Myth 1: Most homeless people are mentally ill

It is estimated that about 30% of the homeless population in Seattle suffers from a serious mental illness. I have encountered many homeless people that are seriously mentally ill, but most are not.

I also suspect that for many this is a chicken-and-egg situation. Living on the street is filled with trauma. I suspect that even the healthiest will experience some form of PTSD. 49% have been the victims of violent attacks. 59% of homeless women and 14% of homeless men experience rape. Homeless people are often targeted in violent hate crimes. People look down on the homeless, and I suspect that it wears on them over time.

Myth 2: Most are dangerous or violent

As mentioned above, homeless people are generally much more likely to be victims of crimes rather than the perpetrators. There are some homeless people who commit violence, but such violence is almost always directed towards other homeless people. It is rare for a homeless person to commit crimes against a non-homeless person.

I have worked security many times at the homeless breakfast in downtown Seattle, and I have found them to either be very friendly or very withdrawn. I never felt seriously threatened – even when interacting with the mentally ill. Once I went outside because I heard two people yelling, but they were both yelling at imaginary people with no regard to each other.

Myth 3: Most are drug addicts

Between 20% to 40% of homeless have a substance abuse issue. But abuse is rarely the sole cause of homelessness and more often a coping mechanism for dealing with the misery of life on the streets. People on the streets are also in frequent contact with users and dealers. 

Interviews with homeless persons show that most of their money goes to buying food and amenities such as socks, hygiene products, and bottled water. Although some do spend money on alcohol or drugs, the same can be said of anyone.

Myth 4: Many are criminals

Homeless people are no more likely to be criminal than housed people, with one big exception: they are often arrested for minor offenses such as loitering, littering, or sleeping on a park bench,

Myth 5: There is no point in trying to help a homeless person – they are all hopeless

Homelessness is a temporary condition for most people who experience it. Less than 10% of homeless episodes last more than 12 months.

The chronically homeless (defined as experiencing either aa episode lasting more than 12 months or four homeless episodes within 3 years) usually have additional issues, such as disability, addiction or mental illness. These people generally require more help than simply providing housing, but some programs have proven very effective at rehabilitating the chronically homeless.

I love going to the camp, asking about a person I haven’t seen in a while, and learning that have become housed.

Myth 6: Homeless people are lazy and should just get a job

To me, it appears much more work to be homeless than not to be homeless. I get to kick back at the end of the day and relax, whereas many of the homeless cannot.

Between 40% and 60% of homeless people do have jobs (either part time or fulltime), but minimum wage is not nearly enough to provide housing in Seattle. Of those without jobs, many are actively looking for work. Most that I have met (outside of the seriously mentally ill) are looking for ways to earn money. Many have offered to come to my home to do odd jobs.

One Sunday morning, one guest at our breakfast received a phone call offering him work for the day. He practically exploded with joy – constantly thanking the person on the phone. That man was not lazy – he would give anything for a job.

Finding a job can be difficult at the best of times, but being homeless can make it more difficult if:

• You do not have a permanent address.
• You have lost your citizenship papers proving that you can legally work.

Maintaining a job while homeless is also very difficult unless you have a way to:

• Regularly shower.
• Launder your clothes.
• Secure your stuff while you are at work.

It is also hard to perform well at work when you are sleep deprived and hungry.

Myth 7: People are homeless due to their own bad choices, and hence deserve it

Who hasn’t made a mistake in their life?

But many people in the county sanctioned homeless camp became homeless after injury, disability, or some other situation not of their making. And many of them STILL have jobs, but they don’t make enough money to pay for housing.

Myth 8: Homeless people have it too good – they’d recover faster if we stopped enabling them

I wish that I made this one up, but I’ve heard it from many people (most of them “Christian”). So far, I have seen no benefit in being homeless that begins to outweigh the negatives. Yes – we give them a free breakfast once a week! But as enticing as that sounds, I’d much rather live my lifestyle and pay for my own breakfast.

The concept of “pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps” is supposed to be a contradiction – it can’t actually be done because it literally means trying to lift yourself up by grabbing onto the straps of your boots, which is physically impossible (otherwise you would levitate). But for some reason people misinterpret this to mean that everybody should rely on their own strength alone, when in reality it’s meant to illustrate that sometimes you cannot achieve a goal without external help.

Experiencing homelessness is a condition, not a character defect. Many people experience homelessness through no fault of their own. It’s not about lack of ambition or desire for a safe and permanent place to live. Homeless people are often sleep-deprived, cold, wet, and sick. With no transportation and little money, they can spend all day trying to acquire food before they need to search for a safe place to sleep, all while trying to keep their personal possessions safe. Additionally, many people face the trauma of homelessness with disabling conditions including chronic health conditions and severe mental illness.

Myth 9: The police could solve the homeless problem if we’d let them

I used to have several friends in law enforcement and I’ve heard such sentiment expressed many times. I’ve also heard this sentiment outside of law enforcement as well.

If the police arrested everybody for being homeless, then what? Would we jail them indefinitely? If we made it illegal to sleep in public, would they all either stop sleeping or find nice places to live?

While many people like the thought of punishing the homeless, this just makes the problem worse. Can a person do well on a job if they are constantly harassed by the police at night, or if they randomly have to spend a day or two in jail? Is it easier for a person to get financially back on their feet if we keep adding fines for trying to sleep?