Since shelter is seen as a basic need for human beings, some people suggest that local governments should provide homeless individuals who do not have enough financial recourses to buy a house or a flat with accommodation free of charge. Although this proposal seems well-thought-out, I do not agree with it.
It is not a hidden fact that providing homeless people with free accommodation is beneficial in many ways. For a start, it bridges the gap between the rich and the poor; that is, by reducing homelessness, governments give those once-without-home individuals a sense of social equality. More specifically, they no longer think that they are left behind in terms of having access to refuge, meaning one of their fundamental needs is met. This in turn fosters optimism in them, allowing them to shift their focus from finding a home to achieving other goals like professional and financial growth.
However, it would be a financial strain for local authorities to maintain such a project. if this project is introduced, demand for free accommodation is bound to rise and exceed the supply. This may require too much state money, preventing other pressing matters such as poor education systems or underdeveloped healthcare services from receiving as much attention as they should. Additionally, there are good chances that such projects will be misused: corrupt officials may be bribed to give such a privilege to those who are not eligible to receive free accommodation, adding the proverbial fuel to the fire. When such officials responsible for distributing free houses or flats are paid off, they may allow those who are rich enough to buy their own homes to benefit from the scheme by bending the rules.
Furthermore, such a project may bring about excessive laziness among people eligible for labor. Rather than working hard to become financially stable, they may quit their jobs to be considered as low- income people to fall into the category of the beneficiaries of the free housing project. This will cause unfair distribution of such accommodation, encouraging more and more people to stop working devotedly.
To sum up, the idea of giving houses or flats to those whose budget is tight is subtly sensible, but it does more harm than good. Therefore, I am of the opinion that such a project should not be implemented for the reasons mentioned above.