Is homelessness caused by laziness?

No

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by Priscilla Benfield

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There is so much ignorance in this country regarding the topic of homelessness. Perhaps it is the way that the media portrays homelessness or the fact that most people have never experienced homelessness. The fact is that homelessness can happen to almost anyone.

The average American family does not have much savings and many live paycheck to paycheck. In today's economy, job loss or a serious illness can threaten a family's financial security. Once a family's financial security is threatened, life circumstances can further jeopardize their existence.

Some people do not have family or friends that could take them in. As far as government assistance goes, you basically need to disminish all your savings before you receive assistance. Food stamps and welfare are not just handed out, you must go through a lot of red tape to receive assistance. If you do get help, chances are good that it will not pay your mortgage or car payments.

The argument could be made that there is help such as soup kitchens and homeless shelters. No family wants to wind up in a homeless shelter. There is no privacy and it can be degrading to your self-esteem. Many shelters have rules that make it impossible for a parent to go out and look for work because they discourage families helping each other with child care.

There are a percentage of people in this country who are homeless and mentally ill. That is a fact and due to the way our mental health system operates, too many mentally ill people are not getting the help they need. All homeless people are not mentally ill.This is just another misconception about homelessness.

Homelessness can happen to just about anyone. Lose your job when you are living paycheck to paycheck, deplete any savings you might have, experience an illness and then fall behind on all your bills. You can try to apply for rent or mortgage assistance but often there are waiting lists or sometimes no funds are even available. As you desperately search for work, often you must take a job that pays less than you were used to. You still have to put food on the table and try to keep a roof over your head but making less money makes it all the more difficult to do. Sometimes all your efforts to keep your head above water fail and you find yourself evicted from your home with only your car for shelter.

This story happens every day in this country. It happens to intelligent,hard-wor king people. Sometimes life throws you more curve balls than you are able to catch and you become a statistic. Becoming homeless can happen even if you put up a good fight to keep it from happening. There are people who are lazy and abuse the system who are homeless but to say that laziness causes homelessness is wrong. The face of homelessness can look like the reflection in your mirror or your neighbor. Only fate can say for sure.

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