Myth 1: Why discuss homelessness? It doesn’t affect many people
The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimates that in 2018, 76,998 Chicagoans experienced homelessness (living on the streets, shelters or temporarily residing with friends/family) without having a stable place to call home – that’s almost 3% of the Chicago population!
Myth 2: Only adults face homelessness
False, according to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, in 2018, approximately 22,324 people (29% of the Chicago homeless population) were minors living in shelter homes and on the streets. Moreover, Chicago Public Schools reported that 16,451 of their students experienced homelessness during the 2018-2019 school year – indicating that a significant portion of the individuals facing homelessness are in fact, children under the age of 18.
Myth 3: Why don’t they simply get a job?
According to the 2019 Homeless Point-in-Time Count & Survey Report, 25% of the population living in shelter homes had a job! The vicious cycle of not having appropriate documentation to apply for a job (lack of ID), lack of interview-appropriate clothing or access to laundry services, neglected personal hygiene, lack of transportation, lack of reliable internet and cell phone services for scheduling interviews and receiving calls poses a significant challenge in successfully securing
employment.
Myth 4: Why don’t they go to school and get an education?
According to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, in 2018, 28% of the individuals experiencing homelessness had some college experience.
Myth 5: Homelessness impacts all races equally
According to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, African Americans comprise of 61% of the total population experiencing homelessness in Chicago.
Myth 6: If they have a job, they should be able to afford rent
According to the 2020 National Low-Income Housing Coalition Report, living in a modest 1-bedroom apartment in Chicago under a fair market monthly rental price of $1108 requires a minimum earning of at least $44,310 per year. With the current minimum wage, one would have to work 72 hours per week to afford a 1-bedroom apartment and 85 hours per week to afford a 2-bedroom apartment. The lack of affordable housing perpetuates the cycle of homelessness.
Myth 7: Homeless people are not motivated to get off the streets
The National Low-Income Housing Coalition Report reports a nationwide shortage of 7.2 million affordable housing units for extremely low-income families. Also, 1 in 4 extremely low-income families that need social assistance actually end up receiving it (food stamps, unemployment, counselling services, etc). The problem is not the lack of motivation, but simply that the current social structures are not adequate in helping people transition into long term housing.
Myth 8: All homeless people are out on the streets
A lot of homelessness is unseen and the homeless people on the streets are just the tip of the iceberg. An overwhelming (76% of people in Chicago experiencing homelessness) experience “silent” homelessness which included living in unstable housing situations. The most common temporary residences were living with friends, families, neighbors, shelter homes, cars, and motels just to keep themselves and their loved ones off the streets.
Myth 9: Homeless people are lazy
It is incredibly difficult to survive on the streets with little to no money. The entire day may be spent trying to find food, shelter, clothing and other essentials necessary for surviving one more day. Homeless individuals are mentally and physically drained. Homeless individuals work hard on securing resources that we assume should not take a lot of time to secure – but it does and its exhausting to do this every single day to survive.
Myth 10: My tax dollars already pay enough for their services
Receiving social services is not straightforward when you are homeless. The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless indicates that in 2018, only 37% of those living on the streets received food stamps, 18% received Medicare/Medicaid health coverage, 12% received supplemental security income, 6% received Social Security Disability Insurance and only 2% received unemployment benefits. Many homeless individuals do not have access to the services that they need to get back on their feet. Only 34.9% of the homeless living on the streets received help for substance abuse and only 29% received adequate mental health assistance. Moreover, 9% of those on the streets have experienced domestic violence and 30% have a physical disability which makes life more challenging when you are homeless. There is always room for improvement to ensure that adequate social structures and resources are available to help find permanent housing solutions for the homeless.
References:
https://www.chicagohomeless.org/faq-studies/
https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/fss/supp_info/Homeless/2019PITReportFinal110819.pdf
https://s6624.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CCH-2019-HL-Count-Report.-2017-data.pdf
https://reports.nlihc.org/sites/default/files/oor/files/reports/state/IL-2020-OOR.pdf
https://nlihc.org/explore-issues/why-we-care/problem
https://www.chicagohomeless.org/estimate-of-homeless-people-in-chicago/
Author:
Maaza Jaan, Associate Board Member