Often when we think about homelessness, we tend to picture an individuals who lives on the streets, with a sleeping bag or pushing a cart. However, are you aware that there are different types of homelessness? Well, according to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, there are three types:
• Situational or transitional/short-term: a person forced into homelessness due to a life event (loss of a job, disaster, losing a family member who is the breadwinner, domestic violence).
• Episodic or cyclical: a person that falls in and out of being homeless, many times due to mental illness or addiction.
• Chronic/long term: a person who is homeless for long periods of time usually because they don’t have the resources (family, friends, etc.) to change their living situation. These too are often people experiencing ongoing mental health or addiction issues.
Additionally, according to JOIN PDX, there is also a fourth type that isn’t usually documented or talked about and that is:
• Provisionally occupied: also referred to as ‘hidden homelessness’, a person who temporarily live with others (couch-surf) without any guarantee that they will be able to stay long-term and without immediate prospects of acquiring permanent housing. This describes people who are staying with friends or relatives and are considered ‘hidden’ as they do not access homeless supports and services.
It’s important to be educated on the different types of homelessness as it isn’t simply just defined as one thing. If you’re interested in learning more or volunteering with JOIN PDX, visit their website through the link below:
https://joinpdx.org/
Resources:
No comments:
Post a Comment