what do you believe drives people to homelessness?

Question

I am writing a book and I want your honest opinion,I need at least 50 answers you can answer more than once. Thanks

Answer 1

what ever the intitial reason is that brings the person to on a steady fall downward the main reason is all the same. When a person finds themselves so far down in a hole many just cant seem to find the way to get back up. They may try but each time they do they experience another set back. They get to the point that they find it easier to just go with the flow and live a life without any responsabilities of house payments and all the other stresses that come with living a normal life. Many people will blame drugs or alcohol on the reason for people being homeless but there are people who were homeless before they ever started doing drugs or drinking. Not everyone can live in a big fancy home just like not everyone can hold down a good job. If everyone were rich and were executives or congressman then who would pick up the trash? If there were no homeless people where would all the people who work for all these programs work at? Everything has its reason and time. There are homeless people who have just given up on life because of losing a loved one or just out of stress of everyday life. People who have family that are there for them and can help them in times of trouble dont understand what it is like for a person who is on thier own with no family and something major happens in their life to distroy thier will. The ones you really should be asking tho for a book are the ones who are homeless. I would try talking to some homeless people in different areas of your city or if possible from more than one city in your area. We look at homeless people like they were all crazy or druged out or drunks but most get like that because of living on the streets and not having a secure warm place to sleep. eveyone talks about the homeless problem and for years and years have tried to find a way to stop it and get these people off the street. and are not doing much good since every year more people end up living on the steet. Instead of spending all this money on getting these people off the street we should be putting more effort into making sure people dont end up finding themselves on the street to begin with. One thing that the homeless people are good for is for recycling. If it werent for them can you imagine just how much recyclable stuff would be taken to the trash dumps.

Answer 2

A lot of homeless people are escaping from the law; such as dead-beat dads, drug convicitions, etc. Some homeless people are too addicted to hold a job, much less a home, and get way down on their luck and abilities. Some homeless people just adjust to the lifestyle and work here and there. It is a whole new lifestyle when you are homeless. The hardest are the children. They didnt ask to be there. I feel most for them.

Answer 3

The individual with no self respect just gives up.... Plain an simple !

If you speak of America... then you know no one ever has to be homeless due to taxpayers paying all these taxes so people unwilling to work or being just a deadhead can have a home.

Everyone, everyday, awakens with decisions to make regarding their life. Everyone chooses to be exactly where they are financially. How we handle life's situations is also a choice. People need to stop placing blame on anything other than the reflection in the mirror. There lies there problems and their solutions.

Best Wishes with your book !!

Answer 4

During the early 80ties under the Reagan/Bush administration most hospitals and homes for the mentally ill were closed. The patients were turned out into the streets. Some may qualify for disability, however it is quite a lengthy and cumbersome process. Also, SSI is $600 a month, hard to pay rent on that amount of money, let alone maintain a residence.

There are many factors contributing to homelessness.

Poverty.
Disabled Veterans.
Addictions of all types.
Job loss.
Domestic Violence.
Natural Disasters.
Fire.

A good deal could be wrote on each factor although some are a combination of several.

Peace.

Answer 5

I've thought a lot about this question. I am from Boulder, CO. When I was in my mid-teend I used to hang out at a spot in Boulder where a fair amount of homeless people hung out as well. I met kids who felt that they were proving something to their "oppresive" parents by running away and living homeless. I met people who felt living the free "hippie" lifestyle was their best option in life. Some of these ones are known as "phish followers." But some, which fall in to the statistical majority, extremely disabled, either mental or physically, were the ones I also knew. This last catagory consists of people who DO NOT have the capability either mentally or physically to take care of themselves in a way society sees fit.

Answer 6

Hurricane Katrina displaced many people, some who are still displaced.

The only family I know personally who has been homeless is a single mother of six, who has always lived on government assistance.

Both of these examples would most likely be due to not using available resources. Here in Minnesota, we offered shelter to Katrina victims, and very few took us up on the offer.

The homeless family that I know was evicted from their townhome because of the actions of the oldest son (who is currently in jail) and spent eight months bouncing between Grandma's and homeless shelters before the county put them in this fire trap of a flat (I heard it did actually burn a few months after they moved out) But my take on that situation is that the mom knew they were getting evicted, and she did nothing to find a place for herself and her children to live.

Answer 7

Hopefully your reading other sources, too, but I have seen 2 major ones here in South Carolina. One is the closing of the state mental hospital. All those people were put on meds and turned loose. Some will know how to get to the clinic to get more meds, but sadly, most will not. It's impossible to learn or work if you have voices in your head.
The other reason is the tax structure. (other states may be different) When you own a house, the property tax is 4%, but if you own another house that you rent out, it's taxed at 6%. Since your renters tend to be working people who can't afford to buy in the first place, They end up renting so they're paying your monthly mortgage, the libility you have to carry in order to rent, the 6% tax you are charged by the state, and finally whatever you are adding as a profit. So the working poor pay twice as much than the owners. --yes twice (iasked my friend who rents the house next door to me what she's paying, and it's double what my house payments are. If she misses 2 paychecks, she's on the street.

Answer 8

Also besides all of the above, once one become homeless and asks for welfare money he/she falls in a catch 22 that is that by law they can't work wile collecting , or their welfare check stops , now if all they can do is work for minimum pay where ever ,and after tax deductions they rather stay with welfare , if they could collect welfare and be able to do some work ,it would be a real benefit for some homeless to be able to get out of this misery.

Answer 9

cost of living versus available jobs and wages. Sometimes people end up there because they simply can't afford to keep a roof over their heads.

You can be evicted from not paying rent on time, and you can be kicked out of a home due to a foreclosure - all these tricky interest only mortgages usually end up being foreclosed and people lose their homes.

However, most people have a support system to get them back on their feet - family adn friends they can stay with. If they have burned all their bridges - either because they are drug addicts, thieves, abusers, etc. and they no longer have a support system, they end up on the streets,

people who can't hold a job - very ill people, disabled people, mentally ill people - how can they afford a place to live? Drug addicts often get kicked out, they use their money for drugs and not for food and shelter.

Gambling addicts can end up in HUGe amounts of debt and lose their homes. Other people with severe financial problems... there are people withou drug or gambling problems that just over spend, with the help of credit cards, and can lose their homes.

So it's not usually one answer, it's a collection of complex forces that drive people to the streets... lack of financial skills, inability to keep a job or find a job that pays enough, no support system for when they falter... and it drives people to the streets. Sad, but true.

Answer 10

Drug abuse. It's hard to get, or keep a job, when your daily objective is to get high/stoned, no matter the consequences. Without a job, chances are you won't be able to meet your tenant obligations.
Next time you run into a homeless person on the street, ask them if they'd rather have a bite to eat or cash. Ten times out of ten, they'll take the cash to buy more drugs/alcohol.
Despite the liberal media's reports, homelessness is rarely a result of capitalism.