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The issue of homelessness is foremost on my mind; probably because we work with people experiencing homelessness daily.
For those not familiar with the Point in Time (PIT) count data that is reported to Congress every year, it is a way for agencies and cities to see if the number of people experiencing homelessness has increased or decreased. The report is lengthy. Here is a link to a summary. Here you can find more in-depth reports.
More and more cities are refusing to publicly release their PIT count, which makes the report inaccurate. In the years that I have been watching these reports, it occurs to me and others that the count is flawed. Many homeless move into hiding for fear of arrest or are mentally ill and paranoid about interacting with people.
The explanation for homelessness is complicated, every person experiencing homelessness has a story. We do not ask for their story but sometimes they want an ear.
The public perception is mental illness and/or addictions. But there is so much more at play….
Economic: inadequate or irregular work hours, unemployment, lack of benefits, spouse overseas or incarcerated, subsidized housing waitlists, substandard housing, foreclosure, rent burden, high application fees, lack of affordable housing, overcrowding lease violation, lack of safety net, illegal evictions, debt, utility security deposits, car troubles, repo, fraud/theft, lack of bank access, eviction records, debt collectors’ practices, storage unit woes, and access to food and food costs.
Personal: family issues of divorce, lack of childcare, generational poverty, LGBTQA, aging to 18 in foster care, unplanned pregnancy, caretaker, partner, spouse dies/leaves, no access to care or meds, chronic illness, disabilities, race discrimination, hoarding, no insurance, health crisis, trauma, violence, abuse.
Circumstances: natural disasters, red tape bureaucracy, gentrification, high mobility, lack of internet and computer, lack of social network, lack of transportation, dangerous neighborhood, inadequate schools.
Legal: prison record, immigration, tickets, fines, sex offender.
Of the 33,136 Veterans experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2022, 13,564 of those Veterans were unsheltered, meaning they live in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, and literally on the street.
Free, confidential help is available through VA for any Veteran experiencing homelessness. Contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID VET (877-424-3838), find your nearest VA medical center, or visit the VA National Resource Directory for more resources.
Our Veteran Pet Support program is one of the many ways we are helping our veterans. I hope you take the time to read the article on our website.
I hope this sheds some light on the complex issues of those experiencing homelessness and the methods currently used to collect data surrounding the issue.
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