email : Webview : Week Three of Homelessenss Awareness Month

Follow along with HomeAid this entire month to learn more about the realities of homelessness.

Myth: Homelessness is primarily due to addiction and mental illness.

Truth: While some experience homelessness due to these issues, the data tells a different story.

HUD reports that in 2022, about 21% of those experiencing homelessness had a severe mental illness, and 16% had chronic substance abuse.

What's often overlooked is that homelessness can lead to mental health conditions and substance use disorders. The trauma of being homeless exposes individuals to extreme stress, increasing their vulnerability to these conditions.

Homelessness and mental illness are intertwined risk factors, not a simple cause-and-effect relationship.

Studies consistently show that the lack of affordable housing is the primary predictor of homelessness.

High rent and low vacancy rates in housing markets are the real culprits driving homelessness. Economic forces, not just mental health, are the leading causes of homelessness.

Let's challenge stereotypes and work toward real solutions.

Myth: Individuals experiencing homelessness that you see in your community are usually transients moving into the area.

Truth: The reality is quite different.

The large majority of people experiencing homelessness in a given area are either from the community in which they are experiencing homelessness or had been living there for multiple years before they lost housing.

Data from communities across the United States do not support the assumption that people who fall into homelessness migrate to areas in search of local services and assistance.

Overall, migration from low-income to high-income areas in the country has dramatically decreased in recent decades, and low-income individuals are moving out of high-income areas due to increased housing prices.

Contrary to the belief that people move to seek local services, economic trends indicate a reverse migration. Low-income individuals are leaving high-income areas due to soaring housing costs.

Let's challenge stereotypes and seek a deeper understanding of homelessness.

Click here to read more about the study.

Study from: Ganong, Peter, and Daniel Shoag (2017). Why has regional income convergence in the US declined? Journal of Urban Economics, 102: 76-90.

Myth: Homelessness is a choice.

Truth: It's not.

Many people experiencing homelessness are employed or actively seeking employment and would move inside if housing responsive to their needs were available.

A sizable percentage of the population experiencing homelessness works in the formal labor market. Findings from a national study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago indicate that 53% of people experiencing sheltered homelessness and over 40% of those experiencing unsheltered homelessness were employed in the year they were observed to be homeless.

Many people experiencing homelessness are also actively seeking employment. Still, they encounter tremendous challenges, including employer stigma, gaps in employment history, lack of a mailing address and/or personal identification, and logistical challenges (e.g., transportation costs, and lack of access to facilities to prepare for interviews).

When we say that Homelessness is a choice, we discredit their struggles. If you hear someone speaking in this way, we encourage everyone to kindly educate and raise awareness about this myth.

Many homeless individuals work or actively seek employment but are waiting for safe housing solutions to be available for them. Let's debunk stereotypes this Homelessness Awareness Month and work on finding solutions to this complex problem.

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