Far too many people with mental illness will experience homelessness at some point. Why is that, and why on earth is it acceptable?
Risk factors for homelessness
According to the Homeless Hub, 30-35% experiencing homelessness have a mental illness. Among women, that figure jumps to 70%. How does society allow this to happen to some of our most vulnerable people? Housing is a basic fundamental human need that all people should be able to access. Why are people with mental illness disproportionately represented in the homeless population?
The Homeless Hub identifies poverty, disaffiliation, and personal vulnerability as key reasons for the link. Mental illness can chip away at the social support network of family and friends, leaving not much of a backup.
Maintaining employment can be difficult due to the illness itself, but also due to systemic discrimination in the world of work. Disability benefits may be difficult to get, and the amounts may be inadequate to support the cost of living. The costs associated with obtaining appropriate health care can also be considerable. Universal basic income could go a long way in addressing this aspect of the issue.
Illness can impair judgment, leading to bad decision-making that may come with significant consequences, financial or otherwise. Landlords aren’t always prepared to tolerate behaviours associated with uncontrolled mental illness, especially if there’s a co-occurring substance use disorder. Poorly controlled psychosis can make it hard for people to tolerate remaining in housing if they’re feeling persecuted by neighbours.
Discharge to shelter
When I worked at a community mental health team, we got a lot of new client referrals from the local shelter. Because hospitals can’t hold people for the amount of time it takes to find housing, discharge to a shelter wasn’t all that unusual.
That may sound cruel, but at the same time, it can take months or even years for someone to find subsidized housing, especially supported housing. Hospitals simply couldn’t hold people for that long. In the city where I live, the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $1438. The monthly shelter portion for provincial disability assistance is only $375. Somehow, that math is supposed to make sense.
It’s cheaper to house people
A study conducted by the Mental Health Commission of Canada found that when homeless people were provided with housing as part of a “housing first” model, the cost savings in terms of health and social services required was greater than the cost of providing and subsidizing the housing.
The Homeless Hub cites a 2013 figure that homelessness cost the Canadian economy over $7 billion that year to cover the cost of shelters, social services, increased use of emergency first responders, increased health care costs, and increases criminal justice system contacts. Clearly, it makes so much more sense to house people.
It’s frightening to think of ending up homeless, but it’s something that is a possibility for anyone. If those of us living with mental illness are more vulnerable, that’s all the more reason for governments to step up and improve access to mental health services in order to prevent these kinds of extreme outcomes. Because we really all do deserve a roof over our heads.
The Social Justice & Equality page has info and resources on a wide variety of social issues.
Thank you for the informative and compassionate post. I was homeless for 6 weeks back in 2014. I also suffer from mental illness. I was blessed to have already been receiving care for my mental health issues and enrolled in a program called, “Shelter Plus Care”…This program provides housing for the mentally ill regardless of income. The only requirement is that they receive a certain amount of supportive care. It is horrible to be homeless, though I was luckier than most when it comes to being “re-homed” so quickly. I pray for those who have no place to lay their head, and I pray for understanding from those who would judge.
I’m glad you were able to get housing relatively quickly. It’s sucha tragedy that there are people going without this basic right.
I was very lucky…the waiting list was long, but my therapist advocated for me to be moved up on the list…It was a rough time, and even 5 years later I am still feeling the effects.
I can imagine that’s not the kind of thing that fades away anytime soon.
Yes, so true. Being in survival mode is hard to get out of even when things seem to be getting back to “normal”. I am blessed…truly.
Great information. The resources to help homeless people in Texas are terrible. Shelters are temporary only. Housing is only available to families with children under 18 AND the father cannot be living with them. Say what??? All benefits for the poor are federal. Nothing from the state. People rely on private organizations and churches. Homeless people are everywhere. It’s tragic!
It really is, and all levels of government need to step up and do more.
It saddens me how many people in the U.S. lack compassion for the mentally ill homeless, believing they deserve it. People see mental illness as a moral failure. It amazes me.