According to numbers from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), approximately one in every 500 people nationwide were dealing with homelessness as of 2023. That statistic meant more than 653,000 Americans did not have a roof over their heads, a 12.1% uptick from the same report a year earlier.
A recent directive from California Gov. Gavin Newsom to remove homeless encampments around the state has been met with varying responses.
On the one hand, you have people who feel it is long past time for this to happen and they support it. The other side of the coin would be individuals claiming this isn’t humane. That is to be taking tents and other such things away from homeless who depend daily on these items for survival.
It is important to keep in mind that not all homeless cases are the same.
With that in mind, it is critical to know why an individual or for that matter a family are homeless in the first place.
Why do people often end up homeless?
Among the possibilities as to why someone is on the streets can be things such as:
* Job loss
* Divorce
* Major medical issue
* Can’t afford rent
* Major debt, filed for bankruptcy etc.
* Mental health issue/s
* Issues with drugs
While the possibilities listed above tend to be the typical reasons for homelessness, other factors can come into play.
That said, it is wise to take each homeless case into account before painting everyone with the same brush.
As an example, what would you do if you lost your job? Do you have enough money in savings to survive until finding a replacement gig? Keeping in mind that unemployment funds do not last forever, so what do you fall back on once they dry up?
What do you do if your marriage unexpectedly comes crashing down around you? Assuming you and your partner both have income coming in to pay the bills, what happens when suddenly half of that income is gone? Would you be able to make it on your own for the foreseeable future or need to take measures to avoid being on the streets?
I can speak from experience on both of those issues since I dealt with each.
I’ve been laid off three times over a 35-year career and gone through a divorce.
I can assure you that you’re never fully prepared for such things no matter how much you think to the contrary. Fortunately, I managed to avoid the streets, though the thought of it certainly crept into my mind a time or two. I still today wonder how I might survive if things in my life went south, especially given the cost of living in San Diego among other things.
What do you feel when seeing homeless individuals?
When you see homeless people on the street, in their vehicles etc. what often comes to mind?
Do you feel any compassion for them or are you immediately thinking they should be better than this?
You might be of the thinking that they could be any of the following:
* Too lazy to work
* Can’t hold down a job due to their work ethic or lack thereof
* Have issues with mental health
* Are on one or more illegal drugs
* Have trouble staying out of jail
Before you make a determination as to why someone is on the streets, it is smart to consider all the possibilities.
While it would be nice for everyone to have a roof over their head, we know all too sadly this is not the case and will never be for a myriad of reasons. Among them would be that some people want to live freely on the streets if you call it that. As a result, they will never subscribe to rules that many of the rest of us abide by.
Finally, until we make improvements on salaries, the cost to rent an apartment, providing affordable healthcare, better mental health options and accessibility etc. we are going to continue to see people on the streets.
I certainly do not have all the answers when it comes to curbing the homelessness we have here in San Diego and countless other cities.
What I do know is that I don’t automatically assume homeless folks are lazy, druggies, criminals etc.
Each person has their own unique story to tell.
At the end of the day, do your best to take a moment to think why that individual you spot is homeless and how you might be able to get them the help they need.
While we’re not going to curb homelessness overnight, it is important for all of us to remember that the person you see on the streets could be anyone of us should we encounter a little misfortune down the road.
As a local resident, what are your thoughts on the homelessness issue in San Diego?
