Myths about Homelessness

Photo by Steve Knutson on Unsplash

What do you think about when you heard the word homeless? You may think of tents, cardboard signs, addiction, sickness, shelters, hunger, cold, helpless, dirty, vulnerable, and likely many other words. But, what if your impression of homelessness was skewed?

Here are a few myths of homelessness that people all too easily believe.

Myth: Homeless people are addicts.

Truth: Only a portion of homeless people actually struggle with substance abuse. According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), only one third of the homeless population struggle with substance abuse. https://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7552441/homeless-facts-myths


Myth: Homeless people have mental illnesses.

Truth: Mental illness is definitely higher in the homeless population – about 1 in 4 homeless people struggle with severe mental illness. This statistic only reflects those living in shelters, not to mention those who are still living on the streets. While mental illness is prevalent, it is not the main cause of homelessness. Unaffordable housing, unemployment, and poverty are the top three causes of homelessness. (http://www.usmayors.org/pressreleases/uploads/2014/1211-report-hh.pdf)


Myth: If homeless people get a job, they will no longer have to be houseless.

Truth: While getting a job may certainly help someone’s situation, housing prices are so expensive that even when working full time at a minimum wage job, someone could still not afford to rent or purchase a housing unit for themselves. The National Low income Housing Coalition found that someone would have to work between 69-174 hours a week to pay for an affordable two bedroom rental unit as the federal government defines “affordable” as 30 percent of a person’s income. “A full-time minimum wage worker couldn't afford a one- or two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent, a standard set by the federal government, in any state.” (https://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7552441/homeless-facts-myths) Many homeless people do some paid work, but not enough to help remove them from their situation. Lack of permanent address, access to showers, and transportation also make it difficult to maintain regular work. (https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/myths-and-questions-about-homelessness)

For more information on other myths and facts, visit:

https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/myths-and-questions-about-homelessness

https://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7552441/homeless-facts-myths

The High Risk of Coronavirus Outbreak Within Homeless Communities

With the global outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), “Doctors say the country’s more than half-million homeless people are at higher risk of catching and dying from the virus (New York Times,2020). The symptoms of the virus include fever, cough, shortness of breath and may present itself in 2-14 days after exposure. Since these symptoms are similar to the common cold and flu, those infected may not know they’ve become infected until the virus is full-blown. Highly contagious and easily spread from person to person and with no vaccination available, the Coronavirus threatens those in close quarters. With nearly 550,000 homeless people in the United States, those displaced are more susceptible to spreading the virus. With 33% of people within the community currently suffering from lung disease, they are at a greater risk of dying from the virus. Since members of the homeless community often share utensils and lack accessibility that grants good personal hygiene, this large population is at risk for contracting and spreading the Coronavirus.

            With no known cases of the virus outbreak in the homeless communities, should we be worried? The Center for Disease Control sites washing hands often, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, avoiding contact with those who are sick, and disinfecting surfaces as preventative steps against the virus. How can these seemingly easy steps be extended to the homeless communities who cannot self-quarantine? Without access to proper healthcare and a limited supply of tests “The lack of a coordinated Coronavirus strategy for homeless communities could be catastrophic for sick and older people already struggling to survive in tents and overcrowded shelters” (The Guardian,2020). Currently, emergency medical funds are being extended to increase sanitation in shelters, but unfortunately these measures won’t help those living in their cars or in the streets. The lack of preparation could potentially result in thousands of deaths in the homeless community once they have been affected by the outbreak. Though the risk for an outbreak seems high to medical professional, the resilient community does not have the accessibility or luxury of prepping for a massive outbreak or quarantine. The global outbreak of the Coronavirus threatens a largely silent population, a community that isn’t cared for until “it’s too late”.

Meghan Fulgenzi

March 11,2020

Related Articles: Coronavirus Outbreak Has America’s Homeless at Risk of ‘Disaster’ 'We're not prepared': coronavirus could devastate homeless communities

Faith Based Organizations and Homelessness

When it comes to the attempt to combat homelessness, the American church is far from silent. When we look like the mission of Jesus which is, in turn, the mission of the vast majority of churches, we see a large emphasis to love one another and serve one’s community with both their time and finances. In 1 Corinthians, it evens goes as far as to say,” No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” a follower of Jesus not only sees helping the homelessness as a “way to give back”, but also as a way of life and a calling. An extremely influential modern Christian thinker Francis Chan said this, “when life is hard and you are doubtful, give more.”

