Why Homeless?

It is a fact that there are many people who experience homelessness in our community. The population count at the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley is evidence enough: 152 on August 10. It might surprise you to learn that of this number, 19 were children. In fact, according to a 2009 study by the National Center on Family Homelessness, 1 out of 50 children in our nation will experience homelessness.

Two important questions come to mind: What causes this? How can this issue be so prevalent and yet so frequently go unnoticed?

The Causes of Homelessness:

According to a 2008 study sponsored by the US Conference of Mayors, the leading causes of family homelessness are:

·         Lack of affordable housing

·         Poverty

·         Unemployment

These are interrelated. Unemployment and underemployment contribute to poverty and the inability to afford housing. It is nearly impossible to maintain housing for a family on a minimum wage job.

The same study cited these reasons as the cause for individual homelessness:

·         Substance abuse

·         Lack of affordable housing

·         Mental illness

Other issues factor in as well: domestic violence, human trafficking, etc.

How does this go unnoticed? Probably because we do not like to acknowledge that we have real problems in affluent America. Many of us live in the suburbs where we are sheltered from contact with homeless people. Many get their perceptions of homelessness from Hollywood, a caricature of the situation to be sure.

At the Rescue Mission, we are doing more than sheltering people who experience homelessness. We are trying to address the reasons that caused the situation in the individual’s life. We want to provide help and hope. And, by the way, there is hope.