Is it any wonder that homelessness, in the richest country in the world, grew by 18% this year, according to a Dec. 28 AP story in the Recorder? And that’s on top of last year’s 12% increase.

The U.S. is not in the business of building affordable housing. Our tax dollars go instead to sending weapons (the war industry is booming) to Israel, Ukraine, and our 800 military bases around the world. War is profitable, but it does not build houses. But don’t we have to save Israel, save Ukraine, and keep our country safe from invasions?

Even if you believe the answer is yes, I ask you, at what cost to our sanity and well-being? Can we afford to let 770,000 people go without the stability a home provides?

The AP reporting says that the reasons for the leap in homelessness are “soaring rents” and “the end of pandemic assistance.” True, but not true enough. Our federal government prioritizes the war machine. For example, in 2024, we donated $17.9 billion to Israel for it to carry out the genocide in Gaza, as well for its attacks on Lebanon and Syria. Our package to Ukraine has come to $61.4 billion over the three years of that war.

We can find alternatives. We can call for ceasefires and diplomacy and back that up by withdrawing military aid.

Could this country not spare a few billion dollars to house our own citizens? Instead, many cities are attacking homeless encampments, making homelessness a crime! But if you have no home to go to, then what? Is it time to reorder our priorities and demand a safe home for everyone?

Sherrill Hogen

Charlemont