3 ms·

You missed the most common reason: * Drugs and alcohol are not allowed

• kevingadd 3y ago
  Even if this is the most common reason, unless "most common" means 99%, there are still a bunch of people who can't take advantage of shelters through no fault of their own.
  • goodpoint 3y ago
    Just like most people are homeless through no fault of their own.
• tedivm 3y ago
  I honestly don't believe that is anywhere near the common reason. I know this is anecodotal (as is your comment), but I've spent a lot of time around the homeless population. I was "housed homeless" for a year, and my sister was homeless for several years due to mental illness. The rate of drug use amongst the homeless does tend to be higher than the average population, and I don't think there's any denying that. However, it isn't nearly as universal as people seem to think. The average homeless person is homeless for less than two years, and it is normally due to financial reasons. Given programs that provide housing these people can normally come off the streets and live great lives. The simple fact that so many people manage to bounce back shows that what the average person things of homeless people isn't the actual reality. The other thing, and this might sound obvious, is that the people who do drugs or drink simply take their stuff before they go to the shelters. These aren't people with hundreds of dollars to blow on their addictions. They often panhandle, eat, drug/do drugs, and then look for a place to crash. This also isn't the entire homeless population, just a smaller portion of it (that people use to justify not helping the larger portion, even though the whole population does need help).