November is Homelessness Awareness Month. “The Face of Homelessness”
HomeAid has launched a month-long campaign called "Faces of Homelessness" to raise awareness about this complex issue during Homelessness Awareness Month.
Homelessness is a complex issue that is difficult to understand and even more difficult to solve.
HomeAid believes solving and preventing homelessness is possible. However, we also believe that to find plausible and effective solutions there needs to be a comprehensive understanding of all the reasons individuals find themselves faced with the reality of homelessness.
Throughout November, HomeAid Phoenix will shine a light on the myths and the realities of homelessness.
Follow us on our social media platforms to learn more about how and why so many of our neighbors, family, and friends often are dealing with or are at risk of homelessness and how you can get involved to help build a future without homelessness.
Myth: Homelessness is a choice.
Truth: It's not.
Many people experiencing homelessness are employed or actively seeking employment and would move inside if housing responsive to their needs were available.
A sizable percentage of the population experiencing homelessness works in the formal labor market. Findings from a national study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago indicate that 53% of people experiencing sheltered homelessness and over 40% of those experiencing unsheltered homelessness were employed in the year they were observed to be homeless.
Many people experiencing homelessness are also actively seeking employment. Still, they encounter tremendous challenges, including employer stigma, gaps in employment history, lack of a mailing address and/or personal identification, and logistical challenges (e.g., transportation costs, and lack of access to facilities to prepare for interviews).
When we say that Homelessness is a choice, we discredit their struggles. If you hear someone speaking in this way, we encourage everyone to kindly educate and raise awareness about this myth.
Many homeless individuals work or actively seek employment but are waiting for safe housing solutions to be available for them. Let's debunk stereotypes this Homelessness Awareness Month and work on finding solutions to this complex problem.
