There is no great payoff to being homeless. I don't believe people intentionally sabotage themselves to live a life of abject poverty, extreme hardships, and painful displacement. Yet there is a large homeless population and it's growing exponentially.
Why do some people become homeless?
There are two sets of reasons: the first set consists of common reasons that are easy to understand, and the second set consists of underlying reasons that are more complex.
The Common Reasons
Many people will experience one or more of the following events or conditions in their lifetime:
- Poverty
- Job loss, sometimes culminating in chronic unemployment
- Long, deep recession resulting in scarcity of jobs and high unemployment
- Lack of affordable housing
- Loss of housing due to foreclosure or nonpayment of rent
- Mental illness preventing the ability to work
- Substance abuse preventing the ability to work
- Domestic abuse forcing victims to live on the streets
- Serious illness or prolonged medical condition that depletes funds
- Divorce with little or no financial support
Most of these events or conditions become chronic problems that lead to gradual homelessness. Other events or conditions such as loss of housing, mental illness, substance abuse, and domestic abuse can lead to immediate homelessness.
The Underlying Reasons
The underlying reasons are often the preludes, the opening acts, the impetuses that start the homeless cycle. Some of the major reasons are listed below:
- Poverty
- Chronic unemployment
- Taking housing for granted
- No homeless prevention plan
- Bad decisions that create vulnerability and set off the domino effect
- Lack of good problem-solving skills
- Lack of good decision-making skills
- Lack of good life skills
- Lack of emergency funds
- Mismanagement of funds
- Excessive debt
- Lack of a supportive network, personal and business
- Lack of financial independence producing unhealthy dependency
- Lack of preventative services to keep people from losing their homes
- Inadequate programs for mental illness and substance abuse
In addition, there are two more reasons that are related to outreach and homeless assistance programs:
- Lack of long-term housing for the homeless
- Lack of various programs that deal with a variety of homeless people, issues, and needs
Decision-Making Skills and the Domino Effect
Life can be complicated and challenging. It can be unpredictable and throw mean curveballs. Life doesn't always go according to plan.
I believe that the majority of people try to do their best in life. They try to make good decisions. But let's face it. Making good decisions every single time doesn't happen. Living beyond one's means, excessive debt, bad loans, depleted home equity, no emergency funds, and no safety net for a job loss or divorce are contributors to a downhill spiral.
In housing, if bad decisions are made repeatedly, they will have a profound and disastrous impact. Bad decisions create vulnerability and set up a chain reaction that has a domino effect. One bad tile hits the next bad tile, hits the next bad tile, hits another bad tile, and soon the whole chain collapses. The domino effect is a good example of how many people become homeless. All it takes is one very bad decision and life collapses. At the point of collapse is where homelessness begins.
The Reasons Vary
People become homeless for numerous reasons. Sometimes the reasons are easy to understand and without fault such as a job loss due to downsizing, or a long deep recession that causes the job market to crash. Other times, the reasons are more personal and blamable such as mismanagement of funds or errors in judgment. Whatever the case may be, decisions determine whether or not homelessness looms on the horizon.
Housing is not a given. Many people are too relaxed about housing because it seems like it's a fixture that will always be there. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Housing must be monitored throughout life to prevent homelessness.
I believe that the majority of people try to do their best in life. They try to make good decisions. But let's face it. Making good decisions every single time doesn't happen. Living beyond one's means, excessive debt, bad loans, depleted home equity, no emergency funds, and no safety net for a job loss or divorce are contributors to a downhill spiral.
In housing, if bad decisions are made repeatedly, they will have a profound and disastrous impact. Bad decisions create vulnerability and set up a chain reaction that has a domino effect. One bad tile hits the next bad tile, hits the next bad tile, hits another bad tile, and soon the whole chain collapses. The domino effect is a good example of how many people become homeless. All it takes is one very bad decision and life collapses. At the point of collapse is where homelessness begins.
The Reasons Vary
People become homeless for numerous reasons. Sometimes the reasons are easy to understand and without fault such as a job loss due to downsizing, or a long deep recession that causes the job market to crash. Other times, the reasons are more personal and blamable such as mismanagement of funds or errors in judgment. Whatever the case may be, decisions determine whether or not homelessness looms on the horizon.
Housing is not a given. Many people are too relaxed about housing because it seems like it's a fixture that will always be there. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Housing must be monitored throughout life to prevent homelessness.
