THEORIES ON HOMELESSNESS - any ideas?

basically what i wanted to ask is if anyone has any ideas about why people turn to the streets.:confused: . i know why i did, but i'm curious to find out reasons/theories as to why people are homeless in the first place. please feel free to throw some ideas around... :D

not that i have ever been homeless but i am thinking just a few reasons are:

# Drugs n alcohol
# Sexual / Physical Abuse
# Divorce - having to pay child support and having very limited funds to look after your own needs.
# Domestic violence
# Kicked out of home for whatever reason
# Dysfunctional family
# Relationship breakdown

these are some just to name a few off the top of my head :confused:

The most important point to make is that it's different for every single person. Beyond that there will be some differences around the world. Mostly this forum is first world homeless so in making that distinction, lets roll with a first world view.

Also there is a lot of confusion / conjecture around the word homeless. So lets go with 'living on the streets.' You asked 'why people turn to living on the streets.'

There is one segment that enter living on the streets due to practical considerations mainly. For example they are short term houseless. That is one group. The problem there is people get in a tough spot and the government or community organisations are not able to help them in time to transition to adequate housing. Characteristic of this group is the fact that when they catch a break and are given adequate support, they move promptly out of houslessness.

Around the first world, this group's needs can be met by government policy or they can be failed by government policy. Their houselessness will only continue or occur in the first place if government fails.

Beyond this group, where the rubber really meets the road is better understood when you split people into demographics, that is if you want to try and generalise as to why people turn to the streets.

With young people, one thing I have learnt is the younger people are when they first hit the streets often time the worse the abuse is they have suffered. In child developmental psychology it's claimed that there is a point at which young people form their own sense of self separate from their care givers, a time they transition beyond dependence. While every young person struggles with independence and developing their own sense of self independent of care givers (a natural process) for those who are being abused or neglected, generally speaking, the process speeds up and timing comes younger because of survival related needs. This group are the ones escaping hurtful families of origin. It's been said that around the 12 to 13 year old stage this happens. So it's like a realisation that they can break free of their environment and step out independently (to what, they might not know, but that they can high tail it out of a bad situation they do know). I've worked with kids much younger than that who are stepping out for the same reason. So aged 10 to 13 means pretty fucking horrible stuff has gone on.

When you move age wise beyond that group, there is no way to really generalise and say this segment or that group is living on the streets often times for one reason or the other. With the other young people it's only ever going to be a different reason for each person. In my experience.

Moving on to adults, that is for discussion sake people who enter life on the streets for the first time beyond the age of 18... once again we are lost in the zone of there aren't any real generalisations that can be made to describe a significant segment of that group. The only inkling available is to look to the older than 30 group and see similarities reflecting from that group. The most familiar to me is addiction or mental health based problems. But the real problem here is most of the time we are talking about barriers to exiting life on the streets, not what the root cause or prompt or reason was initially for them to be living on the streets.

Either way, this is where the real insight happened for me. This group best informs what the real problem is. Every individual presents with completely unique circumstances and background. The only common thread (if you are attune to it's existence) is their server 'homelessness' - that is an inadequate experience of connectedness with family and or community.

Moving to your aged 30 + group, there are common threads of mental health and drug or alcohol addiction, but the reality when you get down to brass tacks with this group is often that isn't the initial cause of them living on the streets, or more importantly, not being able to move beyond living on the streets.

Common to every 'group' or 'demographic' that anyone could try and describe is that the vast majority of people who are living on the streets are not inadequate or weak people. Often times they are very strong, strong beyond what your average Joe could ever aspire to strong. In fact, I've never met anyone on the streets who is copping out of real life or giving up or taking the easy option.

More often than not, they have excellent survival skills, coping skills, intelligence, mostly the case is that they have come across life experiences that are so significantly horrible that it's the one inch beyond what they can cope with. Most people I know who aren't living on the streets would not have been able to cope with the same stuff a mile ago, forget an inch.

Branching off from everything I've said is the important fact I stated from the start that it's very different for every single person out there. Being asked to generalise or categorise is an impossible task. The only way I've been able to suggest some trends is through seeing trends, but alongside that is reality. The reality when you get to talk and work with people individually is there are no trends. There are so many exceptions to every example, there are so many different experiences there are so many what the hell left field situations that you just can't say generalising why people 'turn to the streets.'

