Many people don’t realize that the line between being homeless and not being homeless is very thin for a lot of people. Many people do not have family members to fall back on in hard times and much of America is living paycheck to paycheck, meaning they are one paycheck away from homelessness. Also keep in mind homelessness is usually caused by several factors over time. Here are some of those factors.
Money
As mentioned early people are often one paycheck away from losing their housing. People who are poor are frequently unable to pay for necessities such as housing, food, childcare, health care, and education. Being poor can mean a person is one illness, one accident or one paycheck away from living on the streets. There are many reasons why someone would come into hard times and not make enough to cover bills and expenses.
Substance abuse
Much of the homeless population struggles with addiction. It could be to alcohol or drugs but the result is the same. They spend their money on the item they are addicted to eventually leading to missed rent payments and eviction. In order to break the addiction cycle the person has to receive consistent treatment for their addiction.
Traumatic Events
This includes house fires, accidents that result in major injuries or the loss of a job. Many events fall in this category and these are things that are hard to plan for and nearly impossible to prevent. Sometimes things happen which is why it is important for communities to have programs to help support people in these vulnerable states.
