About half of the homelessness is caused by behavior and half by illness. I am not that worried about the behavior types. They cause their own grief.

As to the sick people, we used to take care of them in state mental hospitals. Then about 35 years ago, the bright idea went around that we should clear out the institutions where these people were getting care, food, medicine and attention, and "mainstream" them into the communities. I guess by magic, they were going to get better. All the sick people who followed them are in the same boat.

What a great idea! We dumped all those poor souls out and they had no skills, could learn none, and had no place to go. What a terrible mistake! You have to provide for the ill, but it is expensive. I suppose $40,000 to $50,000 per year, per person is a good estimate.

"From the terrible mistakes of do gooder mopes, O Lord deliver us!"

So what is it exactly that defines homelessness? Is it the lack of a large timber or brick stucture to house our possessions? How about foks that live in RV's and travel? Or the folks who choose to live in tents. What is it that makes one homeless? The material we surround ourselves (and our stuff) with? Is the difference between steel, wood, stone, straw, canvas or cardboard? Or is it the quantity rather than quality that matters? A tent is ok, but a sleeping bag or blanket isn't? Or... Is it the lack of a mailing address? Hum... perhaps it's the lack of choice that matters most. If we have no choice... no hope... no options... we're put in a box - slapped with a label - and the rest is history. During the depression, most of the country fit this category. And this can't happen to us because... ???

If not for my family, I'd have been homeless myself once. there may be scammers out there, but life is a bitch. Some people just get kicked harder by life than do others.

Update: After work today, I stopped at a BP to buy some Beer. I went into the Store, money in hand and to my Major disappointment, I found that their Liquor License had been Suspended. As I was leaving, a Homeless guy asked if he could bum some Change So I gave him what was in my hand. I walked away thinking: Wouldn't it be Hilarious if he used the Money to buy alcohol?

Well, I HAVE been homeless (meaning no permanent 'landed' address). Still went to work, but spent 98 nights sleeping in my car (from January 1, 1999 to April 8, 1999. Spent a lot of time alone and in the car when I wasn't working (it was winter), and the thing I'm proudest of and happiest for? I didn't go crackers while going through it (see Ridewalker's comment below; she gets it).

Whether or not homeless people "brought it on themselves" is irrelevent and immaterial.

There is no reason a society as wealthy as this one can't manage to shelter everyone who wants a place to rest.

No room at the inn?

some of the homeless have had problems they brought on themselves. such as drinking and drug use. Not everyone. it is very expensive to survive these days. I am afraid of my own fate lately. my husband lost his job after 23 years. we are actively trying for a job but in Michigan unemployment is high. I am scared to death of the thought of being homeless. I know a few people personally who have lost homes most of them did not bring it on themselves. scarey times cruel to assume we asked for this.  update: the state we live in and the county we live in has a huge amount of foreclosers on homes. these are people who did hold down jobs and tried to make ends meet and lost their jobs or fell behind on payments. Not everyone asked or brought this on themselves. I am still terrified of losing our home. and we did everything we were supposed to do to eek out a living and the thought of lost paychecks is scary. right now Michigan the state i live in, is the second worst for unemployment, one of the worst for forclosesures of homes.so no not everyone brought homelessness on themselves.it would be cruel to assume every homeless person deserved it. and lets not forget those who worked their tails off and they get sick and accumulate medical bills that garnish any wages they have coming in. they don't deserve that assumption either. I will get off my soapbox now.

also on page 117:

"Rates of serious mental health are disproportionately high among the homeless with almost 60% of homeless adults experiencing a lifetime disorder, a rate that is 4 times higher than the general population"

It is darn sad that the druggies, drunkards and such who have become homeless supporting their stupid habits make it so hard for the honest people who have simply hit hard times enough to lose everything, even their homes. And with the way things are going these days, there are bound to be more.

UPDATE: And while I agree that heavy emotional stress definitely comes with being in this condition (spending every waking hour not knowing where to go to lay their head each night), I just ran across a link that should put to rest any "most homeless people are mentally unstable" stereotypes. It places the percentage at about 10 to 15 percent (which accounts for a great number of the homeless population, but far from most of them).

Below is the entire link:

http://www.delmar.edu/socsci/rlong/problems/chap-06.htm

More helpful links regarding the homeless:

http://www.impactpress.com/articles/decjan99/homele ss12199.html

http://www.feedmysheepinc.com/myths.html

I really think it is very unfair.  Some may bring it on themselves, but this is not true for everyone who is homeless.  People should really know what they are talking about before they
speak.  Being homeless could happen to anyone any time, even those who may be rich.

Update: With the economy the way that it is today, and not getting much better, there's going to be a whole lot of additions to the street, and it's not because they brought it on themselves. And we have to be careful in thinking that we are so financially set that it will never happen, because I have seen it happen to people before who have had money. And from what I've been reading in other reviews about people being mentally unstable, who wouldn't be after living on the street for a while?

Most are mental cases, and should be scooped up off the streets.

Naive, much?
Lets all be grown-ups now.

Hell, I've been a bad break from being homeless a time or two. As such I can't make that assumption.

Many homeless people are mentally ill, and as troubled as they may be, I can't see how they "brought it on themselves." Maybe they don't have any family, or fell through the cracks of the system. I admit when I see them on the streets they creep me out, but I try to have compassion for them.

hell yea. they wasn't born a bum, they fuked thier lifes up and look at them now. if they haden't dropped out of high school and moved on wit college or AT LEAST joined the military then they would b inside on a house they can call thier own

not a fair assumption (if there is such a thing).  Sure it may be the case for some that bad decisions and lack of determination landed them on the streets, but for some it may truly be out of their control.  In either case, we are to show compassion, patience and mercy.

Of course not all homeless people. Just the ones asking me for "spare change."

Most, but not all. Some people simply have no choice. But those who do have a choice yet they choose to live on the streets are rebels or irresponsible.

Good point Genghis, it is expensive to care for them, but what we do now instead of spending $40-50,000 a year caring for them, we instead force them out into the streets fending for themselves. This creates crime since most people in such a position have no/limited choice in the matter. People that end up back into a life of crime end up in jail or prison as a result. Therefore we instead end up spending at least $40-50,000 placing them in another institution called prison. Exactly the root of what is wrong with this world.

Not all.........

I agree with LadyJesusFan. My own view on this, I wonder sometimes is it better to be out of the rat race and,  on the streets. I know that cannot be so. But I am sick of greedy damn landlords, and money hungry pigs that are sucking people dry of their hard earned money. I said it time and time again, this country wants to make hell on It's citizens, and give plentyful to illegal aliens.

There but for the grace of God go I. Bad timing, the loss of a job, a desease, any number of things could change your life and your lifestyle in a heartbeat. That said, there are plenty of people sponging off the rest of us.

I don't mind helping someone and I have given money to homeless people plenty of times. If someone scams me that's on them. They'll have to answer for it not me.

Some yes, some no. . .they are the chewed-up-and-spat-out used wads of gum that capitalism spits out. . .it's a tough situation and I wish that signing a check would be enough but (in many cities) the problem is only growing.

If it hadn't been for either of my grandmother's, I'd have been homeless many of times. And, had I been homeless, it would have been the fault of my stepfather who was using the rent/bill money on drugs and hookers without my mother's knowledge. When she finally found out the kind of man he was, she left him and we have been with her mother (my grandmother) ever since.

This is a horrible statement! Whereas I believe that some do cause their own demise, I do not believe all are to blame.  I would say there is a mixture of reasons why people are homeless, not that they all brought it on themselves!!!