Living in the relatively safe environment of Ames, Iowa, we often feel the problems that plague our nation are far removed from our own personal lives.

Issues such as crime, poverty and other social ills, while on the American consciousness sometimes are pushed to the back of our minds, referred to only in vague generalities because many of the issues are problems with which we do not have to confront daily.

However, Ames is not invulnerable to the problems we sometimes consider to occur only in “the big city.”

Homelessness is not something you would expect to be a huge problem in Ames.

And comparatively, it is probably not as severe a problem as one would find in New York or Detroit.

But recent indications have shown that not only is homelessness occurring in Ames, but it is on the rise.

And while it is a positive sign that attempts are being made to alleviate the suffering of the homeless, such as the Emergency Residence Project, it is disturbing to note that the short-term shelter in Ames is planning to expand its operation.

With no federal funding, the local shelter depends on local donations and grants to continue to service the homeless.

Ames needs to investigate what is causing a need to increase its homeless services so that what we consider to only happen in “the big cities” doesn’t become an even more noticeable reality in our own city.