The Stigma on the Homeless

Written by: Eesha Bellad

Homeless. An adjective describing a person with no home living in places not meant for residence. As of 2022, in the United States, over half a million people are experiencing homelessness. A rough 0.2% of the American population is homeless, and 99.8% of the population views through a negative and stigmatized lens. Many people perceive the homeless to be lazy, irresponsible, and unproductive beings. The stigmatized point of view behind the homeless is ever so popular amongst those who do not know what it is like to be in their shoes, or the struggles they have faced. Most commonly, the homeless are accused of making the choice to be in their current position. However, considering the economic disparities, inequalities, and difficulties that many people nationwide face, it is not justified to make the homeless victims of a groundless accusation.

In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic struck millions of Americans were let go from jobs that paid their rent, fed their families, and let them live. The dramatic recession that ensued, created outrageous job losses and even raised the unemployment rate to 13%. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Of the 16.9 million people unemployed in July, 9.6 million (57 percent) were unable to work because their employer closed or lost business due to the pandemic.” In California alone, as the state struggled with its inadequate funding of shelters and appropriate agendas, the homeless population “grew by about 7% between 2019 and 2022, to 116,600 people” according to Manuela Tobias, housing reporter for CalMatters. The pandemic was not a “choice” and most certainly was not a “choice” for the innocent people to be forced to the streets as they were unable to work in the unprecedented times. Thousands of the homeless whom we see on the streets today are victims, not of a plague of irresponsibility, but rather a government that was not promising in its power, and most certainly not urgent in its actions.

Sequentially, many people like to voice their strong willed argument that the homeless are indulged in drugs and landed themselves into their status. However, this is completely misrepresentative of the reality that society pushes people into. The infamous opioid epidemic has ruined the lives of millions and forced many into being homeless. More on the opioid epidemic can be found on The Opioid Epidemic from an earlier piece of IT’S TIME WE FACE IT. Essentially, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “In 2014, an estimated 2.5 million people had opioid-use disorders (OUD) involving prescription drug or heroin abuse, and opioid-related overdoses were responsible for more than 28,000 deaths.” Additionally, “Evidence indicates that substance use disorders are known risk factors for homelessness, and data clearly shows that substance abuse and overdose disproportionately impact homeless people.” Due to the wrongful regulations over opioid prescriptions and easy accessibilities to addictions that are structured by societal pillars, many people are sufferers that lead them to be homeless.To further disprove the misconception, only 20% of homelessness is caused by drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol disorders are often the result of homelessness but not always the singular cause.

Overall, these stigmas create a prejudice that force the homeless to be unorthodox aliens that become dehumanized. In contrast, not all homeless people are justified to be victims of such alienations. The significance of sympathy and unbiased perspective can go a long way towards the doctrination of anti homeless legislation in favor of rehabilitation programs, shelter systems, and food and housing services.