Misconceptions about the homeless

The issue of homelessness is universally understood to be an important one. However, efforts aiming to come up with an effective solution for solving it are hampered by several factors. An example of this, and one with the highest levels of impact in this regard, is a series of widespread misconceptions that impact how people go about designing such solutions, as well as how they view the homeless in general. This not only makes it more difficult to aid the homeless, but in some instances also causes them to be unfairly portrayed in such a way that denigrates them for factors that were beyond their control.

 

One of the most prevalent examples of a misconception about the homeless is the idea that they are homeless through some fault of their own, whether that be financial irresponsibility, or substance abuse. However, there are other reasons people can become homeless. For example, through unfair economic practices by financial institutions they use, that result in people losing their money, and their ability to pay their rent or mortgage. Another such example is people losing their property as a result of legal action they cannot properly dispute, as they don’t have the necessary knowledge or resources. These kinds of occurrences can potentially affect a large number of people; and the scale of these situations, as well as how severe they can be, show why we need to address these problems.

 

To learn more about these misconceptions about the homeless, as well as ways you could help in addressing them, click here.