Homelessness Is Not A Crime

It is a symptom of the of the times

Homelessness is on the rise in the United States and it is likely to go even higher once the extension on the eviction moratorium runs out or gets struck down by the courts. We have millions of renters in this country who are so far behind in their rents that they will never catch up. Once the moratorium ends, a large number of these individuals and families will be escorted to the street to join the homeless population.

There isn’t a day that goes by that medians, freeway off-ramps and even store parking lots aren’t visited by the homeless begging for whatever money they can get from passers by. Too often, however they are simply ignored, punished for their lack of resources. I’m not proud of it, but I have been guilty of this as well.

When we come in contact with the homeless, if we are honest, we have a preconceived notion of what they should look like and how they should act. As humans, we instantly become wary of those that don’t fit the image we’ve pictured in our minds.

We say things like “They can’t really be homeless — they’re too clean” or he / she “rode here on a bicycle so they can’t be homeless” or “they’re just begging so they can buy alcohol or drugs” or “why don’t they just get a job, they’re just lazy”. And sometimes nothing at all is said, we instead divert our eyes and pretend that they aren’t there. Few of us can say that we haven’t said these things or done this at one time or another in our lives.

When this happens, ask yourself, “What is a homeless person supposed to look like and how are they supposed to act?” and if you’re like me the answer is, I don’t know. We also don’t know their stories so passing judgement on them based on appearance shows our ignorance.

Others among us look upon these individuals as scammers, acting homeless in an attempt to get us to part with our money. There is no doubt that there are those unscrupulous actors among the homeless population. feeding off our sympathies and profiting from it, though I would venture to say that they are among the minority. In either case, how would we really know. The answer is, we wouldn’t.

There are so many reasons why someone becomes homeless. Things such as drug / alcohol addition, loss of a job, mental illness, under-employment, medical bankruptcy or any number of other causes that can contribute to their situation. There is no single description to identify the homeless so why do we still try to fit them into a one-size fits all mold? It’s impossible.

A better answer for all of us would be to remember that the homeless are human and many of them are among our most vulnerable citizens. As a society, we should feel morally obligated to assist the less fortunate any way we can. Handing a little loose change or a couple of dollars to someone you don’t know and who is asking for help is the compassionate thing to do. That is if you have the means to do it.

Like most of us, I can’t afford to help everyone that is homeless monetarily, but sometimes handing someone in need something as simple as a bottle of water can go a long way to making their day better. As an added bonus, you will find that you feel better having done it.

Final thoughts

Long term, we need to address the root causes of homelessness on a governmental level if we are to every get it under control. Expanding mental health services would go a long way for many. Job training and placement services for those that are capable of working would help them get back on their feet or to get a better job. And for far too many, real affordable housing would help get individuals and families off the streets.

The problem of homelessness is an age-old one, but simply ignoring it or rounding up the homeless and moving them on is not the answer. We are kicking the can down the road and solving nothing.

I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I do know that we need more concrete ways of addressing it, and quickly. For my part, I will help where and when I can since I think the problems of homelessness are that important.

Around the holidays we love to remind ourselves that it is better to give than to receive. Maybe for all of us, it would be better to practice what we preach all year long.

Until next time.