Reply #95: I interviewed a man who helps run a local not-for-profit for the homeless

[shrike]

It's been a while, but I can recall him telling me that the reasons for homeless are many.

Occasionally a family becomes homeless when their place burns down and their insurance company either won't pony up or is dragging its feet.

Sometimes it's a family, or individual, where the breadwinner lost a job and the family loses its home/apartment.

Sometimes the individual IS mentally ill.

Sometimes there are drug and alcohol problems. Sometimes 2 and 4 are combined.

There are rules in place to protect the many from the few, he said. The biggest problems are theft and violence, although, as I've said, the many suffer from the actions of only a few.

Most people with drug and alcohol problems he's dealt with have been eager to get into treatment programs, he said. (They're provided free of charge.)

I remember how surprised I was to learn how many apartments the group provided. These went to families (children were NEVER put into shelters, NEVER), and although singles might have a chance if an apartment went vacant, this almost never happened.

This group was continuously strapped for money, I remember, and had to count on the kindness of strangers. His biggest problem, he said, was scrambling for furniture, appliances and clothing.