Inequalities and Homelessness

Picture being born into a system seemingly rigged against you and not having a home. African Americans and Indigenous people are amongst the minorities that experience the highest rates of homelessness compared to whites. This disproportion in homelessness results from systemic inequity.  African Americans, Indigenous, and Latinx minorities have been repeatedly denied social-economic opportunities leading to poverty, a predictor of homelessness. Discriminatory practices such as "redlining" supported by the government are an underlying driver for the economic gap between white and minority households. These unethical but acceptable practices include denying services such as loans, insurance, and housing in certain areas, thus making it very difficult for poor neighborhoods to access financial services in the inner city. As a result, minorities more often live in poverty-stricken neighborhoods with restricted access to care and socioeconomic opportunities. The absence of health care coverage for those individuals with persistent untreated health and mental illness can put them in danger of becoming homeless. The reality is to acknowledge that systemic inequalities have been rampant in our community. By walking in someone else's shoes, we can seek to understand how so many have fallen through the cracks of society, which seemingly is rigged against them.

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Additional Resources

-Bibian