why do people become homeless? why cant they find jobs?

Question

The majority of the homeless people I see on the streets have all their limbs, and are literate as they can write out their signs asking for money. Also, the majority are white (Caucasian). I see migrate workers coming not knowing english and are able to find jobs relatively quickly. I cant imagine someone NOT having friends or family to help you out in need until you got back on your feet. there are always some jobs they can do, manual jobs or something of the sort. why dont they do anything else for money rather than begging?

Drugs and addiction are usually the main cause i believe, if so, then what made them turn to drugs? Everyone knows that drugs are bad for you, we are taught that since we are children. If its bad for people then why do people do it when there are many other ways to relieve stress?

As a note, I am not judging them. I just want to know what put them in the situation they are in now. What decisions put them on the street or something. My friend and I are planning to go interview some of the homeless in our area to listen to their story.

Answer 1

Generally, homeless people DO NOT want to be living on the street. It is dehumanising and undignifying. No-one wants that. It is easy to make generalised comment that homeless people are just lazy and does not want to work. There are many reasons why people are homeless and they can be quite complex problems.

And when you are homeless and look filthy - employers wouldn't give you a job (partly because of the prejudice already existing - just like what most of us have: "they are lazy", "they can't be trusted", etc) so no job = no self-esteem - no confidence in trying for other job - no way to get clean and look better... and the cycle goes on. And finding a job is one thing but keeping a job is another. No having a job for so long, they forget work skills they used to have. So employers get frustrated when they can not work as well as others and, not given a chance to improve, - they get fired. Thus the vicious cycle starts again.

I only touched on the "job" perspective in regards to homeless people. since your question related to getting a job. But as I said, there are many and complex reasons why people become - and continue - to be homeless. There are drug and alcohol factor, social prejudice, mental health issues, dehumanising social system, family breakdowns, and many others.

Those of us who never have to deal with these homeless population can easily make judgements. Those of us who have, DO realise the problem is NOT as simple as "being lazy"

Answer 2

I recently visited San Francisco with a friend from Austrailia, and he was astonished and appalled at the amount of homelessness we saw, the abject poverty in a big, beautiful American city. It wasn't surprising to me - guess I've gotten used to it. To him, it was a sign that the U.S. is failing. Hope he's wrong.

* Why do people become homeless?

Economists estimate that many of us are just one or two bad luck "events" away from being homeless. If you have no medical insurance, or limited insurance, through your job and you or a member of your family becomes very ill or injured in a car accident, you're in trouble. Those medical bills add up VERY quickly - one short stay in a hospital's Intensive Care Unit can easily be $10,000!

Hospital bills that people could not pay have been THE MAJOR REASON people have filed for backruptcy for many years - not because they spent too much money at the mall on fancy shoes and electronics, etc.

Combine a giant medical bill with a job layoff, and you've got serious trouble.

* Why can't the truly homeless find jobs?

Maybe some of them are lazy and would rather beg than work, but consider:

Would you hire someone who is homeless? Would you be glad to work with someone who is homeless? Would you trust someone who is homeless?

How easy do you think it is to find a job when you've only got one or two outfits, and neither you nor your clothing has been washed recently?

How easy do you think it is for an employer to find you to ask you to come in for an interview if you don't have an address or phone number?

How many employers want to hire homeless people? How will they fit it? How will they look and smell? How will they impress customers?

For the people who are employable, homelessness makes a job search thousands of times harder. It must be a trip through hell, not an easy way to make big bucks without paying taxes.

As the old saying goes, don't judge anyone until you've walked a few miles in their moccasins. You don't know why they are homeless, and you really don't know how difficult it can be.

