than thirty years ago, resonates with readers today because this problem has still not been solved. Quindlen comments, “It has been customary to take people’s pain and lessen our own participation in it by turning it into an issue, not a collection of human beings.. .” (Why) She is asking society to show more understanding with people who have no homes–not treat them like an issue to be ignored, but looked at with empathy and compassion–treat them like individual human beings.
Notice the entire article has been encapsulated into a few sentences–without leaving out anything important! The quote captures the main idea and the 5 Ws provide all the important information. The student explains WHY this comment was used to explain the main idea of the article.
Since you will be using 3-5 readings/videos to support your thesis, you have to SUMMARIZE them–you cannot possibly reproduce the entire readings!
Check Module 1 for ‘How to Summarize’ & ‘How to Sandwich (embed) Quotes’ in an essay.’
Scroll through these readings and videos or your own research to decide which ones you will choose to support your thesis and summarize them using the 5 Ws as shown above.
2. L A Times articles on Homelessness and links that don’t open can be accessed through LAVC Library.
3. London Breed, the first black mayor of San Francisco, born and raised there, tells how she is tackling this problem. Homelessness in San Francisco
4. Click on link below for Report and Statistics on Homelessness by The National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Link (Links to an external site.)
Streets of Shame (Links to an external site.)
Gov. Newsom Attacks Homeless Crisis (Links to an external site.)
Governor Newsom’s Homeless Tour (Links to an external site.)
Add Your Research on latest Updates (Google key words)
According to California HUD officials, most of the money in Newsom’s plan, or about $750 million, would be placed in a special fund to pay the rent of individuals facing homelessness and to spur the building of affordable housing.
Newson has earmarked almost seven hundred million dollars to be used for Medicaid for those with medical problems.
Another large slice of funding –$695 million – to boost the state’s Medicaid programs to expand services for homeless individuals whose housing struggles are directly linked to health problems.
Sample Essay:
Also see another example below:
Outline should be short and skeletal: list important points only.
Example:
Title is Descriptive (in the same size font as essay): Solutions for the Homelessness Crisis in California
Hook: (grab the reader with a startling statistic) California had the highest homeless population in January 2020 at 161,548 people, since the pandemic started, and the number has only gotten higher.
Debatable Thesis :The homelessness crisis in California will be fixed by offering more affordable housing, increasing employment opportunities, and raising minimum wage to keep up with the cost of living. (three points to be expanded in the BODY of essay are underlined)
BODY:
I The homelessness crisis in California will be fixed by offering more affordable housing.
a. There are 1.3 million people who have incomes at or below federal poverty
guidelines, but there are only 286,844 affordable units across the state.
b. According to California voters, only 53% said they can afford to live in the
Golden State.
c. The state of California hasn’t prioritized creating affordable housing.
II Another way to fix the homelessness crisis is to increase employment opportunities.
a. Many employers won’t consider unemployed job applicants.
b. Many homeless people are disabled with mental or physical disabilities.
c. A lot of homeless people have gaps in their employment history, making
employers suspicious.
III. Lastly, the homelessness crisis can be fixed by raising the minimum wage to keep up with
the cost of living.
a. 26 percent of Californians say everyday costs of living are their biggest financial
stress.
b. A new study reveals that millions of Californians now face: in many parts of the
Golden State, having a job is far from enough to ensure financial stability.
c. Worker’s wages remain stagnant as housing costs significantly increase.
Counterargument: Homelessness isn’t a crisis. People are lazy and choose that lifestyle. (objection by critics who disagree with this thesis)
Rebuttal: Debunking/refuting the objection: Homeless people are not lazy. In fact, many of them work, they just can’t afford the
high housing costs. Umom.org states, “One of the first and biggest problems is the extreme lack
of data about the working homeless.” Many people tend to leave out this important fact when
talking about the homeless. People just assume and automatically label them lazy without
knowing the full story.
Conclusion: (Reiterating/restating thesis) The crisis of homelessness in California can be fixed through offering more
affordable housing, increasing employment opportunities, and raising the minimum wage to keep
up with the cost of living. California isn’t everything people think it is. Many move here to
pursue their dreams, not really understanding how expensive it is to live here.
Making sure, all essays submitted have an outline to start, and a Works Cited Page in MLA Format at the end!
