Myths and Questions About Homelessness: Not What it Seems

From: Homeless Hub

With so many misconceptions swirling around the topic of homelessness, we thought this information from the Homeless Hub valuable.

Educate yourself, then help if possible.

There are many myths and stereotypes that people believe about homelessness. This misinformation is problematic, as it further contributes to the stigmatization of a population that is already marginalized. In order to appropriately tackle the issue of homelessness and create a society where individuals feel comfortable accessing supports, these myths must be deconstructed and understood to be false by the general public.

Below are six of the many misconceptions about homelessness, compared to the realities for people who are experiencing homelessness.

1. Myth: People choose to be homeless.

Fact: A variety of different factors can contribute to an individual’s experience of homelessness. Often, people experience homelessness when all other options have been exhausted, and/or they are dealing with circumstances that make it difficult to maintain housing. Some of the obstacles that may lead people to their experiences of homelessness include:

Eviction

The affordable housing crisis

Coping with mental illnesses or addictions, which makes it difficult to maintain independent housing

2. Myth: People experiencing homelessness are lazy.

Fact: In order to survive, many people who experience homelessness are constantly in search for the necessities of life, such as food, shelter and a source of income. Therefore, due to the barriers that they face, many people experiencing homelessness do not have the option of being stagnant or lazy. For example, searching for a job becomes even more challenging when an individual does not have access to a phone, computer, or fixed address on a regular basis.

3. Myth: All people who experience homelessness are addicts.

Fact: Many people who experience homelessness do not struggle with substance abuse problems or addictions. Just like in the general population, only a percentage of those who are experiencing homelessness deal with addictions. People experiencing homelessness may deal with other issues related to their experiences of homelessness, including trauma and mental illness, for example.

Click here for the FULL article and 3 more Myths.