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Chris was one of those interviewed in the Research project.
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Barriers to Eradicating the Institution of Homelessness
These barriers have largely been compiled from the actual statements of dozens of currently and formerly homeless people, who were interviewed as part of Sisters’ Community Organizing Project, its Research Component.
Group I - Barriers to Accessing Services
- Red Tape and Hoops
The high amount of paper work, approval processes, and forms that homeless people have to complete in order to get services and access to housing (both temporary and long-term).
- Scarce Resources within Organizations
The lack of resources including informed personnel, training, time, and funding within service organizations whose mission it is to help the poor and/or homeless.
- Decentralized Services
Homeless people seeking help expend precious time traveling to many uncoordinated service providers, waiting in lines, and filling out redundant paperwork. This slows down the process of ending homelessness and often results in homeless people getting incomplete, contradictory, or misleading information.
- Decline in Public Assistance
The declining value and availability of public assistance is another barrier to ending poverty and homelessness. This is at the federal, state and local levels and is linked to, or maybe results from 11, 12 and 13 below.
In the Institute for Children and Poverty study, 37% of homeless families had their welfare benefits reduced or cut in the last year. More strikingly, in Bucks County and Philadelphia, PA, and Seattle, WA, more than 50% had their benefits reduced or cut…Among those who lost their benefits, 20% said they became homeless as a direct result. Additionally, a second study of six states found that between 1997 and 1998, 25% of families who had stopped receiving welfare in the last six months doubled-up on housing to save money, and 23% moved because they could not pay rent. (Institute for Children and Poverty, 2001).
Group II – Barriers to Employment
- Low Wages
Existing entry-level wages and the jobs that offer them are inadequate to enable homeless people to escape the cycle of poverty and homelessness.
“Fully 30 million Americans - one in four U.S. workers - earn $8.70 an hour
or less, a rate that works out to $18,100 a year, which is the current
official poverty level in the United States for a family of four. These
low-wage jobs usually lack health care, childcare, pensions and vacation
benefits. The working conditions are often grueling, dangerous, even
humiliating.” Beth Schulman - The Washington Post
- Lack of Jobs
There is an insufficient and decreasing number of jobs (at any rate of pay) available to the homeless people who seek them.
- Previous Incarceration
Having been convicted of a crime and served time in jail creates barriers to entering the job market and gaining housing.
- Economic System
Over accumulation of capital in the hands of a few corporations promotes profit over the public good.
- Insufficient Education
Many homeless people lack the basic educational skills for employment like reading, writing and math ability.
Group III - Barriers to Accessing Housing
- Lack of Housing Units
There is a shortage in low-income housing within our county and city. The gap between the number of affordable housing units and the number of people needing them has created a housing crisis for poor people.
- Cost of Housing/Rentals
When housing is available, its cost is too high for what the homeless are able to pay.
- Previous Incarceration
Having been convicted of a crime and been in jail creates barriers to entering the job market and to gaining housing.
Group IV – Barriers Caused by Prejudice and Fear
- Biases and Stereotypes
Homeless people are hindered by all the preconceived, negative, and untrue notions about them and about the causes of homelessness. (Police harassment and profiling of homeless people are included in this category.)
- Ignorance about Homelessness (by the public, police, city workers, etc.)
Not understanding the causes of homelessness, the scope of the problem, and the barriers to ending homelessness create additional and difficult barriers.
- Criminalization of Homeless People
Laws and ordinances have been and are being passed that unjustly penalize the homeless population. This includes anti-camping, anti-panhandling, and sit-lie.
Group V – Barriers Caused by Lack of Prioritization of Issues Causing Homelessness
- Lack of Political Will to End Homelessness
The failure of government to make ending homelessness a priority greatly hampers its solution.
Group VI – Barriers Related to Personal History
- Addictive Disorders
Drug and alcohol abuse and addiction interfere with ending homelessness. Many people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs do not become homeless, but people who are poor and addicted are clearly at increased risk of homelessness.
- Domestic Violence
Emerging from a background of domestic violence is a barrier to ending homelessness. In addition, battered women who live in poverty are often forced to choose between abusive relationships and homelessness.
- Family Background Issues
Many homeless people are effectively handicapped by family of origin issues such as alcoholism, drug addiction, physical and mental abuse, abandonment, absenteeism, etc.
- Lack of Skills and Capabilities
Homeless and poor people frequently cite a lack of the employable skills and capabilities that would make them eligible for jobs.
Group VII – Barriers to Accessing Physical and Mental Healthcare
- Mental Illness
Mental illness is a significant and direct cause of homelessness. Approximately 22% of the single adult homeless population suffers from some form of severe and persistent mental illness (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2001).
- Affordable Healthcare
Lack of affordable access to healthcare both forces people into homelessness and perpetuates it. For families and individuals struggling to pay the rent, a serious illness or disability can start a downward spiral into homelessness, beginning with a lost job, depletion of savings to pay for care, and eventual eviction. (National Coalition for the Homeless.) Costly emergency care consumes precious public resources that could otherwise go towards directly ending homelessness.
Group VIII – Barriers to Wholeness
- Self Limiting Beliefs
Many homeless people buy into the perceptions of others that they are not valued members of society.
- Homeless Provider – Client Interactions
Services are provided in a way that degrades and disrespects the dignity of the person. Service providers often treat people seeking services as though they are not important. Many service agencies use a charity model, but this approach can make homeless people feel like victims or start believing that they are owed. Religious requirements made by faith-based service providers, such as listening to a sermon before receiving a meal, sometimes creates resentment. Sometimes people who are homeless experience damage to their self esteem from interacting with service providers. They start asking themselves, “Why do they treat me like a criminal or make me humiliate myself to get basic services?” or “Why does everyone make my life miserable while I wait for housing?”
Last updated on Nov 09, 2006 at 07:27 PM
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