Radicalizing How We Accept the Homeless

The homeless population is often blamed for their lack of permanent shelter, which calls for radicalization for how those willing to help view those in need of shelter. As known, there is an intense stigma against the homeless community; from using donated money on drugs to the perception of the majority unwilling to work, there are very few individuals willing to assist those who want to escape their homeless predicament. To remove this stigma, there is a need to educate the public on why homelessness happens. Of course, people will answer that they do understand and list common impairments such as disability, but the average person does not understand the experience of homeless person firsthand. For this analysis, we will look at homelessness from the eyes of a homeless person his or herself.

"We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked, and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty" - Mother Teresa

Lack of Familial Support

Undiscussed in scientific literature is lack of familial support within the homeless community. A good portion of individuals within the homeless community suffer from impairments such as cognitive disability, mental illness, substance abuse, or lack of skills to receive employment. When you view this from their perspective, you start to realize that most families are not educated enough to provide assistance to an individual with an impairment. According to the homeless individuals that I have spoken to, a homeless individual suffering from schizophrenia requires intense care in order maintain his/her ability to remain in reality. Often families do not know how to provide support to such individuals, or they are too overwhelmed by the care that he/she needs to be able provide (https://www.scznow.com/). These individuals usually need constant care, such a reminders to take showers, which can be draining on the family. Most of these individuals feel intense shame, as shared to me by some homeless individuals, so they are unwilling to return home to receive support. This scenario can be applied to war veterans with PTSD all the way over to individuals with cognitive impairments such as a chronic learning disability, which they cannot be medicated for. The main reason that we have homelessness in the first place, is the shame placed on homeless individuals.

"A castaway in the sea was going down for the third time when he caught sight of a passing ship. Gathering his last strength, he waved frantically and called for help. Someone on board peered at him scornfully and shouted back, 'Get a boat!;" - Daniel Quinn

Empowering the Homeless Community

The homeless community should be praised for the traumatic events that they have to experience by being homeless. The homeless individuals who I spoke to with explained that they witness numerous traumatic events while in the shelters. They often see individuals so intoxicated that they are unable to maintain themselves, such as sleeping under trucks or becoming so violent that they have to be removed from the shelter. Imagine the mental toll that this places on the individual is detrimental. They watch other homeless individuals giving up on themselves, which is where the stigma comes from. These individuals deserve some praise for taking the steps to getting help despite seeing others who are not leading a good example. Their life stories are empowering by the what they have to overcome. If we are willing to listen, we learn that overcoming homelessness is not simply getting a job; it is escaping trauma and learning to turn the other cheek. Homeless individuals attempting to get a permanent shelter are respectable in the fact that they facing this challenge. Can you imagine having to escape this situation? I certainly cannot. The homeless are empowering, when you view them from this perspective.