Causes of Homelessness

The interviewers asked community members what they considered to be major causes of homelessness and if they would be willing to share their personal stories of how they became homeless. Most of the causes of homelessness that were mentioned are similar to those indicated in the provider interviews and in the general media. These included large, societal forces as well as poor personal choices and behaviors. Within these two categories, the main causes of homelessness that were mentioned by community members were: lack of a livable wage; lack of affordable housing; employers who will not take a chance on a homeless person; employers who will not take a chance on a person with a prison record; changes in the job market that have eliminated many good-paying, blue-collar jobs; education and literacy barriers; parental neglect and abuse; drug abuse; alcoholism; domestic violence; laziness; and giving up on life. Regarding education and literacy, one man answered, "Lack of jobs. Yeah, and a lot of homeless guys, I done found, are actually not too educated, you know. Most of 'em got like, ah, elementary school levels. Like, some of 'em are very smart in some ways and very dumb in others. A lot of 'em are afraid to admit they have a literacy problem. They don't want to acknowledge to other guys out on the street that they can't read and they can't write 'cause that makes 'em feel like less of a human being."

Most community members indicated that their own homelessness was the direct result of personal tragedy and loss, compounded by a lack of strong social networks. Some found the subject so painful they really didn't want to talk about it. Others were very appreciative of an opportunity to tell their stories. In general, respondents seemed to view their family and friends as powerful safety nets, and many people told tales of personal catastrophes followed by the collapse of their safety nets. These interviewees felt that their homelessness was the direct result of these events. For instance, one man said, "When the mother of my children died, that was it. I just never really got back on track." Another respondent noted, "I lost my home when my mother died." Some interviewees tended to blame circumstances a lot, while others blamed themselves for their predicament. A woman told us the story of having a good job as a nursing aid, for many years. But she got sick, was in the hospital, lost her job, and came out of the hospital with enormous debt, and no job. A man with alcohol problems bottomed out when he had a heart attack. After his hospitalization he had nowhere to go and was referred from the hospital to the Durham Rescue Mission. Another interviewee commented that "your job suddenly moves to another area, then you lose credibility. You don't understand what's going on; so you turn to drinking, try to solve the problems. Then you lose money, then not be able to pay your bills - the next thing you know you're homeless."

One man who was interviewed summed it up well: "Causes of homelessness? It's kinda hard to say. You know, everybody got different personalities, you never really know. What makes me homeless might not make that man."

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