Homelessness

What is a state of being homeless?

Over the course of several days prior to the New Year. I had seen a few posts of individuals who were homeless and had been for a few years now and just wanted a piece of mind of not being out in the cold and wanted their own place to live. After reading a lot of the comments under the posting; it became clear that many people don't really have an understanding of what being homeless means. I am not saying that this meaning fits EVERYONE'S situation. Nor am I saying that everyone fits into the same category. What I am saying is that BEFORE you read/scan someone's story on social media and pass judgement on the outcome of their situation UNDERSTAND the other possibilities that may surround the circumstance that may have placed them in that predicament.

Let's take a look at some of the myths about individuals who are homeless.

1) They don't work or need to get a job. Some individuals who are homeless have jobs. Their finances aren't ENOUGH to cover ALL of their housing needs (rent,utilities, and food). Since they do have a job; they don't qualify for food stamps. For the individuals who are unable to work, there are individuals who are on disability and their FIXED income is also not enough to cover ALL of their housing needs AND medical needs. If you are not a person in their situation; you wouldn't understand. The government still doesn't cover all of their doctor's bills and medicine and if their disability is of a certain amount they still do not qualify for food stamps either so that also comes out of their fixed income amount. As an example; an individual who's disability income is only $1200/mo. Where do you expect them to live if their housing, medicine, and food must come out of that EVERY MONTH? Please keep in mind that there are people UNDER 50 years of age that are disabled with children.

2) For individuals who do work but in the past defaulted on their rent now have a prior eviction on their rental history. With the way things are now it makes it harder to rent again. New laws have made it harder for tenants to rent again with a prior eviction on your record. It doesn't matter if you've learned from your mistake and are now a better person with your finances; a better paying job; a new company will not trust you. What happens in this case is that the individual has no place to go because they continue to get denied a place of their own. Of course; they will probably need a co-signer but if they have family members who also don't trust them or no family members who are local; that puts them in the same situation where they have no one to ask. For this type of individual; they will spend so much money in hotels until it mentally drains them.

3) There is also a myth that it is easy for any individual in these types of situations - old or young to just apply for low income housing. Since there is such a great need for this type of assistance, the WAITING list is so long. In many cities across the nation; the list can be as long as 5 years and there is a waiting list to be placed on the waiting list. Applications ARE NOT taken daily. There are periods in which they take applications and it is only announced a few days prior to the day that they will be accepting them. So for individuals who have been homeless for 2 years; they have probably been on the waiting list for just that long to get housing assistance and keep the faith that their name will come up soon to get a place of their own that they can afford within their financial means.

I have seen comments that people who are homeless are looking for handouts and not doing anything to change their situation; unless the people who are making the comments know the individuals situation; they don't know what they are doing behind the scene.

In 2020; I challenge each of you to stop and think before passing judgement on individuals and their situation because their situation could be yours. You may not have taken the same path to get there but the outcome could be the same. What you do once you got there? How would you want others to treat you once you were in that situation?