In many cities around the world, homelessness is commonplace. What are the causes of homelessness? What are some solutions

In many cities around the world, homelessness is commonplace. What are the causes of homelessness? What are some solutions?
With few exceptions, almost every major city in the world has a homeless population. This essay will discuss the reasons why this issue exists and explore ways to deal with the problem.
There are a number of factors that contribute to the problem of homelessness. A major reason is that many cities have become extraordinarily expensive. People have high costs of living, and as soon as income cannot cover their expenses, they are often forced out of their homes and apartments and find themselves on the streets. An example of this occurred in the US after the 2009 financial crisis as 5 million Americans lost their homes to foreclosures and many ended up on the street or living in cars. Another reason is the normalisation of poverty. Too often, supposedly civilized societies come to accept homelessness as inevitable and do not take the required steps to address the problem.
However, there are actions that can be taken to deal with this issue. First and foremost, there must be the societal and political will to make sure that nobody is left on the streets. Though people may say that it is too expensive to house the homeless, the current Covid-19 crisis has proved that this is false. For safety reasons, many cities around the world have housed their homeless in vacant motels, hotels and apartments, proving that money was no obstacle the entire time. The other obvious solution is to prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place. This means that government needs to provide free access to mental health services and affordable housing.
In conclusion, although financial concerns are generally the direct and indirect causes of homelessness, having a society that makes the decision to fully end homelessness no matter the cost of services is the only way to find an answer to the problem.