Where Do the Homeless Come From?

As I drive through the city streets of Baltimore I am confronted with the homeless population. Whether they are begging in traffic or just sitting on the street corner, their presence is made known. The homeless there does not surprise me but the homeless in my small town community does. According to the Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty over 3.5 million people will experience homelessness at some point during the year. I just can't fathom how someone ends up on the street with no place to go. Many would say that is my spoiled apple pie upbringing, and maybe so. This being said it is hard to imagine how people end up homeless, so I did some research.

The reason that seems the most obvious to me is the addiction to drugs or alcohol. Many homeless people have allowed these substances to control their lives to the point that they stop going to work, or they spend all they earn on getting more of it. This reason as sad as it is makes sense to me and I can comprehend people allowing these destructive vices to compromise their futures.

Another reason for homelessness is disagreements with family. This may not seem like a valid reason but it unfortunately is. Teenagers and young adults frequently have disputes with their family and are given the option to either conform or leave. Many times they choose to leave even if that means they have no roof over their head.

Mental illness is a current cause of homelessness in our country. Although there are inpatient facilities that are intended to care for this part of our society many fall through the cracks. Either they are not "sick" enough, or the facilities are full and cannot accept any more patients. This combined with the illness itself lends itself to people ending up on the streets.

Our country has a very large prison population. While they are behind bars they don't have to worry about feeding, clothing, or sheltering themselves. When they are released they must do all of those. Yes there are programs to re-acclimate ex prisoners into society but again many people fall through the cracks. Finding a job that pays enough to rejoin society is not easy especially for someone with a criminal record. Without a job that pays enough to get a place to live you end up with no place to go.

Our society is full of everyday people who are living their lives in debt and paycheck to paycheck. When things like unemployment happen to these people being homeless is not far off. Without savings or resumed income their housing can disappear quickly. They end up with no place to go and mountains of debt as well. Not a good situation but unfortunately many people in our society are just weeks away from poverty. A pretty scary thought but very true.

We have programs like government assistance that are in place to help those just not making enough money to get by. These programs can and do work for many people. There are those who are forced off for various reasons. whether it be they get a decent job and are no longer eligible or they no longer meet some of the other criteria. Sometimes they get a job that pays too much to get the assistance but is still not enough to live off of. So they are without the help but are still left with not enough to get by. This is just another way people in our society end up on the street.

Spousal abuse, or domestic violence is never a good situation. It affects more people than we probably care to admit or are aware of. You wonder why these men and women stay in abusive situations? Well many times it is staying there with a roof over their head and food on the table, or leaving and end up on their own and usually with kids to support. This is probably the saddest situation when a mother and her children are forced out onto the street because they were strong enough to stand up and leave their abuser. You are thinking "well there are shelters for abused people", and yes there are. These places are just like any other and have their limitations. There is only so much room, money and food to go around, and once again people fall through the cracks.

All of these different beginnings can have the same sad ending. Being without a home is a real problem that our society has to deal with. I know I try and do my part by donating my funds to organizations that assist people in this situation. I am pretty sure that no matter what we do that homelessness will always exist to a certain degree, but little steps can help some and some is better than none. I hope this has educated others as to the reasons leading to homelessness. Not all homeless are lazy drug addicts who choose not to work and join society, many have gotten the raw end of the deal. I hope this has given you a better understanding of the homeless that "live" near you.