Answer 3

Everyone's answers are right so far. I saw a reporter once (possibly the same story as one of the earlier responses) of a man who stayed in Nashville, TN all during the summer and went by bus to Orlando, Florida during the winter. He had been doing this for about 5 yrs and his avg. income was $38,500/yr. That is NON-TAXABLE CASH!!!! That would probably put him and what the employed would consider about a 55K/yr job and even better when you consider the factor of 0 bills to be paid! That is a very good living! In many regions of the country, that would be considered upper-middle class. Unfortunately, the next part that I am about to spit out is not going to make people on here happy, but I was in an HR position for a company for approx. 6 yrs, and I am well aware of the employment and DOL laws. You made the statement that many were white and that is exactly the reason they have a tougher time getting jobs sometimes. In today's overly PC United States, we are in a Society where company's are required by State and Federal laws to have a certain quota of minorities. The people you mentioned in your question, the "migrate" workers (at least the legite ones) have more rights in this country and in the job arena than the caucasion men you speak of. In the HR realm, there is what we call protected classes. The only unprotected class there is under these laws are caucasian males under 40. This particular fact is only a piece of the puzzle, but it is a factor. Unfortunalely, the PC-ness or softness of this country, is what leads to many problems this country has. We are so PC sometimes as in this case, that some people who want "equal rights" end up getting "more than equal rights!"

Answer 4

Mostly because of drugs/alcohol. Some are downright crazy. Very few people are homeless simply because they're lazy... there's a deeper reason behind all of them.

I guess the majority are white because caucasion is the largest individual group where you live. Personally I don't see any difference race demographics between homeless and not homeless. It seems to be about the same.

Answer 5

I can relate 2 ur question as I was homeless at 1 time in my life. I did get off my **** and do something about it. But there are people out there that are not equiped to "move forward". Some of these people have been through councelling but it does"nt help them. It"s the way they will be. If u r really concerned, become a volunteer at a 'Soup Kitchen' and hear their personal stories.

Answer 6

People become homeless for a variety of reasons. You're right there are a lot of (chronic) homeless, who for all appearances, seem to be perfectly capable of being employed. And you're right that a lot of people come to this country to work in fields at jobs most Americans routinely refuse to do.

But a lot of homeless are mentally ill and reach a state where they are almost literally unemployable.

Some of these people are victims of circumstance - many rise above their situation and make a better life for themselves while others make homelessness a lifetime situation.

Others are homeless because of a habit of "bad" choices. They are addicted to drugs or dependent on alcohol. Sometimes their substance abuse is the result of the environment they grow up in, other times its simply because people enjoy getting buzzed, stoned, drunk or wasted.

The issue of homelessness is incredibly complicated. I deal with the homeless everyday in my work and I get as upset with people who say "it's their CHOICE to be homeless" as I do with people who say "they're just VICTIMS of circumstance!"

There is a great deal of diversity amongst the homeless and it would behoove advocates of both sides of this argument to acknowledge both the systematic and personal failures which are at the roots of homelessness.

Answer 7

Most homeless people have another problem, such as alcoholism, drug addiction or mental illnesses that prevent them from being able to keep a normal job. Family and friends have given up trying to help them and turned their back on them.

Answer 8

Not all of them are capable of maintaining responsiblities. Many aren't in their right minds, due to the result of drugs. Many are convicted felons, unable to get jobs. Many are just so lost that they wouldn't even know how to live in a home or maintain any type of schedule. Some are alcoholics. Others have been released out of over crowded mental institutions. They are the unwanted and unloved of our society.
Where I live they are numerous. Most of them can't take the opportunities because they don't have the self-worth to see themselves as anything better than what they see themselves as.

Answer 9

It's not as easy as it sounds. I'm white, I had a full time job & I was living in my car & for a short time living on building roof tops when I wasn't at work. All it took was a falling out with my dad & I was on my own. California is pretty pricey, first you have to come up with first & last months rent & maybe a deposit on top of that. For a few months I even did that in the mid-west during the winter. You wake up because it's so cold (inside the car) your face hurts so you start your car & warm it up. Of course because you can't get decent sleep you doze off with the car running & over the cycle goes. At that time I was working full time too & it was McDonalds either. I'm a very likable guy but who wants to move someone in with you? It's the nice thing to do but not likey to happen. And of course I'm not going to advertise the fact that I'm living in my car, it's extremely embarrassing. Even at my worst I NEVER have begged. I would be someone I knew would see me.

Answer 10

People become homeless because a number of reasons, Number one is mental health issues,they have nowhere to go.Nobody does it as a choice and yes some seem very able bodied but mentally they are very weak.And yes alot of them do have families and yes families will turn their back on you. Please don't judge, because something may happen in your life and you"ll be in the same situation and you will want someone to be kind.