Not All Homeless People Are Drug Addicts

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In Portland and other cities in the United States, the homeless population is increasing. In 2022, 582,462 individuals experienced homelessness. Homelessness is a complex issue, and substance abuse is just one of the causes. It is essential to avoid stereotyping and stigmatizing people suffering from homelessness based on assumptions and generalizations. Homelessness can be caused by a variety of factors, including economic hardship, mental illness, domestic violence, and abuse in the home. Not all homeless people struggle with addiction.

It is imperative that we take a compassionate approach to homelessness and understand the hardships these individuals face. As a community, we need to understand the hardships people experiencing homelessness are facing. This is in order to come together as a community to address this pressing issue. People who are compassionate are more likely to assist in finding resources for the homeless.

Your view of homelessness will be altered after watching KGW News's short documentary called "One Day" which explores Portland's homeless population for 24 hours. In the documentary, there were different people from the late 50s to mid-40s and young mothers. There is one person in particular who will catch your attention. Rite Aid floor supervisor, 55 years of age. Because Portland apartments are expensive for entry-level jobs, this woman who works a 9-5 job does not have a home. It is imperative that we end the stereotype that homeless people are all drug addicts and are in their situation because they did it to themselves. After watching this video you will understand that this is not the case and we must break this stigma. Please share this video with family and friends in order to change the stigma we were taught that "all homeless people are homeless because they use drugs."

~ Enya Hernandez



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