The Pursuit of Happyness

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH):


• 754,000 people were homeless on an average day in the U.S. in 2005. (This was less than .3 % of the U.S. population.) Only about 55% could find a place in a shelter. The rest, about 335,000 people, were on the streets. One-third of the unsheltered homeless (approximately 112,000 people) were persons in families. Most of these were children.
• 47% of all homeless people are men and 59% are minorities.
• 39% are children younger than 18; 42% of these children are under the age of 5.
• 40% are veterans.
• A person's rent should typically cost about 30% of his or her earnings (leaving money for food, clothing, education, and other necessities); however, "in every state, more than [30% of earnings at] the minimum wage is required to afford a one or two-bedroom apartment." Then where do minimum-wage earners with families live? All too often they are forced into homeless shelters or they live on the streets.


"The"The Pursuit of Happyness" tells us that homelessness isn't a problem for "other" people; it's a problem for "real" people. It's important to remember The Golden Rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. What if you or members of your family were without a place to sleep and there was no one to help you? How would you create a plan for you and your family, as the main character in this film had to do? Be thoughtful in your approach and reference the importance of adhering to a budget.