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Homeless people often aren't homeless because they lack homes. It's a very loaded and misleading term. There are usually many other problems that they need help

Homeless people often aren't homeless because they lack homes. It's a very loaded and misleading term. There are usually many other problems that they need help with, and homelessness is often just a symptom.

jakderrida 3y ago
Yeah, maybe. But a tiny home isn't gonna hurt.
theteapot 3y ago
> Homeless people often aren't homeless because they lack homes. So your saying homeless people actually do have homes??
mft_ 3y ago
Let's not let perfect be the enemy of good, hey? And I'm no expert, but I imagine there's a circular relationship between the issues that homeless people have. Not having a home often means no address (unless they're able to access a PO box or similar?) so difficulty receiving mail or getting a bank account; it can mean less physical security so a higher risk of being a victim of crime (e.g. theft, assult); a higher risk of problems with the police; probably greater risk of ill health due to living conditions; and far less psychological security - to name but a few.
heavyset_go 3y ago
The majority of homeless people are homeless for economic or relationship reasons like loss of job/income, insufficient income, breakups and divorce, and lack of affordable housing[1]. The fastest growing demographic of homeless people are entire families. [1] https://homelesslaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Homeless_Stats_Fact_Sheet.pdf https://homelesslaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Homeless_...
- akira2501 3y ago
  From your own link.. that's only the top cause for families, which is only 30% of the total population. The causes for individuals are different and they represent the majority. Finally.. this is all from a survey from the "U.S Conference of Mayors" which is mostly a lobbying organization as far as I can tell.
- somewhereoutth 3y ago
  When in SF I used to cycle through an underpass that was often used as camping by homeless people. One day I saw a little girl (10?) and her younger brother standing next to a tent, staring right at me as I went to my 6 figure job. No child anywhere should be homeless.
davidw 3y ago
Research indicates that expensive housing makes homelessness much worse. https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/everything-you-think-you-know-about https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/everything-you-think-you-know-... Indeed, it's the primary driver of homelessness. Things like drugs and mental health make things worse, but "at the margin" as economists say, if your housing is cheap, you might be able to hold on to it even if you have some problems with an addiction. There are plenty of wealthy people with drug habits who are not homeless.
- badgersnake 3y ago
  That’s only relevant if you’re trying to prevent homelessness. The article is about people who are already homeless. They may not have had these problems when the became homeless, but being homeless ain’t easy. That’s not to say housing costs aren’t a problem, they are but they have to be prepared for other problems as well.
  - roughly 3y ago
    Sure, so, maybe we also shut off the tap while we try to clean up the mess?
badgersnake 3y ago
Right, depression and other mental health conditions, various addictions, heath problems, lack of basic numeracy and literacy. These need to be dealt with as well.
- theteapot 3y ago
  It's not all drug addiction and low IQ. I know PhDs that have been homeless. Housing affordability and job security is a real issue.
cqqxo4zV46cp 3y ago
It certainly makes things easier, actually. You can be homeless because you were priced out of the market. Homelessness can be both the cause and the effect of other issues. My partner works in mental health / AOD, and repeatedly exclaimed how much pressure was ‘accidentally’ taken off so many people when lockdown-era economic incentives gave people in my area a better shot at just getting back on their feet. Housing matters an awful lot.
szundi 3y ago
The moment until they lose their homes they are not homeless.
dbt00 3y ago
If you read the article, this is discussed. It’s not a panacea but helping some people is better than shrugging and helping none.
rossdavidh 3y ago
This works both ways, though. Once you're without a home, it is harder to keep the rest of your life together. Lars Eighner's (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Eighner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Eighner) book "Travels With Lizbeth" mentioned that one of the things that was so attractive about spending the little money he had on alcohol, was that it was an achievable goal. Getting enough money for a down payment on an apartment, was (or at least seemed) completely out of reach. Getting enough to buy a bottle of booze seemed achievable. Once you're homeless, it is difficult to get or keep a job, and the downward spiral of mental health issues, etc. can be self-reinforcing.

jakderrida 3y ago

Yeah, maybe. But a tiny home isn't gonna hurt.

theteapot 3y ago

> Homeless people often aren't homeless because they lack homes. So your saying homeless people actually do have homes??

mft_ 3y ago

Let's not let perfect be the enemy of good, hey? And I'm no expert, but I imagine there's a circular relationship between the issues that homeless people have. Not having a home often means no address (unless they're able to access a PO box or similar?) so difficulty receiving mail or getting a bank account; it can mean less physical security so a higher risk of being a victim of crime (e.g. theft, assult); a higher risk of problems with the police; probably greater risk of ill health due to living conditions; and far less psychological security - to name but a few.

heavyset_go 3y ago

The majority of homeless people are homeless for economic or relationship reasons like loss of job/income, insufficient income, breakups and divorce, and lack of affordable housing[1]. The fastest growing demographic of homeless people are entire families. [1] https://homelesslaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Homeless_Stats_Fact_Sheet.pdf https://homelesslaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Homeless_...

akira2501 3y ago
From your own link.. that's only the top cause for families, which is only 30% of the total population. The causes for individuals are different and they represent the majority. Finally.. this is all from a survey from the "U.S Conference of Mayors" which is mostly a lobbying organization as far as I can tell.
somewhereoutth 3y ago
When in SF I used to cycle through an underpass that was often used as camping by homeless people. One day I saw a little girl (10?) and her younger brother standing next to a tent, staring right at me as I went to my 6 figure job. No child anywhere should be homeless.

davidw 3y ago

Research indicates that expensive housing makes homelessness much worse. https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/everything-you-think-you-know-about https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/everything-you-think-you-know-... Indeed, it's the primary driver of homelessness. Things like drugs and mental health make things worse, but "at the margin" as economists say, if your housing is cheap, you might be able to hold on to it even if you have some problems with an addiction. There are plenty of wealthy people with drug habits who are not homeless.

badgersnake 3y ago
That’s only relevant if you’re trying to prevent homelessness. The article is about people who are already homeless. They may not have had these problems when the became homeless, but being homeless ain’t easy. That’s not to say housing costs aren’t a problem, they are but they have to be prepared for other problems as well.
- roughly 3y ago
  Sure, so, maybe we also shut off the tap while we try to clean up the mess?

badgersnake 3y ago

Right, depression and other mental health conditions, various addictions, heath problems, lack of basic numeracy and literacy. These need to be dealt with as well.

theteapot 3y ago
It's not all drug addiction and low IQ. I know PhDs that have been homeless. Housing affordability and job security is a real issue.

cqqxo4zV46cp 3y ago

It certainly makes things easier, actually. You can be homeless because you were priced out of the market. Homelessness can be both the cause and the effect of other issues. My partner works in mental health / AOD, and repeatedly exclaimed how much pressure was ‘accidentally’ taken off so many people when lockdown-era economic incentives gave people in my area a better shot at just getting back on their feet. Housing matters an awful lot.

szundi 3y ago

The moment until they lose their homes they are not homeless.

dbt00 3y ago

If you read the article, this is discussed. It’s not a panacea but helping some people is better than shrugging and helping none.

rossdavidh 3y ago

This works both ways, though. Once you're without a home, it is harder to keep the rest of your life together. Lars Eighner's (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Eighner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Eighner) book "Travels With Lizbeth" mentioned that one of the things that was so attractive about spending the little money he had on alcohol, was that it was an achievable goal. Getting enough money for a down payment on an apartment, was (or at least seemed) completely out of reach. Getting enough to buy a bottle of booze seemed achievable. Once you're homeless, it is difficult to get or keep a job, and the downward spiral of mental health issues, etc. can be self-reinforcing.