Homelessness is considered a social problem in our society because people view it as an undesirable condition. This is something most people don't want to see or think about. Our communities share a social responsibility to find ways to end homelessness. The article, Helping the Homeless Off the Streets, takes the functionalist approach to ending homelessness, in addition to this approach: the symbolic internationalist perspective would be a beneficial addition to the homelessness solution . The field research method should be used to directly experience homelessness. Homeless people are believed to be the cause of their own problems (Kendall, 2010, p. 39). But anyone in society can fall prey to homelessness at any time in their life. Some people find themselves homeless due to job loss, the death of a caregiver, or an economic downturn. Being homeless comes with all kinds of problems other than not having a place to sleep. It leads to diseases such as tuberculosis, malnutrition, AIDS and serious dental problems. Like the general population, the homeless also suffer from alcoholism, hypertension, asthma, diabetes, and a host of “mental illnesses” (Kendall, 2010.p.36). This also leads to violence from homeless people who attack each other due to the daily pressures of survival (Kendall, 2010, p. 13). Homeless people live in absolute poverty because they are unable to provide basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter (Kendall, 2010. p.32). The disease only compounds the daily problems of the homeless. They do not have access to adequate health care or health insurance and often let an illness or health condition last so long that it becomes a matter of life and death by the time... middle of paper ......rules that are in place for homeless people to judge whether they are working properly or need to be changed. The field research method would be best because it allows the researcher to experience what the homeless person experiences as they struggle to survive. In conclusion, homelessness is something that will always plague society. But the public must adopt measures to alleviate the suffering of the poor and homeless. Society is interdependent and it should be only natural for humanity to offer a helping hand to someone in need.ReferencesKendall, Diana. Social problems in a diverse society. 5th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2010. Print. Killiam, Joe (July 6, 2008). Helping the homeless get off the streets. The Greensboro News and Record. Retrieved February 1, 2010 from http://www.news-record.com/content/2008/07/06/article/helping_the_homeless_get_off_the_streets.