Why homeless dont use shelters

Homelessness, then, is not defined strictly by an absolute lack of shelter though this is the most obvious manifestation of it , but rather by the intersection of a range of social exclusionary factors that exacerbate poverty, limit opportunities and create barriers to full participation in Canadian society. Real political solutions to homelessness rest not only in addressing the inadequate supply of affordable housing in Canada, but also in improving income security, equitable access to health care supports including mental health and addictions and justice, for example.

Absolute Homelessness Homeless persons are defined as people "sleeping rough" or using public or private shelters. People sleeping rough, which means in the street, in public places are those forming the core population of the "homeless". Those sleeping in shelters provided by welfare or other institutions are considered part of this population. Persons or households living under these circumstances will furthermore be defined as "homeless". Concealed Homelessness People who are homeless, but temporarily housed with friends or family form another category of the "homeless" - referred to as "concealed homelessness.

Without this privately offered housing opportunity, they would be living in the street or be sheltered by an institution of the welfare system. The extent of this phenomenon is extremely difficult to calculate.

At risk of Homelessness In addition to absolute and concealed homelessness, some people are at risk of losing their housing and can be categorized as people at "risk of homelessness. Another group living under the threat of "homelessness" are those facing the risk of losing their shelter either by eviction or lease expiry, with no other possibility of shelter in view. Prisoners or people living in other institutions facing their release and having no place to go to, are considered part of this population.

Finally, we need to recognize that there are many Canadians who are inadequately housed. While being inadequately housed is not the same as being homeless, it can lead to being at risk of homelessness. Most of the people who become homeless started off being inadequately housed.

Before becoming homeless, many people have been living in "substandard housing" situations. Households with feeble and perhaps insecure income are likely to live in substandard housing units and might also experience homelessness because of economic difficulties.

Their situation is somehow comparable with those without shelter, as they are all deprived of the human right of a housing situation without health hazards, allowing the full development of the individuals' capacities.

Therefore, the population living in substandard houses should be included in the study of homelessness. From www. While there should be no difficulty in understanding the nature of the problem, there is indeed a great deal of confusion and debate.

Service providers, policy makers, researchers, citizens and politicians tend to use the term in many different ways. The confusion is due to conceptual imprecision, fuzzy boundaries, the influence of political agendas, the heterogeneity of the homeless population, and the assumptions and attitudes of the housed population. This confusion is caused by two factors- one political and one practical. Defining homelessness for policy and program purposes i.

It requires some authority or combination of authorities - levels of government, in partnership with agencies and charities - to take responsibility.

Taking responsibility means allocating resources and imposing regulations and changes in those institutions and practices which are producing homelessness, and which stand in the way of addressing existing and preventing further homelessness.

The confusion and inaction is also attributable to the fact that homelessness is the outcome of a very complex set of social processes. These major contextual issues are not only relevant and crucial to understanding the problem, but are difficult to grasp and sort out. Substance Use The relationship between substance use and homelessness is complex.

While rates of substance use are disproportionately high among the homeless population, homelessness cannot be explained by substance use alone. The use of substances alone does not necessarily signal addiction, nor a harmful or problematic lifestyle. In addition, many people who are addicted to substances never become homeless, but an individual that is experiencing housing instability, often due to low income, has an increased risk of losing their housing if they use substances.

Once on the streets, an individual with substance use issues has little chance of getting housing as they face insurmountable barriers to obtaining health care, including substance use treatment services and recovery supports.

The term "substance use" refers to all types of drug and alcohol use. It is used in place of the traditional label of "drug abuse" which perpetuates social stigma and judgement and can marginalize and alienate people from the supports they need. The term "use" signals a push to reduce the harms for all users - from the person who uses drugs or alcohol occasionally, to someone who has a serious addiction.

The term "substance", rather than drugs, better reflects the full range of psychoactive substances including alcohol, cigarettes, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, solvents, and inhalants that are habit-forming.

The potential harms associated with the use of substances are many. Problematic substance use may lead to deteriorating health; accidental death; and increased chances of risky sexual behaviours.

