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If you were a homeless person in say, Toronto, Ontario, why would you not want to live in a shelter? What would have driven you out of your home?

2006-12-04 13:59:45 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture Other - Society & Culture

12 answers

a i was homeless in San Jose California and i didn't go to shelters mostly because the way they have them set up you have to check in by 3:00 pm so that you can have a bed but you are put out to the street each morning at about 6 am and need to find somewhere to take yourself and your few belongings for the day and the shelters are full and most are for men i am a woman i have to say i am a recovering heroin addict and that was the main reason for my homelessness i was so addicted i was only concerned with more heroin not where i was when i did it or where i Had to sleep i slept under bridges and on the side of freeways and behind churches i was out there five yrs before that Iowas a medical asst and mother but addiction was so Strong i was losing my will to live at all . i am now clean 2 yrs and am a happy recovering person full of life and so glad to be alive with a second chance to live life . but we need to spread that hope people can change i did !!

2006-12-04 14:14:15 · answer #1 · answered by sadeyez 3 · 1 0

I am not a homeless person and i dont know a thing about Toronto Ontario but Sydney Australia. Any shelter is usually manned by volunteers. Most of the food and communial soaps/shampoos are donated. The shelters are generally old houses although the Department of Housing may donate a property. there are a lot of thieves in shelters and a lot of assaults. A lot of people have been free living without rules and often living ithin the boundary of a refuge or shelter is very hard and they end up living on the street.

90% of homeless people have a dual disability mental health and alcoholism, intellectual disability and a substance abuse issue, aquired brain injury with a personality disorder to name a few. Domestic violence is the major cause of why many women and childern are homeless.

A lot of homeless people may not be egible for accommodation at a shelter because they have been violent or broke the rules in the past. Others may chose to take their chances at an abandoned house or squat simply because it can be less dangerous and less intrusive. A lot of homeless people are quite displaced and dont like to give identification or may not have any so they have a preference for living on the street. It does not always start out that way. A person might come from a loved home but end up taking drugs and gets diagnosed with a mental illness and then they end up fighting with their parents. THey leave and start house hopping at friends and relatives. A few days here, a night there but the understanding of friends and family runs out then they end up living in shelters and then living rough and then they get dragged in to the homeless life style.

Its very difficult to break the homeless cycle. Others have lived in homes and had issues - financial problems, drinking, drugs and mental health issues and they end up not being able to maintain the property and are evicted due to rental arrears or not geting along with the neighbours.

A lot of old guys have been lawyers and brokers but there family ended in divorce or they lost a son or daughter or their wife died and they simply were unable to cope. If you take the time to listen to poeple's stories they can be very heart breaking and interesting. If you are interested look up American Homeless on the net or SAAP (Supported Accommodation Assistance Program) its an australian Federal and state funded service that provides assistance for homeless issues and domestic violence. SAAP is a wealth of information and has linkages to other international sites regarding homelessness and other related issues.

I hope this has helped

2006-12-04 22:35:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Why you might not want to live in a shelter is the rules many shelters have, such as having to be out by a certain time in the morning, and come back only after a certain hour. Personality conflicts with others, not being allowed to be there while under the influence of chemicals you might be addicted to, requirements that you attend AA or NA meetings etc.

You could have lost your home for many reasons, disagreements with a spouse, domestic abuse, financial difficulties, lost jobs... any of a number of things.

One might have no home in the first place... a runaway, someone who has few marketable sklills, or for some reason has difficulty holding a job. The reasons one might become homeless are nearly endless.

2006-12-04 22:05:03 · answer #3 · answered by Deirdre H 7 · 1 0

Why wouldn't you want to live in a shelter - because you're not quite right in the head. Meaning you're schizophrenic and possibly very paranoid that someone or something will steal your stuff, your food, your soul... or you possibly don't know about a shelter.
What would drive you from your home - myriad things: going broke, getting kicked out by a spouse, being really sick as you simply forget to pay rent/mortgage and get booted, not having a house to begin with... Many more reasons I'm sure but these are the ones that come to mind.
And you can't live in a shelter... you only get to spend the night, and not too many nights in a row at that.

2006-12-04 22:08:52 · answer #4 · answered by over_educated_under_everything 2 · 0 0

You could be driven out of your home against your will because of fire (and you have no home insurance to help you get back the things you lost) or maybe you went bankrupt, or maybe you got a divorce and your ex-spouse took most of your things/money and ruined your credit, leaving you unable to pay your bills (rent/mortgage).

Of course, shelters are great places for the homeless (in theory), but there are some disadvantages. They often resemble prison, being that there is a hierarchy of authority within the homeless themselves and those who are seen as weak may be raped, robbed or assaulted by those who are stronger (and group together).

I suppose a better alternative to a homeless shelter might be going to a church and asking for their help (so long as you belonged to that particular religion) or maybe joining a branch of the armed forces. Yes, you'd have to serve your country, but you'd get free food and shelter, get yourself in good physical shape, and perhaps get a free career/education out of the whole experience.

2006-12-04 22:05:59 · answer #5 · answered by I Am Legend 5 · 0 0

Eviction, illness, loss of job (redundancy and old age), serious depression (because someone dear has died, like wife and kids, or being robbed of all your money and have no family to turn to), mental health problems, alcoholism, drug addiction, being abused so badly in childhood, or having lived in such total squalor that the street seems actually a friendly place to be. Shelters are often crammed with junkies, drug prostitutes and more violently minded homeless, and often being in there is worse than the streets for the more peaceful person who happens to be homeless.

2006-12-04 22:08:09 · answer #6 · answered by greybamby 2 · 0 0

Because they want to control their own lives or maybe thats just what they want. I have a friend who has like 2% average overall and he got EXPELLED!!! this was 2 weeks ago. we were telling him how hes gunna be a hobo and stuff but he was just laughing and sai itll be niceeee. people will feel sorry for him, he'll be on streets all the time. no worries... nature.. drugs everywheree... hes stupid anyway
he said so many things!! So im guessing there r hobos out there chose to be hobos!!

2006-12-04 22:06:01 · answer #7 · answered by Help me 3 · 0 0

Debt of course will drive you out of your home. Shelter, great! But i would rather live in my car even if im not allowed to.

2006-12-04 22:02:03 · answer #8 · answered by zacharydai 3 · 0 0

Canadians A!

2006-12-04 22:01:10 · answer #9 · answered by G-pops 4 · 0 0

although there are some exceptions, most homeless are either mentally ill or their addiction or alcoholism is so far advanced they cant keep a home

2006-12-04 22:02:39 · answer #10 · answered by SETFREEBYJESUS 4 · 0 0

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