Why is it people that live on the street do not always choose to go to a homeless center?

Question

I see people on the street and it made me wonder why they choose to live like this instead of under a roof.

Answer 1

they hate the rules
its quicker to get money on streets, eg steal, beg, some business men have been known to hire the services of those young men for good money(if u know what i mean)
mankind has a funny way of stirring himself where trouble is

Answer 2

First off, there is not room at homeless centers. They take in a certian number every night, and the rest have to leave. Also,Being homeless is sometimes a choice, but no always. It is very easy to say what you would do, when you don't have to do it. I think it is very hard to get someone to hire you if you are homeless. It took me a year to get on my feet after my dad died, unexpectly. I lived at home, was going to school, and had to live any where I could after his death. I worked, but didn't make enouph to live. I am fine now, but it would have been real easy to just give up. You never know what happened in that persons life, so stop thinking about the why, and maybe start thinking of a solution. Maybe the next time you pass by these people, you should stop and ask them. If you know there side, maybe you could do something to help the ones that need help.

Answer 3

Many shelters will not allow drugs or alcohol. They just provide the bare necessities, not treatment for these diseases. Since these people are faced with the choice of shelter or addiction, they choose the addiction because they simply cannot cope with the withdrawal. Sometimes they become violent as a result from withdrawal and are evicted from the premises.

Before judging, consider the many celebrities with unlimited resources who cannot seem to recover from addiction in any type of environment.

Furthermore, many shelters are full and have no other choice than to turn people away.

It's sad, but sometimes people cannot accept the stigma of being in a shelter. They feel uncomfortable with a "hand-out". These are usually the "working poor" who have regular jobs but are unable to find affordable shelter.

Sometimes the shelter can become over run by seedier elements who steal from and attack others, making the street the safer choice, ironically.

But please, always keep in mind, this is no one's first choice. No one says, "Gee, when I grow up, I want to be a bum or addict or homeless person and live in the alley and eat garbage!"

Answer 4

A lot of them are very frightened of homeless shelters where they can be attacked and robbed. They take their chances and usually have a small group who stick together and look out for each other on the streets. Most don't choose to live on the streets anyway, job loss and mental illness and addictions can force them onto the streets.

Answer 5

Because there are set of rules and regulation to follow. These homeless people got homeless in the first place because they didn't want to follow the simple rules of life. Get up in the morning, clean your bed, wash your face go to work and etc.They probably did not come to work on time or only came when they felt like it, they did not born homeless, they choose to. The centers have rules and reg. to be followed.

Answer 6

There are as many answers to this as there are homeless people.

Things to consider are as follows:

1. There is a victim payoff benefit by maintaining your homeless status and going to a shelter removes you from being a homeless victim; and

2. Sometimes the shelter has more crime within than there is on the street; and

3. Being visible has a certain cache, which is not available if you remove yourself from the street!

Answer 7

Every persons story is different how they ended up on the streets it cant be no easy thing for them .. Maybe some deserve to be there an some people just hit a very bad run of luck.. But anyways to the point you asked as far as i am aware there aint enough shelters for the amount of people on the streets i think.

Answer 8

I think that there are shelters available, however, most are full and have programs to help these people get back on their feet. To receive help, I think you have to be actively involved in these programs, but some dont want the help and end up on the streets again for whatever reason. I believe drug addiction and alchoholism play a big role in why people are on the streets.

Answer 9

Homeless shelters are not always safe. Many of them are filled to capacity. There is a lot of stealing and abuse going on in them. Also, many homeless people have mental illnesses and do not have all of their faculties. They may not be able to make a decision. Many others don't know what assistance is available to them. It's a vicious circle. You have to have an address to receive some types of assistance, you have to have some assistance to have an address. It's not easy.

Answer 10

well your talking about a larger community than we have to meet their needs....i work as drug counselor in a methadone clinic and a great percentage of my patients are homeless due to many different reasons from being trans-gender and not accepted by society to the typical vietnam veteren that cant receive their benefits until a certain age! so classifying "homeless" people in one group like its a small amount of people or a small problem thats fixable is a huge understatment and obviously something overlooked daily by those who pass them by on the streets and just decide with no knowledge to pass judgment!!!

Answer 11

sometimes they just enjor that type of life. other times there isn't enough room at the homeless center to fit everybody. and sadly, most homeless people are in fear that people will look down at them for being homeless. Try reading the book The Glass Castle, it could give you a bit more info, good book too!