Homelessness
Homelessness is a reality that we face, especially in the 21st century. It is a deep-rooted problem, and as a result, there are many false assumptions and stereotypes that we have adopted about homelessness and homeless people. Misinformation has played a significant role in contributing to homeless individuals’ stigmatization, a populace that is already sidelined. There are consequences associated with false assumptions; in this case, homelessness, for example, one may not help even if it is possible due to the beliefs. To tackle the issue without making false assumptions, we need to focus on the myths that exist and deconstruct them to create a society that is well informed and devoid of the consequences associated with what may be termed as ignorance. As a result of the false assumptions made about homeless people, solutions sought to curb the problem end up doing more harm than good. Therefore, we ought to understand the various myths that exist and the consequences thereof to find a lasting solution to this issue.
A few people believe that homelessness is a choice that an individual makes because they don’t want to stay at their homes. Still, the fact is that most people who find themselves without a place to stay are in that situation as a result of many reasons. Circumstances such as frustrations in life stress people out, and some may lose it to the point of being homeless. Barrett Lee, in his Public Beliefs about the Causes of Homelessness article, he discusses that for most individuals, being homeless is least of their choices, having tried all avenues to sustain them. He argues that “some factors that lead to loss of shelter include; eviction from a house, dealing with a health crisis that drains a person’s finances because of the medical bills, and lack of affordable housing, among other factors” (263). Some of these factors heavily contribute to people being homeless. Some challenges in life drive people in circumstances that are so bad that leaving them wondering how they got to that point. Being homeless does not mean that these people made the wrong financial decisions. The fact is some situations, for example, sickness with extra-large medical bills that drive one broke and cannot be able even to afford to pay for a house. The truth is that every human being can make mistakes, but when it comes to matters of housing, homelessness cannot be directly related to bad choices though it’s a contributing factor.
It is believed that many people who are homeless are addicts, and it is not always true. People assume that due to addiction to drugs which are mostly expensive led to people being unable to pay for rent or buying a house. Research has shown than only 20% to 40% of the people in the streets are addicts. The reason why some indulge in it is a response to homelessness, and they are frequently in contact with the users. Sometimes drug dealers take advantage of their desperate situations. In his article, the homeless in America, Wright explains addiction being a driving factor to homelessness. But, this is clear that this is not the only cause making people homeless, and on the other hand, homeless people may get into drug use due to stress and being depressed. In other words, that just as in society, only a few are addicts. Addiction on its own cannot be the leading cause of homelessness; there are many other things on the picture to consider. The assumption is not trued; they are many reasons that lead to people being homeless. Though, few people may get into addiction because of stress or losing hope in life. Fountain claims, “such problems include mental disorder, trauma, among other issues (246). Every homeless person has their own unique story of the reasons why they are homeless. All homeless people are not addicts they are people struggling to get back to their previous situations or better positions.
Some people may argue and believe that homeless people don’t want to work and are lazy; that’s why they are in the situation they are in. This assumption is prevalent, and people tend to associate homeless people to lazy people. In Losing Work: Regional Unemployment and Its Effect on Homeless Demographic Characteristics, Needs, and Health Care by Colin Burke, he discusses people tend to think that people on the streets are lazy and only want people to pity them and give them handouts, but statistics show that some people are still homeless yet employed. Although this is the case, when a person finds themselves without shelter, it becomes increasingly difficult to get a job. Employers need information on the job seekers’ address. They need their employee to show up having showered and looking presentable. They need employees who are ready to work and not struggling with stress, mostly the case with homeless people. At times, the requirements for jobs are challenging to attain being homeless as basic requirements such as showers, means of transportation, a constant address, and mental stability prove to be luxuries living on the street. Burke argues that “sometimes, such a person may find employment, but most positions they manage to get are either pay minimum wage or part-time, which cannot cover all the expenses, especially with the high housing cost” (1398. They go through a lot of discrimination and have limited chances to improve their lives. It proves that homeless people struggle with a lot of challenges that limit them to do more to improve their living conditions and life in general.
Many people believe that homeless people are violent, dangerous, and criminals. People assume that these people are thugs and are linked to theft mostly, which makes them violent and dangerous. It is an entirely false assumption that we have grown accustomed to belief. In Danger on the Streets: Marginality and Victimization among Homeless People by Barrett Lee and Christopher J. Schreck, they both conclude that myths about homeless people tend to be the same, no matter where you are in the world. However, people in the street are perceived to be dangerous criminals, just as in the case of addiction, we cannot say that some of them are not violent. Lee and Schreck argue that “the issue of being violent and dangerous is an understandable concern; however, homeless individuals are, in most cases, they are victims of violent crimes as opposed to being perpetrators of the crimes” (1059). People in the street live in dangerous and less safe places so people can take advantages of them. In other words, being on the street is risky, and therefore, homeless people may find themselves in situations that may call for self-defence. People in society may perceive the acts as violent, but they rarely involve other people that don’t live in the shelters. Self-defence legally is allowed when you believe that you are in danger from another person. It should be clarified and insisted that an act of self-defence should not be translated to label an individual a criminal, especially a homeless person.
