What About Those With No Money To Stretch?

We have all been there…

I was stopped at a traffic light the other day, and there was a man on the side of the road with a sign. It read, “Homeless and Hungry, Disabled Veteran”. There was a time when I wouldn’t put much stock into the credibility of what I read on those cardboard stories. The assumption was that this person was either addicted to alcohol or drugs, or just preferred to not work. This is an assumption that allot of us have, and we may be right, or we may be wrong. But that’s not really the point. Whether this man was a veteran or not, I was pretty certain he was homeless, and pretty sure he was hungry.

I remember when I was young, my mother would think out loud and ask questions about the homeless that made me think. “I wonder where they are going to sleep tonight?” or “What will they do when it gets really cold?”. It was miserable and depressing to think about those things, so I usually didn’t. I have never been homeless, but I think it’s a good idea to stop every once in a while and think about why.

There seems to be a consensus among studies researching the causes of homelessness, and while substance abuse does play a role, it is not in the top 3 reasons. This may surprise you, but stigmas are powerful things. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty found 5 of the top causes of homelessness, and they deserve consideration.

Lack of Affordable Housing

 This is actually a crisis that is getting worse, and it’s easy to see why. The cost of housing is rising, but the wages of low-income earners are not keeping pace. In fact, they have by many metrics, stalled. Add to this the fact that the actual amount of low-cost housing has decreased, and it becomes clear that places to live are being priced beyond what some people can afford.

Take a look at these statistics:

• It is estimated that there is a shortage of 7.5 million affordable housing units needed
• Over a half a million people are homeless on any given night
• 75% of all low-income families pay 50% or more of their income on rent alone
• Only 1 in 4 families who need assistance actually receive it

The solution to this might be complicated, but programs such as permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and expanding the capabilities and resources of HUD might be things that can make a difference. Of course, until the income gap can be addressed, this will always be a struggle for some.

Underemployment is another factor. I have personally known people who were, in fact, working yet homeless. Sleeping in a car or couch surfing is surely homeless as well. Homeless can be defined as the lack of a stable and reliable place to live. There are those who are not making enough income to pay rent but are merely working to have food and to stay alive. Sometimes non-standard work is a factor, where individuals work as independent contractors, day labor, temporary positions and even part-time only. If it’s difficult climbing out of homelessness when you are already working, imagine how hard it could be for those who are not?

Poverty

 Homelessness and poverty go hand in hand. When we see a homeless person (or family) it is usually the end stage of poverty. Often, just to survive, the poor will use whatever resources they have for that end. If faced with a choice of starvation or rent, which would you choose? If you were in that unfortunate situation where this decision meant life or death, it might be easier to see why some have turned to living on the streets just to stay alive.

Often poverty is handed down from generation to generation, and some homeless people are suffering as the result of no family to rely on. Living in poverty and one step away from homelessness can be enough to trigger a complete breakdown. Some deal with this by turning to alcohol and substance abuse, some develop mental illness. It’s not hard to understand why.

Mental Illness

There are 250,000 mentally ill homeless in the US. 140,000 of those people have serious mental illness

According to a study done in 2015, there are 564,708 people homeless on any given night in the US. Roughly 45% of those suffer from a mental illness, and the shocking part is that there are more mentally ill people living on the street than being cared for in facilities. This problem is exasperated by the fact that because they are unable to obtain treatment, families are unable to care for them, which continues the cycle. This is clearly a failure of the system, with real consequences.

28 percent of homeless people with previous psychiatric hospitalizations obtained some food from garbage cans and 8 percent used garbage cans as a primary food source.

Since the 1970’s there has been a rise of the mentally ill among the homeless population. This is believed to be caused in part by the “dumping of patients from hospitals to the streets” when funding runs out. This may save the medical system money, but costs shift to jails, prisons, and other taxpayer’s expenses. This is most certainly not a solution. The New York Times called this situation a “walking mental ward”.

Substance Abuse and the Lack of Needed Services

 According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 38% of homeless people were dependent on alcohol and 26% abused other drugs.

Alcoholism was prevalent among the older generations while drug use was found mainly in the younger group. Before we make a judgement, it is important to understand the relationship between homelessness and substance abuse.

Homelessness is often the result of substance abuse, but for many, losing everything can be the trigger. While the impact of an addiction can certainly cause strain on families and employment, it is also true that poverty and financial hardship can ultimately lead to the loss of everything and some individuals develop these addictions as a result. Often, those who suffer from mental illness do not have access to treatment and will substitute illegal drugs in an attempt to self-medicate. What’s important to remember here is that we do not know the real story, and we are quick to judge. No matter the cause, compassion is always a good choice.

Throughout my journey to understand this epidemic and to develop greater empathy for the homeless, I unexpectedly gained a clearer insight into the causes and factors that contribute, and I hope that you have too. Some of the things that I learned suprised me, and my view of the homeless has forever changed. I realize that I am not capable of helping every hungry person on the street, but I have found my attitude changing the more I understand and appreciate my own fortune. I think what I have come to understand is that regardless of what the cause for homelessness is, these people are hurting and hungry, cold and lonely.