Homelessness is an unfortunate and growing problem in the United States, as well as around the globe. Many people mistake homeless people for individuals who can help themselves out of their situation. They believe they brought homelessness and poverty on themselves and, therefore, deserve no passion or help in bettering their circumstances. This fact was true in 1987, when Peter Marin wrote is exposing article, “Helping and Hating the Homeless: The Struggle at the Margins of America,” and it is true today . The preconceived notion that homeless individuals can all be lumped into one group of people is a common misconception that has plagued the community for decades, and has often prevented homeless individuals from receiving the help they desperately need to improve their lives.
Marin mentions in his article that homeless people cannot be lumped into one category, but are often made up of several different individuals who have fallen on hard times at no fault of their own . For example, according the Megan Ravenhill’s, “The Culture of Homelessness,” many homeless individuals are made up of the mentally ill or physically disabled . Benefits are only awarded to an estimated 75% of individuals who become physically disabled or who are proclaimed mentally ill; even when such awards are granted, the wages are barely enough to keep a person off the streets . Society makes the mistake in believing that all homeless people are lazy bums, instead of understanding that some, like the physically and mentally disabled, are victims of circumstance. Unable to work and turned away by state or government assistance, they have nowhere to go. The streets become their home, though it was not by choice. A man who becomes crippled on the job, or a young woman diagnosed with schizophrenia do not choose homelessness over working hard in order to keep a roof over their head and food in their stomach. These were points Marin was attempting to make.
Marin also sympathizes, somewhat, with those who believe that homelessness is a choice, stating that some do, in fact, choose to live on the streets . However, he is quick to point out it is not the lackadaisical choice some believe it to be. Veterans who are unable to overcome the trauma of war sometimes have trouble functioning in what we consider normal society. Maria Foscarinis points out in her article, “Homelessness in America: A Human Rights Crisis,” that veterans are one of the most marginalized and at risk groups that succumb to homelessness; they are the least likely to be helped . America’s mental health system provides minimal health to most recipients under state health insurance. Those who have served in the military receive even less care than civilians, though they are often in more dire need of services. Many suffer from PTSD, anxiety, panic disorders, night terrors, and other traumatic issues that can prevent them from functioning normally and working steady jobs. As a result, many either are forced into homelessness, or choose homelessness as a shelter for their mental instability.
The majority of people hear the word, “choose” and any chance for compassion evaporates. If homelessness is a choice, not being homeless is also a choice. The idea is true to an extent, but the majority fails to realize that the choice not to be homeless is only true when the individual receives the help they need to function in normal society. Michelle Patterson and her associates mention in an article titled, “Sealing the Cracks: Preliminary Findings from an Inter-Ministry Initiative to Address Chronic Homelessness in British Columbia,” that those who receive treatment for illnesses are more likely to choose work and stability, over homelessness and instability . The findings addressed the fact that most of the world still denies that invisible diseases such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorders, etc. are relevant causes of distress, or the catalyst to any person’s life issues. Furthermore, the study found the majority of people deny help with invisible illnesses, such as the aforementioned, would have any impact on a homeless individual’s circumstances; instead they remained steady in their belief that a person chose to be homeless and, therefore, could choose to not be homeless .
In sum, it is true that some people bring homelessness upon themselves in a way. Perhaps they have an abusive addiction to alcohol, or a gambling problem. These issues are more difficult to sympathize with; the masses are not as likely to have compassion for a person who is homeless because they lost their job due to a cocaine habit. However, as Marin pointed out, there is always a cause to homelessness that is typically out of the individual’s hands . The reason may be difficult to understand, or to sympathize with, but there is usually a problem to be remedied. Even veterans who choose to live on the streets due to their acquired mental distress can be helped. However, because of the public’s preconceived notion toward the homeless, state funds are not often directed toward these services. Consequently, the fate of the homeless comes down to whether the masses continue to hate them, or learn to help them. Hating an individual on a basis of stereotyping is pointless. Through his article, Marin sought to expand the minds of readers, showing them that homeless people needed help and compassion, rather than judgment and reprimand. He was not asking the public to hand over their wallets every time they saw a homeless person, but was asking for more consideration in hopes that it would change our outlook and eventually begin to remedy the problem. The pleading article was written in 1987 and the issue still proves to be a human rights subject today, proving we have a long way to go.
References
Foscarinis, Maria. "Homelessness in America: A Human Rights Crisis." Journal of Lawful Sociology (2011): 515-527. Article.
Marin, Peter. "Helping and hating the homeless. The struggle at the margins of America." Harper's Magazine (1987): 39-49. Article.
Patterson, Michelle, Julian Somers and Akm Moniruzzaman. "Sealing the cracks: Preliminary findings from an inter-ministry initiative to address chronic homelessness in British Columbia." Faculty of Health Sciences (2012): 426-428. Article.
Ravenhill, Megan. The Culture of Homelessness. Chicago: Ashgate Publishing, 2012. Book.
