3 myths about homeless people

Kel Hawkins

When thinking about homeless people what instantly pops up? They’re lazy people that have no intentions of getting jobs, or are homeless by choice. There are a few things about homeless people that need to be cleared up with the world. A lot of homeless people are judged because the people on the outside do not know what goes on daily in their lives. Everyone has caught themselves judging the homeless, even I have. The myths about black people include that homeless people are lazy, they do not have jobs, and how homelessness is going away.

Myth #1: Homeless people are lazy and don’t want to work.

Being homeless is not something people choose to do. Some get laid off by their jobs, their house gets burned down, natural disasters may occur, and other uncontrollable situations. The reason for being homeless is rarely because the person is just lazy. It is a common misconception that homeless people are lazy and have no intention of getting a job. A lot of homeless people had paid jobs previous to them being homeless. According to a comprehensive 1996 Urban Institute survey, “44 percent of homeless across the country did some paid work during the previous month” (Lopez). Homeless adults are looking for work and are not being lazy. Life is unexpected and some people don’t know how to handle what happens next. Everyone reacts to things differently. Often when you see someone on the street their sign will say “I need money,” others might say “Will work for money.” Not every homeless person or family is lazy, there are a lot of people who want better for themselves.

Myth #2: Getting a job will keep someone from becoming homeless.

Getting a job will not keep someone from being homeless. Becoming homeless can happen in many different ways: divorce/separation, mental health issues, no support network, and lack of affordable housing. A divorce/separation can be very expensive and most likely are a short-term situation. A divorce is not cheap, it may cost a significant other a lot of money. Mental health is a big reason why people become homeless, “According to the overall U.S. 2014 Point-In-Time Count, on any given night, nearly 20% of the homeless population had a serious mental illness. A subset of this group are homeless veterans, struggling with PTSD and mental suffering” (Peveto). Depending on where you live, affording rent or mortage might be hard to keep up with. Especially if you live in a big city and have family to support. Also, a lot of jobs these days don’t offer enough pay for some people to make a living for their family. “In Washington, D.C., a 2017 report by the Washington Council of Governments says that 22 percent of homeless single adults and 25 percent of adults in homeless facilities are employed” (Hughs). Some have lost everything they worked for in a nasty divorce and has left them homeless.

Myth #3: Homelessness is going away.

It is not correct to say that homelessness is going away. Rates of homelessness are steadily increasing, especially over the past years. For example, homelessness decreased in areas where people could afford to live and be financially stable and increased in an area where it is harder to be financially stable. It was stated by an HUD survey that “the number of homeless people declined nationwide by two percent between 2013 and 2014, but increased by six percent in New York City, where twelve percent of homeless Americans reside, and one percent in all major cities” (Lopez). Homelessness is more prone in larger cities because of the job market being more competitive in larger cities rather than smaller ones. Another reason why it is more homeless people in big cities is because it can be very expensive. Also, homelessness is going away is a myth because of people migrating to new places in search of finding a new identity and in the process of this pursuit not having the network or connections they need to find new opportunities which could potentially lead to homeless because of the failure to produce or find new opportunities for jobs.

In conclusion, homelessness is all around us. It has consumed this world and is a bigger issue than what we can imagine. It is something that cannot be stopped, but there are ways that we as humans can do to help. Something as small as saying hi and showing empathy can help someone feel better. There are many myths that have been created about homelessness that are not entirely accurate. Myths such as homeless people are lazy and don’t want to work, getting a job will keep someone from becoming homeless, and homelessness is going away are three myths that I have found to fall in this category. Myths will always be a part of our society, but it is important for us to do our research before making any assumption against any particular group of people.

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Works Cited

Fisher, Mark. “7 Practical Ways We Can Bless Someone Experiencing Homelessness.” Same

Kind of Different As Me Foundation, www.samekindofdifferentasmefoundation.org/blog/7-

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HandUp. “6 Reasons Why People Become Homeless – HandUp – Medium.” Medium, Medium, 5 Nov. 2015, medium.com/@HandUp/6-reasons-why-people-become-homeless-a193a2786e56.

Lopez, German. “11 Myths about Homelessness in America.” Vox, Vox, 23 Sept. 2015,

www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7552441/homeless-facts-myths.