Defense design is a technique that creates unpleasant structures to limit crime, protect property, and order maintenance. The most commonly used form of defense design is uncomfortable benches which restrict resting spots for the homeless. It’s estimated that over half a million homeless people are in the U.S currently, with the limited number of homeless shelters in the country, and this new technique being used in cities with high homeless populations, where are these people supposed to sleep?

In 2015 it was reported that $598.5 billion of our tax dollars were put into the military. That’s over half of our tax dollars. Whilst only 238.7 billion dollars was put into unemployment, housing, food, and veterans’ benefits combined. That’s about twenty-two percent of our tax dollars altogether. This is very concerning especially considering the high homeless rates for veterans in the U.S. As of right now around 130,000 veterans are homeless and 3.7% of veterans become homeless within only five years after leaving the army. 

Our country wastes our tax dollars on our military and doesn’t even care to use a decent amount of money to help the people living in this country. We encourage people to sign up for the military and fight for our country yet dispose of them once they’re done serving, leaving many veterans homeless. Sadly, these benches have become their homes because our government doesn’t care to use over six percent of our money on housing. But, now big cities are using defense design and taking away the only place where many have to sleep. If our government is going to allow this agricultural technique to be used then they should provide more home and shelter opportunities for not only veterans but all homeless people.

I decided to get the perspective of a veteran to get some inside perspective on this major issue. He said “I somewhat agree with defense design along city streets and business fronts because imagine having a small business with homeless people camped outside your door front. I would agree with all defense designs only if the city’s government had a plan of how to help the homeless properly. Skid row in LA is what happens if you do nothing about the homeless problem.” Skid row is an area in LA that is notorious for its homelessness and poverty. Roughly 8,000-11,000 people live there today. In this neighborhood, there are very few restrooms available. As a result, the people living in this community must use buckets as toilets. And their only way of bathing is by using body wipes. The few things they do have are provided by charitable organizations, not the government. 

Defense design isn’t the main problem. If we had more housing opportunities this wouldn’t be a major concern. We need to hold our government accountable and express our concern with our inequitable distribution of tax dollars. Human beings should have access to food and shelter and have access to toilets, showers, etc. and we would if our government didn’t waste tax dollars. There is no easy solution to this major issue. All we can do as of now is hold our government  accountable.