Argumentative Speech Keyword Outline

1 ARGUMENTATIVE SPEECH KEYWORD OUTLINE Introduction Attention Getter: See homeless people from shuttle Reason for your audience to listen: Think of homelessness, might think of them. Regardless of victim blaming, anyone can be homeless. I was, but would you know? Introduce your subject and establish credibility: Summer of 2011 led to homelessness with my mother once arriving in California. We stayed this way for a year and a half. Preview your main points: Seeing as how ANYONE can be homeless, shouldn’t more aid be offered? Tell the facts, explain government spending for assistance and whether or not assistance received is good enough to require more. Establishing Facts: I: Number of Homeless Individuals and Definition of Homeless a: According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, their last count in January 2015 shows that “[As] of the last, official count, about 578,424 people experience homelessness on any given night in the United States” (EndHomelessness) b: According to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, “A homeless individual is defined as “an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g., shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing.” (NHCHC) i: Might not have been living literally on the street, still was homeless. I: Government Spending to Prevent Homelessness A: Against 1. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness reports a planned budget of over $4.7 billion in 2015 to support President Obama’s plan, Opening Doors, which is “a statement of the Administration’s commitment to preventing and ending homelessness as a national priority” (USICH). 2. Spending doubled from FY 2008 to FY 2013, resulted in mass decline of homelessness. 2 ARGUMENTATIVE SPEECH KEYWORD OUTLINE 3. “33 states had decrease in overall homelessness, while 17 states saw increases. 40 states had decreases in the number of people living in unsheltered locations, including the street, cars, and abandoned buildings”. (EndHomelessness) 4. People say this is government spending going to waste. Use following tip of “wasteful” spending. 5. F-35 Joint Striker Fighter, a jet estimated at nearly $400 billion, which could put every homeless citizen of the US into a $664,000 house. (Policy.Mic) Transition from Against to For: Ignorance (they’re all drunk and addicted to crack etc. -FALSE), this clearly and factually shows progress if people just acted for positive change. B: For 1. Rachel Myers, executive director of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance explains “People are homeless for different reasons and have different kinds of needs,” she said. “But one thing that everyone who’s homeless needs is a home.” (ThinkProgress) 2. Problem -- Can’t afford rent weekly/monthly. Solution-- Rapid re-housing. The NSICH defines it as “the practice of focusing resources on helping families and individuals quickly move out of homelessness and into permanent housing, which is usually housing in the private market.” Aims to provide permanent housing and means to maintain said housing. 3. Proof it works? Utah. “And now, the chronic homeless are no longer tallied in numbers. They’re tallied by name. The last few are awaiting their houses.” (Washington Post) Article posted on April 17th of this year, safe to assume remaining homeless individuals received homes. II: Assistance the Homeless Receive A: Against 1. “But they already receive aid! (Food Stamps, SSI)” if they qualify, and this does not amount to self-sufficiency. 2. Homes. Homeless need homes. Simply living on the street and somehow receiving benefits, IF YOU QUALIFY, is not enough to support even a decent lifestyle. 3. Homeless shelters inadequate due to lack of space, availability to be open (heating/cooling) or illegal practices. One such article quoted that “had to undergo drug testing every week for over 40 weeks, with a staff member watching her pee, even though she has never taken drugs” (Newpol). Huge invasion of privacy, 3 ARGUMENTATIVE SPEECH KEYWORD OUTLINE illegal in the state of Massachusetts if not elsewhere. Shelters claimed they didn’t know. 4. Most shelters are first-come, first-serve basis. Family shelters run differently on a state basis. California, some gain entrance from Department of Human Assistance office recommendation, while others can only stay 30-120 days maximum IF they get in. 5. This argument is clearly short sided, and if anything, blaming the victim rather than the real problem of a lack of affordable housing. Regardless of actions that might have brought them closer to becoming homeless, the victim should not be at fault. B: For 1. Bay Area is EXPENSIVE (especially SF). To afford a rent at minimum wage for a one-bedroom apartment in 2015, California workers have to work 92 hours, over half of the hours in a week. NO ONE in any state can afford a one-bedroom apartment on minimum wage without paying over 30% of their income. (Mic.com) 2. From personal experience, I have friends who have to skip receiving further education in college so they can acquire full-time jobs to pay for their living spaces alone, and do not know how to get through the month with enough food and other services. 3. With this in mind, more aid for homeless and those at risk is definitely necessary, regardless of what each individual did or did not do to render themselves homeless. Conclusion: Only two problems, but enough evidence to show more aid should be provided so that they can get on their feet, back into homes, and into the labor force which makes the US stronger. If they could do it themselves, they would have.