To think it's nonsense to believe that people chose homelessness?

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My friend is studying homelessness as part of a project in his sociology class. We were having a discussion last weekend and his belief was that anyone can become homeless but that he doesn't have much sympathy for the long-term homeless because most of them were addicts.

I found this ignorant and a bit offensive. Yes, people with substance-use disorder are overrepresented amongst the homeless but from volunterring with the homeless in college, I know that many started using after becoming homeless not the other way round. Mental illness, childhood trauma, and physical disabilites are very common in the chronic homeless and knowing how terrible healthcare is for the mentally ill and disabled even in many developed countries, I can't imagine how I'd personally be able to get out of that situation.

Some, not a lot but definitely some people do choose homelessness. I've worked with some of them and they're not interested in being housed despite mine and my teams efforts!

Obviously they just have to stop choosing their addiction in his sadly small closed and privileged little mind. He has no bloody idea.

Homelessness combined with addiction has always been an issue. A lot of it does start on the street, but tbf a lot doesn't and is where people with multiple problems end up.
Which came first is actually pretty irrelevant unless you believe in deserving homeless and undeserving homeless, which of course many sad sacks do.

Many nameless people quietly died on the streets when I was young. They all had their reasons for being there. They still do, we just do more to find out who they where before disposing of them than we used to.

TBF I did choose being homeless. I came down to London well underage with very few illusions, but even at it's worse it still looked like a better deal than what I'd walked away from, and frankly it was, before a long time later I was finally reported as 'missing' and thrown back into far worse situations with no choice.

I'm lucky in that I pre date public begging as acceptable, which previously streamlined those automatically headed for death, those to prostitution or crime, and those who would manage to make something of their situation, a lot faster than the current situation.

I saw many others succumb to substances and several killed by people who knew the homeless held no value to society, but no one was really that bothered until it stopped being invisible and was in their faces.

Amongst all the traditionally homeless groups, there are people now in London on the streets, no substance issues, and holding down jobs, who simply don't have more than a tent for a home. Winter is coming for them too.

Creating out of the way shelters, living in underground tunnels, and squatting abandoned property allowed so many who wanted to, to get off the streets, find work and create communities and futures.
Now we have a situation where the small minded find it better that people litter the streets begging for their survival often locked into funding addiction, and semi derelict houses stay empty, tunnels are gated up, and basic hidden shelters are immediately removed, than that anyone should use them to better themselves.

Agreed

I have a friend who choses to be homeless. He had a council flat but abandoned it and returned the key against all advice. He is not an addict. He has severe MH issues that impact his ability to manage a home and he prefers not to have any responsibility. He is a very kind hearted and generous person and stays on farms etc in the colder months but prefers sleeping outside. I worry about him a lot, but it is his choice.
I think there a a few men like him around. I read a book on Hobo's in the US - Rolling Nowhere and it really struck a chord with me and helped me understand his choices.

What is everything then? I have people around me who love me, a partner who worships me. I have all the things you don't think I deserve.

Very few people choose to be homeless. A man I regularly speak to has "chosen" to be homeless because he can't stand the shared emergency housing SS has proposed to him. He would like a cabin in the woods far away from people (with his dog) because people have only been a source of suffering for him. I think he could have been "saved" by early intervention but now it's just too late. A hello, a cup of coffee and some spare money is all anyone can do for him.

I suspect one of the reasons why some people believe the myth that it's "only" people with substance issues who're homeless is the postcode lottery of housing affordability and social housing availability.

So a couple of decades ago, in many parts of the country, low waged and disabled people had social housing - and the main cause of homelessness was ineffective and badly funded or run public services, needed to support people with substance or other issues that make keeping a home difficult.

But in London and parts of the SE it was simply unaffordable housing, where many people with no substance or serious mental health issues became homeless. Many are working but on low wages.

This is changing in recent times - with the issue now affecting most of the UK. Now it's happening elsewhere in the UK too.

Re mental illness. Often it's not the mental illness that causes homelessness. It's simply the low income of disability benefits, combined with many private landlords refusing benefits and the lack of social housing.

Some people need (genuine) supported housing. By genuine I mean safe and with live-in well-trained support staff. Many others don't. They may have mental health issues but are perfectly capable of maintaining a home. They simply can't afford one.

Yes OP you are correct, your friend has a very ignorant view.

He would do well to consider homelessness as both a cause and effect of multiple disadvantages and also probably wise up about addiction.

He should have had a MH visitor who helped him out with everything practical. In an ideal world..

He has severe MH issues that impact his ability to manage a home and he prefers not to have any responsibility.

