furthermore

Expensive to be Poor

Let no one tell you that poverty is easy

or destitution is cheap

You need money to get certifications

which jobs require before they'll hire you

completely discounting the fact

that you need a job to get the money

to get those certifications

Nothing of value is free,

not even food, which you need to live,

and especially not housing

The city I live in,

who for years has punished those

who would help the homeless with handouts,

has criminalized sleeping on the street,

but will not provide housing solutions

to keep people from doing it

Jail time is not cheap either,

the food is disgusting,

and the schedule is inhumane

It is not a viable solution to homelessness

What we need is stepping stones

out of poverty

because being poor is expensive