Some might say that many services are made available to give support to homeless people. People assume that homeless people get a lot of help from people and government. The issue of homelessness is one of the most misunderstood topics of the 21st century. Successful people may not sometimes clearly understand why some people don’t have places to live. Yet, governments and other non- profit organizations are always coming up with solutions to settle the homeless but have mostly been unsuccessful. However, the evidence that exists disapproves of the argument on the solutions and helps settle these people. In The Elusive Goal of Social Integration: A Critical Examination of the Socio-Economic and Psychosocial Consequences Experienced by Homeless Young People Who Obtain Housing by Naomi Thulien, she discusses that the emergency services rendered by well-wishers and the government can be termed as misguided due to the public domain’s misinformation. Due to the false assumptions and myths associated with the issue, support, and solutions that are given do not precisely fit the homeless’s needs because mostly they want permanent places to live. Support is usually provided focused on emergencies like food banks and shelters but not permanent housing or employment. Individuals that receive the benefits do not find them adequate as being given food, and a shelter in the form of a tent will not allow them to get out of the predicament. Thulien explains that “there is a need to widen the scope in tackling the issue, for example, providing affordable housing and passing laws against homelessness to encourage people to obtain suitable house” (91). These policies, however, can only work if affordable housing is provided for all and makes it easier to achieve other things in life.
Society creates a stereotype for people to believe that all homeless people are not educated or literate. What most people believe is that those people in the street are illiterate and lack knowledge about so many things in life. The truth is different. In her report, Thulien discusses that people view them as people who never got an education, and this being the 21st century where most jobs require skills, they were left out. However, according to research, most students attending college in America are homeless. The students were attending community colleges, working more than one job, or paying their tuition fees. Thulien claims that “when the students were interviewed, they considered school a happy place to escape their cruel realities and empower themselves with education” (91). Other than this group of people, some are homeless and are educated but have no jobs. The number of unemployed people has over the years risen with mechanization and population increase where the job opportunities are few. Many people end up unemployed, and others lose their jobs due to mental illness, addiction, or other socio-economic factors. Being in the street is contributed by a variety of things, and there are many educated minds in homeless shelters that can impact the world positively; they just need a hand.
Many people also believe people who have homes can never become homeless. We occasionally take owning a house as our right, but in a real sense, circumstances can change from good to worse and cannot be foreseen. Loans or loss of a job and other factors can be linked to loss of a house which can result to being homeless. Therefore home owners can also find themselves in the same situation. In her report, Thulien also discuss that we live in times where economies can become volatile at any given time. Such uncertainties cannot guarantee anyone the safety that they will never be homeless. Thuilen states, “recently surges in the economy have been experienced in most parts of the world, and unemployment has become a reality we must acknowledge” (91). The notion that we created that only others can live on the streets and not certain people this should be forgotten and instead realize that absolutely anyone can find themselves on that situation. We can be empathetic towards those in the situation because nobody knows what tomorrow may bring and we should work towards being financially stable to avoid such experiences.
From the assumptions mentioned in this paragraph, some consequences come from harboring such false information by believing that all homeless people are violent, dangerous, and criminals without valid evidence; we create a negative mindset. In The Big Man: Homeless Young People and Negative Cultural Capital by Justin Barker and Erin Barry, they both have concluded that by following the incorrect information, we prevent homeless people from getting help from people who have dedicated their lives to helping the poor and less fortunate in society. Barker and Barry argue, “Such people include; non-profit organizations, governments, and other stakeholders” (31). Misinformation about homelessness has left us stuck in the past, whereby the stereotypes that were established very many years ago based on very misguided principles still affects us to date. Although the world has made great strides in technology and other avenues, the human mind is yet to desist from stereotypes and falsehood. Assumptions are an easy escape from thinking or seeking out the truth. As human beings, we tend to look for the easy way out and, therefore, do not seek to determine whether what we hold and believe to be true is the real truth. Schreck states, “It is crucial for those people who have never been homeless to empathize and seek to understand that every person that is homeless had to face certain situations that led them to that point in their lives” (1061). The governments try to curb the problem, but more can still be done. Investing in housing policies cannot bring an end to homelessness; many underlying issues have to be interwoven with housing to bring the matter to an end.
For the government and other stakeholders, it is essential for them to look into why the number of homeless people is increasing by the day. Getting to the root cause of the problem will guarantee that the problem is uprooted, never to return. Lee explains, “When looking into the causes, some are more rampant and should be looked into first” (254). Other than affordable housing, the other factors are; unemployment, high poverty levels, lack of health care facilities that rehabilitate people with mental health issues, domestic violence, and stagnant wages. The case of false assumptions on being homeless indeed has tremendous consequences. It’s the duty of each of us to strive to do better when it comes to deductions and misinformation. We should cultivate a culture of seeking the truth, starting on a personal level to our governments to ensure a more productive society.
Works Cited
Barker, Justin, and Erin Barry. “‘The Big Man’: Homeless Young People and Negative Cultural Capital.” Parity, vol. 26, no. 10, Council to Homeless Persons, 2013, p. 31.
Burke, Colin, et al. “Losing Work: Regional Unemployment and Its Effect on Homeless Demographic Characteristics, Needs, and Health Care.” Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, vol. 24, no. 3, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013, pp. 1391– 402.
Lee, Barrett A., et al. “Public Beliefs about the Causes of Homelessness.” Social Forces, vol. 69, no. 1, The University of North Carolina Press, 1990, pp. 253–65.
Lee, Barrett A., and Christopher J. Schreck. “Danger on the Streets: Marginality and Victimization among Homeless People.” American Behavioral Scientist, vol. 48, no. 8, Sage Publications Sage CA: Thousand Oaks, CA, 2005, pp. 1055–81.
Thulien, Naomi S., et al. “The Elusive Goal of Social Integration: A Critical Examination of the Socio-Economic and Psychosocial Consequences Experienced by Homeless Young People Who Obtain Housing.” Canadian Journal of Public Health, vol. 109, no. 1, Springer, 2018, pp. 89–98.
Wright, James D. Address unknown: The homeless in America. AldineTransaction, 2009.