5402 Week 7 Assignment Social Welfare Problem Policy and Alternatives

Essay Instructions:

Overview For this assignment, you will continue building on the work you have done for the previous two assignments by exploring alternatives and changes to social welfare policy that could address gaps and flaws in existing policy. As part of your analysis, you will need to incorporate at least seven peer-review journal articles and any other scholarly sources to support your points, including one reference from the Congressional Research Service's Search CRS ReportsLinks to an external site.. Only one peer-reviewed article may be older than five years. Instructions Write a five-page paper in which you explore changes and alternatives to address gaps and flaws in a current social welfare policy. In addition to our course readings, you will need to review the literature on the social issues or problem you select in order to respond to some of the requirements below. Include the following in your submission: Introduction Provide an introduction that succinctly describes the issue or problem, the current federal social welfare policy designed to address it, and the gaps or flaws that impact its effectiveness. Body of Paper Describe possible changes to the federal policy that would address known gaps, flaws, or shortcomings. Describe alternative policies that have been proposed to address shortcomings or flaws with the current policy. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the current policy and an alternative proposal, including any changes in who may benefit and the effects on families. Describe the relationship between policy and best practices for human service professionals. Conclusion Provide a succinct conclusion that highlights the key points of your discussion. Additional Requirements ***References: Include at least seven peer-review journal articles. Only one peer-reviewed article may be older than five years. Include one reference from the Congressional Research Service. -Length of paper: Approximately five pages, not including cover and references. -APA style and format: Use appropriate APA style and formatting for citations and references. Refer to Academic Writer or Evidence and APA in the Capella Writing Center.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Fair Housing Act (FHA) Social Welfare Problem Policy and Alternatives Name Institution Course Code and Title Instructor Date Introduction Housing inequality is still a major social welfare issue in the United States even after establishing the Fair Housing Act (FHA) in 11968. The FHA's primary goal was to eliminate discrimination in housing practices in the country by enforcing equality in accessibility to housing opportunities for everybody despite their sex, religion color, family status, disability originality, or race. Nevertheless, despite the noble intentions the FHA policy hasn’t been able to address the systematic barriers that extend the housing inequality (Chen, 2024). In this paper, therefore, we look at the gaps and flaws within the current federal social welfare policy and provide a change proposal through alternatives that would enhance the effectiveness of the policy. Changes to The Fair Housing Act Policymakers should work towards reducing housing inequality and promoting fair and equitable access to housing for all individuals. The proposed changes to the FHA policy involve three proposals as discussed below. First, the policy should increase access to housing since many low-income persons and families still find it challenging to access affordable housing. the issue can be addressed by implementing changes within the FHA policy to expand the current housing voucher programs and provide more finances for building more affordable housing units (Kahlenberg, 2022). The housing voucher program can be expanded by increasing the number of vouchers available with more value that will increase the rental coverage and minimize barriers to voucher utilization such as discrimination from landlords. Secondly, the enforcement mechanisms established by the FHA policy to eradicate discrimination in housing should be strengthened. Current mechanisms haven’t been sufficient to hold violators accountable thus, more resources like funding and personnel should be allocated to ensure thorough investigations of housing discrimination complaints. Further, agencies responsible for the investigations should be authorized to impose penalties on violators and initiate legal proceedings against discriminatory practices. The strategy will help deter housing providers from engaging in unlawful behavior (Chen, 2024). Additionally, giving support and resources to individuals suffering from housing discrimination empowers them to report cases of discrimination and seek justice through legal channels. Lastly, the protected classes should be expanded. Other than the individuals protected by the FHA currently, there remain some marginalized groups that face housing discrimination and are not explicitly protected under the policy. The expansion of the protected classes should consider the inclusion of diverse categories of sexual orientation, source of income, and gender identification. Legal protection of these classes is paramount as currently members of the LGBTQ+ community frequently suffer from housing discrimination in housing. Also, individuals with government support such as housing vouchers face landlords who are not willing to rent to them (Kahlenberg, 2022). Therefore, an expansion of the classes helps have more individuals protected from discriminatory practices when seeking housing. Alternative Policies The first alternative would be inclusionary zoning, a policy that aims to minimize economic segregation for its residents by mandating that new housing developments put aside a percentage of the units for low and moderate-income earners. Usually, the affordable units are below the market rates and offered to low and moderate-income individuals and families. inclusionary zoning, therefore, looks at promoting socioeconomic diversity and mitigating the gentrification effects. Further, the strategy ensures affordable housing options are made available in high-demand areas (Anacker, 2020) In the proposal developers will be required to put aside a specific number of units in their projects as affordable to low and moder...

Updated on May 15, 2024

Get the Whole Paper!

Not exactly what you need?

Do you need a custom essay? Order right now:

Order