One issue very relevant in the city of New Orleans today is the problem of beggars standing on the neutral grounds of our city asking for citizens and visitors money. Most of these beggars uses the money he or she receives to buy cigarettes or other harmful substances. This problem is a continuous loop of beggars using money for the wrong purposes instead of saving to try and find a job and turn their life around. These beggars usually root from a life of poverty or lack of education which leads to unemployment. There are also people that do this out of laziness and would rather beg on the streets every day instead of applying for a real job and working. Some people may also say that having beggars stand on the street is an eyesore to the city and tourists. Beggars may bother people or make them feel uncomfortable by asking for money for nothing in return. Begging can be seen as a mild type of harassment to some. It is also a problem because these people often end up becoming sick of starvation, and are living in unsanitary conditions. These people are not treated with the correct healthcare and do not have the money to afford proper shelter or things such as the dentist or the doctor. Overall, people that stand on the street and beg for money are not only hurting themselves, but are also creating a bad image for the city of New Orleans.

A solution to this problem is a workplace program for all these people around the city. Homeless people can sign up for it and do things such as cleaning up the trash around the city or painting over vandalism to keep the city beautiful. They can also work for people who are in need of multiple workers for low pay. While working in this program the homeless will be provided with a place to stay. They will be paid moderate amounts of money, until they work up to enough money in order to apply for a real job. To prevent these programs from becoming overcrowded, these individuals would be given four months to stay until they must apply for a real job. This program would be funded by the city and residents of New Orleans; it would also be considered a charity. This would be a better alternative to standing on the streets because working allows a person to save up their money in order to eventually buy a house and live a normal life. Standing on the streets begging only allows for one to be able to spend the money he or she gets on food and things needed to survive. To ensure this solution would work the city would have to make it a law for cops to inform people whenever they are standing on the streets that it is no longer legal because of this program. If the homeless tried to say that they have nowhere to go, the option of this workplace would be brought to their attention along with other homeless shelters. Finally, I believe that someone should teach homeless people about God and religion. Teaching these people about Jesus could help them to want to turn their life around and have dignity. Fixing this problem will not only help the city of New Orleans, but also help the many lives of the people living on the streets.

This solution will improve the current situation because it will encourage these people to stop being lazy and turn their life around. My solution could provide them with a temporary shelter and put them on the path to getting a real job. It could also provide them with religion and a purpose for turning their life around. The program would make the city of New Orleans a nicer place for tourists and it would please the people who are bothered by this situation. This alternative would work because it would not only give the homeless people a purpose in their life, but it would cleanse the streets of New Orleans of people asking for money. Although some may only be begging because he or she is lazy, for most it is because they cannot receive a job or raise enough money to rent or buy a home. A homeless working program would be a great alternative to the lives of beggars right now; it would not only solve the problem of begging but please the citizens of New Orleans.