Urban and Rural Problems

This blog will be covering urban and rural problems. Urbanization, the shift from rural areas to large cities, has had consequences for political, economic, and social life. The functionalism theory suggests that cities serve many important and necessary functions for society, but they also have dysfunctions. The conflict theory claims that cities are run by political and economic elites that use their resources to enrich their positions while taking resources from the poor and people of color. The symbolic interactionism theory provides the idea that city residents differ in their types of interaction and perceptions of urban life. It suggest that cities are not chaotic places but rather locations in which strong norms and values exist. 


The State of Homelessness Dashboard reports that 30,756 people experienced homelessness in a given night in 2023. 14 out of 10,000 people experience homelessness. Between 2022 and 2023, Florida's total homeless population increased by 18%. The sheltered population also increased by 7% and the unsheltered by 32%. In Palm Bay, Melbourne/Brevard County CoC, 1,052 people experienced homelessness on a given night, and 17 out of 10,000. The homeless population increased by 15%. The sheltered population decreased by 18%, while the unsheltered population increased by 50%. We also see that the individual rate is 15% and the family rate is 13%. Chronic is at 26%, veteran at 21%, and youth at 57%. 

The nonprofit I chose for this blog is CITA Rescue Mission. Founded in 1969, CITA has been helping the homeless population in Brevard County for over 50 years. They offer a men's program and a women and children housing program. The men's program is a long-term residential program helping men rebuild their lives. The women and children program, Helen's House, is a safe and stable residential program. There is many success stories for women and men dealing with addiction and homelessness. 

https://citarescuemission.org/ 

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