The Pains of Homelessness

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The Pains of Homelessness
From the Clinic to the Streets and Back
Nicholas Rainville May 7, 2021

  
 

Homelessness in the United States and abroad is something that has haunted many ever since the concept of a community formed in ancient times. However, in the modern world, homelessness is a disastrous and unjust sight as there is more abundance and assistance than ever. And more than that once one is stuck in this situation it can be horribly difficult to escape it and as you'll see, being homeless charges interest and makes escaping its cruel grasp even harder.  

Health

Homelessness is a difficult experience, so much so that a study published by the CDC claimed that life expectancy for an American experiencing houselessness and homelessness is a meager 50 years old, standing is a shocking contrast to the 75 years old average for the country as a whole. In that same study, they mention how this is aggravated by the near-constant medical risks of living in an urban environment without a roof above one's head. Lack of clean drinking water, exposure to difficult elements, lack of sleep, and stress being major factors. 

Debt

What's even worse about the health issue is that it is estimated that a great deal of the countries homeless population is direct because of the poor infrastructure the United States has around healthcare. The country's for-profit healthcare system racks up a tremendous amount of medical debt every year, so much so that a study conducted by Harvard University found well over half the country's bankruptcies are due to outstanding medical debt and compounding medical issues. This is then carried over into the homeless population as these individuals may very well still be suffering from medical problems that can inhibit or completely incapacitate them with no way of paying for this to be fixed.

Consequences

This only further worsens the problem, many Americans already call in sick from work who live comfortable and safe lives. These individuals, some of which are already chronically ill, and that illness is worsened from the environment they find themselves subject to, with high levels of stress and limited access to food, water, hygienic facilities, and shelter, are then expected to go find a job, show up every day, and get themselves off the streets. These individuals are living a life that is harder and more dangerous than many of us can possibly imagine if you have never been in their shoes, and getting past it is extremely difficult as their medical problems often only worsen, their opportunities are slim, and access to assistance for any of it is few and far between. 

What you can do

While homelessness is certainly speaking to a larger societal issue and certainly a larger healthcare issue;until something changes in the structure of society, I think it is important to keep in mind that there are organizations that can help. These groups, big and small, international and local are doing their best to help give these people a fighting chance in life.  Many of these organizations would be overjoyed by any kind of support as their volunteers are often stretched very thin and their financial and material supply networks can only go so far without help from the rest of us. I suggest you reach out to your local communities and do what you can to help, even a small dollar donation goes a long way. A simple google search or a visit to a local community center can get most of us in touch with a massive network of individuals who would be overjoyed with your assistance.   


Location: 143 Scott St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA

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