Homelessness

[grandmoon]

I attended a workshop today on homelessness.  There was a lot of discussion on what constitutes a person being homeless.

When do you consider a person is homeless ??

[i-need-a-martini]

When they have no chance of finding money to pay rent or they have no idea where to turn for help or when they have no way of providing a permanent haven for their children - then I consider them homeless.

[grandmoon]

When I was asked I answered "When they had no permanent address."  There were a number of people there who didn't agree with me.

[i-need-a-martini]

Well I suppose they are theoretically correct in disagreeing. You can not have a permanent address but still have support of family, friends and various organisation that can keep you off the streets.

My brother in law is homeless in the sense that he doesn't have a permanent address and very occasionally sleeps on the street or in shelters. But the reality is that he can count on his brothers and sister to help him whenever he needs. He has support.

[poddster]

I have known some who have chosen to be in that situation.

One was a renouned concert pianist until she caused the accidental death of her only daughter. From time to time she still plays at a concert but has chosen not to get attached to ANYTHING or ANYONE.

Yet another that I know appears to be a homeless person and can be seen searching the contents of disposal bins in the city, he just hates to see things wasted.

Both of those two people are intelligent and one has lots of talent.

So next time you see a homeless person why not take the time out to engage them in conversation, you might just get a surprise. There are still some "diamonds in the rough" if you care to look 🙂

[vampire-teddy]

i was taught in a social work subject that you are homeless if you don't have a permanent address for example if you are couch surfing, living in a shelter, living on the streets etc.  some people find themselves homeless due to circumstances, other choose to be so (they may consider being on the streets safer that in a house after experience of abuse).  

there are many reasons why people become homeless and it does not take much of a change in circumstances for some one to find themselves in such a position, most often circumstances out of the persons control.

[bella_again]

We are taught that also VT.  I agree it does not take much to see people in that situation.  Sometimes I wish I had the resources to tackle some of these issues head on, the more the community are a part of the solution the better.

[print-stuff-and-things]

A friend of mine has Schizophrenia and lives in a boarding house. He is teetering on the edge of homelessness daily. If he had to go to hospital for a few weeks, he would loose his room. So although today he has a 'home', tomorrow may be a different story. I think there is 'secure housing' and anything else is just varying degrees of homelessness.

[crystal**flake]

When they dont have a home.

[bright.ton42]

i

there are many reasons why people become homeless and it does not take much of a change in circumstances for some one to find themselves in such a position, most often circumstances out of the persons control.

So true.  When I was working in welfare one of our clients who was considered to 

be homeless had been a surgeon.  He had a mental illness but it was thought this was brought 

about by tragic personal circumstances plus ensuing substance abuse.  So easy to cross that line. Although very polite he shunned people and often slept rough.