Homelessness is a huge problem in cities all over the country. Right now, close to 40% of the population deals with homelessness.
One of the best things you can do is get to know this issue so you can understand its root causes and why it has become such an issue in recent years. This way, you will be in a much better position to help combat it.
So why do people become homeless? Here are some of the major reasons for this epidemic.
Why Do People Become Homeless?
Homelessness is a complicated and multifaceted issue, but one that tends to have some commonalities. Here are some of the major reasons that people become homeless:
1. Substance Abuse
When a person has substance abuse issues, the addiction can often take over their lives. It’s difficult to hold down a job or a place to live when you are addicted to illicit substances.
As such, several people living on the street started this problem when they became addicted to drugs. Since we are in the middle of an opioid epidemic, you can reasonably conclude that these issues go hand-in-hand rise in homelessness.
2. Financial Hardship
Of course, many people who fall prey to homelessness simply fell down on their luck financially. When this happens, a person might have gotten evicted from a rental or foreclosed from their home.
They may not have friends or relatives that they can live with. This causes them to live on the street or elsewhere. Some people end up staying homeless for years, while others sleep outside while they await disability, unemployment, family housing, or other payments.
3. Mental Illness Issues
Mental health issues also play a big role in homelessness. Unfortunately, several people today deal with mental health issues, both diagnosed and undiagnosed. Because this is such an issue, many states are running out of resources to help people going through these problems.
Since they aren’t able to find shelter inside of a mental health institution, they end up living on the street instead. This is a dangerous issue since they won’t be getting supervision or access to the mental health resources that they need.
Certain states, such as California, have large homelessness problems due in large part to the closure of these government mental health facilities. Waiting lists are lengthy for some of these facilities, and many patients aren’t of sound mind to check themselves in.
This is why so many community efforts focus on getting homeless people the mental health assistance that they need.
Understand Why Homelessness is Rampant
When you put the pieces together, it is clear to see just how serious homelessness is. These issues come about for a variety of reasons, many of which are related to societal issues.
It’s easier to fix the problem of homelessness when these societal issues are addressed. If you have a desire to help stop homelessness, getting to know the information above will provide a huge help.
Check back to learn more information on homelessness and a wide variety of related topics.