I can tell you that relationship breakdowns and not being able to cope with the trauma of that is a regular reason given by 30+ year old men. But that is such a misrepresentation of the reality if you want to generalise.

It's different for every single person on the streets. That is a fact and for anyone involved in supporting homeless people it's the most important fact to learn.

There are many different reasons people turn to the streets. Mostly though, I find it is because the streets seem to be at that present point in time a better place to go than back home or because they simply have no other place to go. Usually because of eviction or getting kicked out. Some though, just want to hide or run away.

:D :D thank you so much for your help, i really appreciate it, i think i just realised that i should have known dominic would have posted so much information at once lol but it is all very useful, and i will keep you all posted about how i'm going

:cool: :cool:

Being homeless ain't that bad :eek:, just make sure you have a few things covered.

1: You gotta have a safe place to squat. A safe place can be either with people you completely trust, or totally on your own, and don't tell anyone where you are ;) .
2: If you go with the last option (staying on your own), you should have a mobile phone with plenty of charge so that if you need to, you can call 000, or 112 if you get into trouble, of run into problems. Also, DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID! Like heavy drugs or whatever. Because your on your own. If you OD, noone can help ya.
3: Now that it's gettin colder, make sure you've got plenty of blankets, and warm clothes. :D

I'll write more soon. Time is against me.
Peace,
DJ Chris.:cool:

errr thanks for the info DJ Chris, but this thread isn't about a first time squatter... i was homeless for about 7 years, and now have my own accomodation and a job with the Queensland University of Technology... i'm part of a group researching and circulating surveys in the inner north of brisbane. sorry for the mix-up, umm should i change the name of the thread?

i know of men being homeless just so they can see their children...

so much for equality, hey. women dont know how fucking easy they have got it sometimes. its a disgrace and has to be looked at by the family court.

Hey Unseen,

I do believe at times the judge does favour the mother and i also believe at times mothers do use their children as a weapon - the only people that get hurt n fucked up are the kids - when will people realise this. I think if both parents are capable of looking after the children then shared care or at least regular access is the best solution for the kids.

Its the kids i feel sorry for as nobody really listens to what they have to say or who they want to live with - maybe that is what needs to be asked sometimes WHAT DO THE KIDS WANT!!!!!

My son who is really angry with me at the moment and probably will be for a long time n he primarily lives with his dad and although this hurts me big time - i need to understand that this is his choice - my dtr primarily lives with me - just trying to make the best out of a fucked up situation as best i can for my kids and that is all that matters to me.

interesting............. that's an eye opener for me....

what is the eye opener for you adele ???????????????????? have i shocked you???????????

:D :D thank you so much for your help, i really appreciate it, i think i just realised that i should have known dominic would have posted so much information at once lol but it is all very useful, and i will keep you all posted about how i'm going

:cool: :cool:

You are welcome Adele, the fact that I know you and am so proud of you for surviving and doing well for yourself... of course I'm going to take time out for you.

in amerika...

much of homelessness, is due to the present administration's (read "bush administration's")... "failed socio-economic plan"...

that, "failed to put specific protections in place"... before, "signing on" for this thing called "globalism"... and, "globalist expansionism"!!!

so... instead... there's a "tunnel visioned" focus... on, "putting everyone in uniform", "closing down military bases" (because, "all of the training" will happen "in/on the field of battle", and "paying for the military supports and infrastructure" by "hiding the funds" in "foreign aid" monies), because: "people in uniform"... make the "unemployment" figures go down... as, their "basic solution"... to all things that "need fixing"!!!

they, there's the "profit based" mindset... that, says: "f*ck the poor and the elderly"!!!

if they "can't afford to pay for stuff"... then, "they should just give up and die"!!!

monthly social security awards... "don't even come close"... to the "actual cost of living" rates... and, the "measly increases"... are laughable... to say the least!!!

so, those are just a few of the things... that i see, are leading factors for increased unhousedness/homeless in amerika!!!

and, "god (the religeous right) is definately in the works... though, this time... "not to make things better"!!!