"They Choose to be Homeless": Why Homelessness is not a Choice and the Denver Social Impact Bond

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In our society, many people are under the impression that being homeless is an option. They think that people who are homeless are just lazy or can't hold a job, or some other excuse as to why they just didn't make the right choices, but that is not the case. Nobody wants to be homeless. In the United States alone, there are about 550,000 homeless people on the streets per night. 

One of the primary reasons for homelessness is lack of affordable housing. Once people have to resort to living on the streets, it is extremely common for them to start getting various criminal charges for things like sleeping in public, public urination, public drinking, etc. It is very difficult to break this cycle once it starts, and many cities don't do anything to make it easier for them to get out of it. You might be wondering "why don't they stay in shelters?". Well, shelters often come with a set of circumstances that are required for staying there, and they often will have policies that don't allow pets, separate partners from one another, and more. There are also problems with bed bugs and general sanitation that might be more avoidable just staying on the streets. 

One program that has begun a successful approach to reducing homelessness is called the Denver Social Impact Bond, or SIB. This program focuses on offering housing to homeless people with criminal charges, without having extensive requirements to move in. When this type of program is offered, an extremely large percentage of people without homes take the opportunity. If we could learn from the success of the Denver SIB and expand the program to other cities, we could significantly reduce homelessness in a long-term effective way. 

Learn more about why homelessness is not a choice and the Denver SIB here: 

 


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