This is a classic example. He isn't choosing homelessness. He's choosing not to use the housing that is the only thing he's offered. If we were truly person-centred, there would be empathetic provision. He could have a rent-free, seasonal home, with storage for anything he wanted to leave, where he could stay when it's cold. An actual home for him.

I'm not saying this would work or is practical. I'm saying most people who 'choose' homelessness are just rejecting what's offered, not choosing the opposite.

Not enough for a deposit? Can't afford rent of upwards £1K a month? No guarantor for a rental? Then you'll probably end up homeless, because there are virtually no council homes. This could be anyone, it is so easy to become homeless. And no not everyone has family

Quite surprising to hear that view from someone studying homelessness. Personally I have more sympathy for the long-term homeless because most of them are addicts.

A kind heart, compassion, empathy, understanding. But you're rich so it's all good.

That's so sad.

Definitely there's a urgent need for better public services, that provide early and effective support.

That said, it's not too late for him. Understandably he doesn't want the often dangerous shared homeless "housing". Sometimes more dangerous than the streets. And especially inappropriate for someone like that man who's suffered trauma and needs the safety of his own home.

People in his position need is social housing - their own independent home.

That can and should be done. More social housing across the UK.

There are many reasons people are homeless. In fact, each one has their own story.

What I do know is that, if I were homeless, I'd probably be an addict too. I'd need something to dull my life - anything to make it bearable or go away.

No one should be judging how someone homeless got to that position. Its not helpful. They are where they are just decide are you going to help, or not.

If not, then shut up and go on your way. If you are then do your thing - maybe support a shelter type charity, lobby your MP. At the very least, don't judge.

Those things don't do anything for me. They only benefit other people, which as we have established I don't care about.

My experience is that some people do choose homelessness, but all I have come across have had the same mental illness. Because of beliefs due to the illness, they felt safer living on the streets and many had abandoned perfectly good, safe housing. It obviously wasn’t true, but was their belief which is all that mattered.

The last paragraph here is what is interesting, and I agree with it to a large extent. If there were more flexible options that would be good. It all seems very 'abide by our choices' or 'nothing'. Which isn't really much of a choice.Obviously an alternate provision would cost hugely so isn't done, but more pet friendly ones, more spaces with other non addicts, more seasonal spaces with year round storage etc would be ideal.

Well aren't you a delight.

I think a lot of people are confusing homelessness with rough sleeping. They are not the same thing.

And @offyoujollywelltrot you could say, with capital letters for emphasis, that NOBODY you've met has chosen to be homeless or sleep rough but as others have said and given examples of, it is what some people choose, because, for a myriad of different reasons, they don't fit into a standard lifestyle. Don't dismiss other people's knowledge simply because it isn't your experience.

That's not true - that the majority of long-term homeless people are addicts. It might have been the case some years ago - in parts of the UK where there was more social housing, but there's a growing shortage of social housing across the UK now. It used to be mainly London and parts of the SE.

Many long-term homeless people are simply on low incomes - low waged or disabled.

What does sometimes happen though, with long-term street homeless people, is the homelessness causes addiction. No surprise people would turn to self medication to try to cope with the horrors of being homeless.

What does he mean by 'choose to be homeless'? I would be interested to learn more about his definition of this.

Does he mean those who have become homeless through some root cause (MH issues, addiction, past trauma) and have attempted to reintegrate into society, perhaps more than once, and this has not worked for them. They have then refused further attempts to be housed? This isn't really choosing to be homeless in my view. It means more that services to rehabilitate them are not a good fit.

I'm sure there are a small number of people who choose to live an itinerant or 'off grid' lifestyle, perhaps sofa surfing or in very simple accommodation. If this is a genuinely free choice it's an interesting one but it is probably quite unusual

I'm not sure why, after his sociological studies, he has drawn the conclusion that drug addicts are not worthy of sympathy from society. Why does he believe people often find themselves in such situations?

No shit Sherlock. So I'll go back to my original comment of you being a prime example of someone who has "everything" but in fact has nothing.

I think a lot of people are confusing homelessness with rough sleeping. They are not the same thing.

True to an extent, but it's not as if the substandard temporary accommodation for homeless people is much better. It's often pretty unsafe.

Re street homelessness. It's not drugs that's the biggest risk factor for that. The biggest risk factor is being single without children.

That's why more men than women are street homeless, as women are still more commonly a resident parent. Women without children are as at risk of street homelessness as men (perhaps more so, because reports found there's nowhere in the UK with housing affordable for single women).

There's a need for more social housing across the UK - including for single households, and separately including genuine supported housing with well-trained live-in staff for those who genuinely aren't able to manage living independently.