The 12 Biggest Myths about Homelessness in America

Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders have the highest rate of homelessness, with 109 out of every 10,000 homeless. While some children, teens, and young adults are homeless because the rest of their family is homeless, many more become homeless for other reasons. Kids become homeless mainly because of family problems, economic problems, and abductions. People also report using drugs to cope with depression, anxiety how to force yourself to pee for a drug test and the trauma of being homeless. Some subgroups, like veterans, have seen decreases in homelessness over certain periods. However, there have been increases throughout different subgroups and demographics.

Statistics on Homelessness & Addiction

Many homeless people find themselves in their current situation due to their addiction. As a result of their addiction, they might have lost their house because they could no longer pay their bills, or their partner or spouse might have thrown them out. Getting people off the streets and into temporary shelter isn’t the only answer to L.A.’s homelessness problem.

1. However, many people who are homeless don’t know where to turn for help when they’re struggling with substance abuse issues.
2. The best way to service this population is to move away from criminalizing and stigmatizing drug use.
3. While discussing this topic, I often hear people cite mental illness or substance use disorders as the primary cause of homelessness.

Homeless persons are far more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators. Of course, some homeless individuals may commit acts of violence beyond self-defense but such acts rarely affect the non-homeless individuals they encounter. To put it another way, any violence by homeless persons is either self-defense or due to the rare violent perpetrator who preys on other homeless people.

History of Homelessness

According to a demographic survey that was done as part of the UCI Cost Study, there were three top reasons why people became homeless. The top two causes were finding a job that paid a sustainable wage, and finding housing that’s affordable. The third reported cause of people’s homelessness was family issues, which encompassed events like death of a family member, divorce, or abuse. The findings from this study correlate with similar studies across the nation in finding that these are the top causes of people’s homelessness. It found that the first reported cause was either job loss or lack of affordable housing, and the second cause was domestic violence. When I look at that percentage, I see all the women who had to leave a life-threatening situation and are now having to sleep on our streets.

Packing your hurricane go bag? Make provisions for your health

In the end, with my addiction, I was lucky enough to see it through to the other side. I’ll never know to what extent this was due to my own internal resilience, my family support, resources from work and support from colleagues, genetics, luck, or if it largely came down to my favorable SDoH putting a helpful finger on the scales. Certainly not all doctors make it — several of my colleagues have overdosed and are no longer with us.

Copyright © 2024, AddictionHelp.com The information provided by AddictionHelp.com is not a substitute for professional medical advice. View our editorial content guidelines to learn how we create helpful content with integrity and compassion. Our free email alcoholic ketoacidosis smell newsletter offers guidance from top addiction specialists, inspiring sobriety stories, and practical recovery tips to help you or a loved one keep coming back and staying sober. With no money, no home, and no ability to get either, children, teens, and young adults find themselves in a unique position when homeless, which can lead to low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.

There are a lot of assumptions surrounding the topic of “why people become homeless”, especially here in Orange County. While discussing this topic, I often hear people cite mental illness or substance use disorders as the primary cause of homelessness. However, the data from studies looking into these topics and the stories that I hear from clients that I work with do not support this narrative. Homeless people suffer from alcohol and vanderburgh house drug addiction at a higher rate than those who have permanent residences. Due to their financial situation, they also don’t have access to the level of care needed to address their drug, alcohol, and mental health issues.

By strengthening society’s safety net, so that we all have access to the basic human rights of food, shelter, and healthcare, we not only help those suffering from addiction, we help everyone else too. A significant portion of homeless people do have jobs—they just cannot afford to pay rent. Some receive disability income due to physical or mental problems but still cannot afford rent. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimated that roughly 36% of all homeless people suffered from a substance use disorder, a mental health condition, or both.