Other harms that may result from problematic use of substances include: the inability to work or stay in school, ruptured relations with family, friends and community members, and problems with the law.

Responses to substance use are varied. They include: prevention which may emphasize abstinence, at one extreme, or harm reduction , treatment for those whose substance use is considered problematic , harm reduction programs that seek to reduce the risk of substance use and enforcement. The latter point is important. In Canada, as elsewhere, the use of substances is highly politicized, meaning that some potentially harmful substances are legal cigarettes and alcohol, prescription drugs , while others are not.

As a result, a potential "harm" of substance use is getting arrested. People who live on the streets and engage in substance use face many risks, one of which is difficulty obtaining and maintaining employment and housing. The frequency of such problems suggests the potential viability of harm reduction programs that provide a safe environment for stabilization to clients who are unable to maintain abstinence.

As well, stable supportive housing is needed to give people an environment in which they are better able to deal with their substance use problems. Transitional housing is frequently recognized as an approach to addressing substance use problems, and is often provided through emergency shelters and supportive recovery facilities.

Often though, these housing options require abstinence in order to accept clients. The result is that many people fail to qualify, and remain on the streets or in environments that are not conducive to addressing their substance use problems. And even if they do complete treatment, because of a lack of supported housing options, once they are discharged from hospital or treatment center, many people with substance use issues have no place to live, a situation which puts their recovery in jeopardy.

Mental Health People with poor mental health are more susceptible to the three main factors that can lead to homelessness: poverty, disaffiliation, and personal vulnerability.

Because they often lack the capacity to sustain employment, they have little income. Delusional thinking may lead them to withdraw from friends, family and other people.

This loss of support leaves them fewer coping resources in times of trouble. On a windy morning in January, a group of police and city workers closed a long-existing tent encampment beneath an overpass on K Street in Washington, D.

First came the warning posted to the camp about the imminent sweep—generally, camp inhabitants are given three days to pack up their belongings and leave. Then came the removal of property from the sidewalk, as Department of Public Works employees dragged trash and tents and other personal belongings into the back of an idling garbage truck. They basically force all the people out of the space, then usually they put down fences and clean everything out, and the people end up on the edge of whatever space they've cleared out trying to decide where to go.

In a couple cases, there have been citations and arrests and brutality. This process is routine in many cities with large homeless populations, generally the result of property owners lodging enough complaints to stir the municipality into action. After the K Street sweep was over, out came the advocates and reporters asking the obvious question: Where should these people go? This response by an official is extremely common. It suggests that a choice is being made by these homeless folks: Do you want to go into a shelter or do you want your stuff swept?

But a closer look at the choice between remaining on the street in an encampment and going to a shelter shows that it's not an easy decision for many homeless people—and some of them don't have any options at all.

San Francisco currently has a list of around 1, people waiting for a day shelter bed. In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the waitlist was people deep last December.

Last summer in Greenfield, Massachusetts, 25 people waited for one of the 20 beds available. In many cities, there aren't enough shelter beds to accommodate the people living on the streets. They aren't living in tents by choice, but out of necessity. Word about the shelter waitlists get around, and so even if a city can offer some extra temporary shelter for encampment residents, the perception is still that their entry into a shelter bed will push someone else back onto the street.

For the homeless who want to try to obtain one of a limited number of beds, they must leave the location that they slept the night before and carry everything they own to the shelter waiting line. Shelter restrictions can be limiting. Many mass care shelters have limiting rules and restrictions that exclude some people experiencing homelessness. These rules and restrictions are well-intended, but can prevent people from accessing shelter beds.

Finally, many shelters have curfews that prevent residents from entering or leaving after an established time. Curfews can help site managers control who enters and exits the shelters and supports resident safety, but for those who work night shifts, these curfews can make the homeless choose between a bed and a job. Every homeless encampment or gathering on the street is a community of its own with residents that look out for each other.

They want to avoid conflict and abuse. Every person without shelter wants to avoid abuse of any kinds.