Three Myths About Homeless People
By: Sierra Hansel
In today’s world, there are a lot of stereotypes against homeless people and the way they decide to live their life. Mainly people like to say that they chose to be homeless, most to all homeless people are addicts, or those who experience homelessness should find a job. While there are multiple opinions against homeless people, there are also opinions to prove that they chose this life because it was all that was left for them.
Myth #1: People choose to be homeless.
Most people choose to be homeless because it is the only lifestyle that is left for them therefore, they have no other option. This is because financial or housing issues are brought to surface. When it comes to housing complications, these people notice a problem with finding affordable and stable housing conditions (www.homelesshub.ca). This is a factor of a lack of income from being homeless. Another factor of why people choose to be homeless would be due to the idea of freedom. These people get in the mindset that they can move wherever they want and do whatever they want. (www.shelteroutfitters.com). This leads to people considering their “freedom” over their own well-being. The people begin to value the simplicity of freedom, rather than keeping themselves intact. One last factor of why people choose to be homeless can be relevant to the guilt they feel. Due to a person’s raising, they relate to how they have always been told they are not worth much, therefore, they get comfortable with that invalid opinion, and they settle for less (www.shelteroutfitters.com). They start to realize that that is what they are worth, and they have no potential on changing for the better.
Myth #2: All people who are homeless are addicts.
The second myth that is to be believe about homeless people is the idea that all homeless people are addicts, or abuse drugs or alcohol. Most people like to use this as a stereotype, but never ask the question: Does addiction cause homelessness, or does homelessness cause addiction? According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, two-thirds of the people that are homeless state that the abuse of drugs or alcohol was the major cause of them being homeless (www.nationalhomeless.org). The reasoning behind this is because they find relief in the problems they are facing while being homeless. In some minds of homeless people, they believe that shelter, food, and survival is more important than the next high amongst the next homeless person. In the real world, substance abuse initially only causes more problems and causes a decrease in their ability to achieve greater things (www.nationalhomeless.org). Additionally, the use of drugs and alcohol also affects the brain and causes different mental illnesses that play a role on a lot of homeless people and their ability to change their way of living.
Myth #3: Those who are homeless should get a job.
While there are multiple homeless people that are employed, many are judged for not having a job to maintain their lifestyle. The main reason behind why most homeless people are unemployed would be the simple reason of the challenges they face. By this, for a person who is
homeless, it is hard for them to get a job because they lack a current home address, or they lack transportation, as well as, mental illness hinders them from getting a job (www.homelesshub.ca). However, even when a homeless person receives employment, the options remain limited, and fails to meet the needs of the homeless person. Another factor as to why it is hard for a homeless person to get a job is because they could have a low educational background. Therefore, it is almost impossible for a homeless person to get a factory job, because they are not educationally equipped. Lastly, most people believe that the reason why homeless people do not have jobs is because they are lazy to work. However, it is proven to be true that the average homeless person who is seeking to be better, desires and chases after a job to help themselves.
As for me, I do believe that homeless people can help themselves to make their life easier, which goes back to the idea that people choose to be homeless. To the addiction and job source, that is something that that person, who is homeless, decides for their life. I firmly believe that you cannot change someone; they have to change themselves. Therefore, just because someone chooses to be homeless, or they lack finding a job, or they abuse drugs, that is their choice of living their life, but they could change at any given time.
Works Cited
“Employment & Homelessness.” Employment & Homelessness | The Homeless Hub, 2019,
www.homelesshub.ca/blog/employment-homelessness.
“The Reason Some Choose to Be Homeless.” Shelter Outfitters,
www.shelteroutfitters.com/smartblog/5_the-reason-some-choose-to-be-homeless.html.
“The National Coalition for the Homeless.” National Coalition for the Homeless, 2019,
“Homelessness and Addiction - Addiction Center.” AddictionCenter, 2019,
www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/homelessness/.
Shay, Kylyssa. “Why Don't Homeless People Just Get Jobs?” Soapboxie, 27 Feb. 2019,
www.soapboxie.com/social-issues/why-homeless-people-dont-just-get-a-job.