Americans give the church about 82 billion dollars every year and based on a few different budgets that I was able to find, abut 20 percent of that money is used to help individuals in some way. Whether or no you agree with the percentage allowed, that is still 4.5 billion dollars every year being used to help families and people in need. 

Not only do churches have a lot of financial resources but they also have a large connection of people willing to help. In 2013, a gallop poll estimate that 38 percent of Americans go to church in some capacity, while that number is shrinking every yeat, this is a still a huge group of people. With both the manpower and financial backing, all 330,000 physical church location has impacted and fought homelessness for decades. With programs like food banks and job placement ministries, churches take the call to look after the poor quite seriously. 

These churches also often partner with FBO (faith-based operations) nonprofits. Baylor University recently did a study that found at 60% of all emergency homeless shelters are provided by faith-based operations, and the majority of these FBOs (62%) receive no governmental funding which provided an incredible service for our country funded primarily by the church and people within it. 

Regardless of an individual’s opinion of Christianity and faith-based establishment or the way in which they use their finances, these communities offer incredibly valuable resources for people struggling with homelessness and foodlessness. 

Resources

1. Church-Based Resources and Homelessness

https://www-tandfonline-com.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/doi/abs/10.1179/pra.6.1.3477ln70443k05l8

2. FBO Homeless Shelter

https://relevantmagazine.com/current/study-60-homeless-shelter-beds-are-provided-through-faith-based-organizations/

3. Survey of Homeless Assistance Partners

https://aspe.hhs.gov/execsum/1996-national-survey-homeless-assistance-providers-and-clients-comparison-faith-based-and-secular-non-profit-programs

How far does your humanity stretch?

I, like most urban city dwellers, am familiar with the rampant homeless populace in the United States. And I, just like anyone else, can point my finger at the myriad of catalysts - addictions, abuse, income inequality, poor public policy, oppressive social norms, and bipartisan politics. I can blame almost anything I want and I would probably be partially right. But I’m not pointing, and I won’t. Again, just like everyone else, I don’t have an answer, nor do I pretend to.

First off, I don’t believe in the Kierkagaardian existential self – we are products of our environment….we are our environment. So to see suffering in our environment, we see suffering in ourselves. Moral and social consequentialist responsibilities boil to the surface when we see pain or suffering in our communities, and empathy is only a natural response. Our internal vacuums can then be momentarily satiated through benefaction and benevolence – we are then given a glimpse of purpose. A fundamental aspect of being human is that compassion, because it gives us a deep rooted feeling of safety and community - two things we need to survive.

So how big are your communities that deserve your helping hand? Is it just your family, your neighborhood, your city, or all of humankind? Should you have the same sympathy for the dehydrated child in a country whose name you can’t pronounce that you would if your own child were dehydrated? It seems as though your moral obligation to those in need is positively correlated to social proximity, and homeless people happen to sit in a purgatory; a community close enough to help, because you can physically see and hear them, but far enough away that it doesn’t directly affect your life. Your insides might get uncomfortable seeing members of your own community in squalor. They are humans and deserve dignity and help far beyond just money. But you still don’t do anything substantial about it, and those prized moral convictions collapse. Why is that?

It seems absurd that “we should each sacrifice to the point that everyone lives at an equal material level,” for always there will be greater and lesser persons then yourself. Those internal moral convictions aren’t imperative or legally binding. You didn’t sign up to be a human. And you didn’t cause that persons heroin addiction. Nor did you give them their PTSD. Their misfortunes and injustices lie with them. But, if helping those in need makes you feel all lovey-dovey inside? Awesome! If there’s some positive thing you can do in your life that makes you feel better while simultaneously making someone else feel better? That’s great. But if not, that is completely fine, too. Not everyone is designed to help others. And many of us are struggling just to get through the day. If you’re giving every day your best shot, you’re already doing enough. Just don’t be a dick. 

-Isaac Pea

P.S. If you're curious about what put me on this rant, check out this article from Washington State University about our moral obligation to strangers.