Question Description

Homelessness in America is a persistent, complex, and
widely-occurring problem that incorporates many economic, social, and
psychological dimensions. After years of war and economic decline, the
ranks of the homelessness have grown to include families with children
(35%), military veterans (23%), children (25%), persons fleeing domestic
violence (30%), and the mentally ill (20-25%) (National Student
Campaign, 2012). Additionally, the number of homeless young adults, aged
18 to 24, is growing, giving homelessness a new face (Saulny, 2012).

With regard to the problem of homelessness, some people perceive a
call for greater human compassion, while others demand more effective
social policy and more comprehensive public health services. Still
others insist on greater individual responsibility and more respect for
the needs of business, reinforced by aggressive criminal justice
responses. 

Your paper will examine a broad range of private and public responses
(e.g., laws, policies, programs, and individual behaviors) to various
aspects of the problem of homelessness in America. You will examine five
to seven such responses in depth, and at least two of those must relate
to criminal justice.

For each response examined, you will summarize the nature of the
response, its history, its objectives, and information about any
positive or negative outcomes relevant to homelessness. You will also
analyze each response from the perspectives of distributive,
commutative, and retributive justice. You will consider
competing/conflicting views (the pros and cons) of the justice issues,
leading to a balanced conclusion about the justness of each response.
Finally, you will draw an overall conclusion about whether, 30 years
from now, the next generation of Americans will view today’s responses
to homelessness as just. Your conclusion must be supported by various
points in your analysis of the justice of specific responses.

Start your research by reviewing the PDF document, Recommended Resources for the Final Paper.
Use these resources to gain familiarity with various aspects of the
homelessness problem and a range of responses to it. Some of the
websites list other research based resources that contain in-depth
information that can also be utilized in your paper. Also, use the
Ashford University Library to find scholarly articles that are relevant
to the specific responses to homelessness that are the focus of your
paper.

The paper must be eight to ten pages in length (excluding the title
and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style. You must use
at least five scholarly resources (at least two of which can be found in
the Ashford University Library) other than the textbook to support your
claims. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the
reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and
tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, located within the Learning
Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar.

Writing the Final Paper

The Final Paper:

1. 
   
2.    
3. Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, and
   formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing
   Center.
4. 
   
5.    
6. Must include a title page with the following:
      
   1. 
      
   2.        
   3. Title of paper
   4. 
      
   5.        
   6. Student’s name
   7. 
      
   8.        
   9. Course name and number
   10. 
       
   11.        
   12. Instructor’s name
   13. 
       
   14.        
   15. Date submitted
   16. 
       
   17.    
   
      
7. 
   
8.    
9. Must start with a short introductory paragraph which includes a
   clear thesis statement (your answer to the question: Will the next
   generation of Americans view as just today’s response to homelessness?).
   The thesis statement itself is just that – a statement of what your
   essay demonstrates. The thesis is not a question and it is not a summary
   of what the topics discussed. The thesis is not a question and it is
   not a summary of what the topics are discussed. The thesis should avoid
   using the first person voice; avoid sentences like “This paper will show
   that...” and avoid asking questions. Rather, your thesis should make
   declarative statements.
10. 
    
11.    
12. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
13. 
    
14.    
15. Must end with a short paragraph which includes a conclusion. The conclusion and thesis must be consistent.
       
    1. 
       
    2.        
    3. Your paper must logically develop the thesis in a way that
       leads to the conclusion, and that development must be supported by
       facts, fully explained concepts or assertions, and persuasive reasoning.
       
    4. 
       
    5.    
    
       
16. 
    
17.    
18. Must use at least five scholarly resources, including a minimum of two from the Ashford University Library.
19. 
    
20.    
21. Must be in your own words. While brief quotes from sources may
    be used, altogether the total amount of quoted text must be less than
    five percent of the body of your paper.
       
    1. 
       
    2.        
    3. When you use someone else's words, they must be enclosed in
       quotation marks followed by an APA in-text short citation (Author, Year,
       page number) to your source. The in-text citation must correspond to a
       full APA citation for the source on the reference page at the end of the
       paper.
    4. 
       
    5.    
    
       
22. 
    
23.    
24. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
25. 
    
26.    
27. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
28. 
    

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.