Misconceptions of Homelessness

I remember when I was in high school my dad always referred to the homeless people in our town as “transients”. He made it very clear he was not happy to have them around. That they only cause trouble, that all they do is drugs and leave the paraphernalia in parks for kids to find. I remember him telling me a story about one of the homeless people who had been in our town for quite some time, Mark. He told me that he actually makes a lot of money begging and that he chooses to be homeless. He believed that it is really easy to get a job and that if homeless people just got off drugs and started working, the problem would be fixed. Now, I will give my dad the benefit of the doubt. He is a police officer for the town, and I know he sees the worst of it. However, I think it would go a long way for him to see that what he deals with, is not always the case. And unfortunately, this is the mindset of a lot of the people who live in this small town.

If you are anything like me, homelessness can have a negative connotation to it. Not having been anywhere close to being homeless myself or not knowing anyone who has been either. I reflect on the small rural town I grew up in, and how much that influenced my ideas of homelessness growing up. It was common to hear things like “They chose to live this way”, “just get a job” or “They spent all their money on drugs”. And although these cases might be out there, I would find it hard to believe that this is the majority. Logically, being homeless looks pretty miserable. I have difficulty believing most people would choose to put themselves in that situation. However, this notion made me go on a quest to understand homelessness better and to address some of the stigmatizations that many people in the United States have about homelessness.

As I dove deeper, I realized I had a big misunderstanding about what homelessness actually is. Most of us think that it is when a person does not have a place to live, however, it goes further than that. On top of not having a roof over your head, there is a lack of privacy, an inability to stay warm, or even constantly feeling like you could be uprooted. It can also involve a lack of basic necessities such as food, clothing, and healthcare.

Another huge misconception is that most homeless people are homeless by choice, or that they are simply lazy or unmotivated. However, the reality is that many people experiencing homelessness are dealing with complex issues such as mental illness, addiction, or financial hardship that make it difficult for them to find stable housing. Additionally, many people assume that homelessness only affects individuals, when in fact families and children are also impacted by this issue. It is important to challenge these misconceptions and work to better understand and address the root causes of homelessness.

It is important to challenge the misconceptions surrounding homelessness and work towards better understanding and addressing the root causes of the issue. Many people experiencing homelessness are dealing with complex issues that make it difficult for them to find stable housing. It is crucial to approach the issue of homelessness with compassion and empathy and to work towards developing solutions that support those who are most vulnerable in our communities. This all starts by having a conversation to better understand others.

If you want to learn how to start that dialog, click here for more information.

https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-involved/how-to-talk-about-homelessness