When faced with the decision to act against homelessness, it is important to realize that not acting is a decision as well; a decision that has serious consequences. Apathy towards the continued existence of homelessness does not simply ensure that the current conditions will remain as they are. Rather, it ensures that the current trends will remains as they are. Given the rise in homelessness at the national level and the expansion of poverty in Buffalo, a decision not to act creates very real results that actually perpetuate the problem. Simply pushing these problems to the back of our personal and social agenda is similar to only taking pain killers when one has a broken leg-it simply does not address the root problem of the pain and one would not be able to realistically expect the underlying condition to be solved. Even with the body’s natural healing process, assistance from a doctor is necessary to fix the condition.

By addressing homelessness, and poverty in general, in a proactive way, better solutions can be found. The problem can also be addressed before more are affected by it, by making solutions easier to create, implement and fund. Besides being socially advantageous, a proactive approach allows those affected by homelessness to be helped more quickly, before homelessness may consume their life. While finding long term solutions may force us to alter our short term priorities, the benefits they yield are worth it.