One of the biggest holdbacks in to improving poverty and helping out the homeless is the biggest institution of them all, government. They are the ones who run the show and allow what they want for the businesses and non-profits to do. I was talking with one of the case-managers at the internship that I volunteer at. I found out some interesting information about how the city can really limit the helping that these people and volunteers can do for the non-profits and shelters that help the homeless. The way I found this out was because I was curious why the church had the men’s shelter open for only 3/4ths of the year. I was told that is was because of the city. They only allowed for a permit for that length. They are in the process of fighting it to make it a full year, because it is stupid to kick the people in need out for a few months. The city is also doing sweeps right now and is pushing the homeless on the street out to another neighboring city. It would be a lot more beneficial to put the recourses towards the shelters that house them and not have them be on the street. The shelters are beneficial in the sense that they help the homeless try to find a better place to live, or try to give them the job skills that would allow them to get back up on their feet.