Homeless, Who's Problem is it?

http://www.app.com/article/20091130/NEWS03/91130011/1007 I was reading this article I got off of world press. It talks about how there is a growing number of homeless families in N.J. with young children. It gives the story, or part of it, of Ms.Adkins and her two young children. They talk about how a startling number of cases are around like her story. Something happened the family ended in finacial ruin and she now lives in a homeless shelter. It is a sad story, but I generally do not pot blogs about something like this. Everyone knows there are homeless people.

What made me post this was the comments left on the article. Everyone was so quick to condemn the women because she was 'Ms.' Adkins. Apparently, it is her fault she is homless because she does not have a husband. The article does not mention if she was married at any point or what happened to the father of her children. I personally feel that it is wrong to say she is homeless because she does not have a man in her life. That is ridiculous! I also tend to find it wrong to automatically assume it is someone's fault they are homeless.

A few weeks ago my mom was at a McDonalds for breakfast and she met these two men that have been homeless for a few months. They frequent the Towson area and can sometimes be seen on street corners. They are hardworking and go every morning to Labor Ready (a non-profit day labour center for homeless men and women to find a job for the day) to get money for food for the day. If they cannot get a job that day they try to get some on the street. One of the men, Steve I believe was his name, was nice enough to share his story with my Mom who had offered to buy them some breakfast (and found out later afterwards it was this man's birthday as well). He and his son had been working hard to keep the house after his wife died. His son was still in H.S. at the time and he was working in a local Hospital. When the recession hit hard last year he lost his job, then his house and was forced to live on the street. Every day he goes and tries to find work like he did everyday for the last year. There just isn't any available for him (he does not have a college degree, nor is he any kind of skilled laborer). He was a janitor and there just arent that many positions open at the moment. He was a very nice man, and I hope the best for him. Right now they have a social worker on their case and I sincerely hope he can find a job.

My point is, I don't think anyone who is homeless should be condemned. You don't know who might be next, it may even be you. So what if she isnt married? There are HUNDREDS of single mothers in America doing just fine. Things happen that are out of our control that lead to consquences that may leave you homeless. So I ask, if someone is homeless, who's fault is it that they are homeless?