Myths and FAQs

Myths

• Myth: Homelessness comes from people not wanting to work but instead, wanting to live off welfare.

  Fact: The major cause of homelessness is the decrease of affordable housing units, especially as Colorado’s population continues to rise dramatically. By every measure, the housing affordability gap — that is, the gap between incomes and housing costs — has grown dramatically wider over the past three decades. Over half of Colorado’s low income households spend at least 50% of their income on housing costs, making them increasingly vulnerable to housing instability and homelessness. Weld County is the 4th most expensive housing market in the nation when compared to the average income of residents. In 2015, a household would have had to make $19.35 per hour to sustainably afford a two bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (FMR), which is the estimate of how much a rental unit should cost in a given area were it available for lease. In other words, at the current minimum wage, someone would have to work 80 hours per week to live stably.

  Those that receive Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) benefits often cannot work due to legal restrictions with their benefits and/or physical/mental debilitating chronic conditions. Unfortunately, at around $730 per month maximum, this SSDI income cannot cover FMR for rental units in most Colorado communities, forcing these vulnerable individuals to rely on disappearing federal housing subsidies. These challenges even affect seniors, as the average monthly rent rose above the total amount of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), also known as Social Security, for the first time in history in 2006. Many of our nation’s seniors rely solely on SSI and are living in homelessness because of that. These numbers depict a very different narrative than the one so often painted of those that rely on federal subsidies for income; this story is one of instability, stress and increased vulnerability. This narrative tells that unaffordable housing due to the rapid increase in demand and stagnant, unlivable wages are the main contributors to homelessness and living unstably in Colorado today.

   

• Myth: Individuals experiencing homelessness come to Colorado and Weld County because of the legal marijuana.

  Fact: The Point-in-Time Count is a federally mandated survey for any community in the United States that receives federal funding for homelessness efforts through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Each year, communities across the nation attempt to survey those experiencing homelessness in their areas in order to better understand how to address this challenge. In 2015, over 250 individuals were surveyed in Weld County. Only 1 individual reported that they came to Weld County as a result of the legalization of marijuana, and that person said there were many other reasons for choosing this area as well. While it is true that many individuals experiencing homelessness struggle with substance abuse challenges, it is unfair to say that there is an increase of homelessness in Colorado due to this new legislation. For Colorado and Weld County specifically, this challenge is much more likely caused by unaffordable housing and unlivable wages.

• Myth: Most individuals experiencing homelessness do not want to help themselves with the services that are available to them and expect someone else to do everything for them. It is their fault they are homeless.

  Fact: Three decades of research show that people become homeless for a myriad of reasons: loss of a job or lowered wages, inability to find adequate, affordable housing, health care crises, increased rent, a family emergency or even landlord bullying. Often, if needed services are even available, they are located in other communities which means leaving all support networks behind. For many individuals living with physical and/or mental challenges, this type of move can be more problematic than helpful. Although it seems to the outside eye that this individual or family is choosing homelessness, the reality is that they are choosing to remain stable in a trusted location as opposed to trying to live independently in a new area where they feel they may not be successful.

   

  Program limitations are another cause of this myth. Often, only VERY specific households are eligible for services. For example, if a family was evicted and has had to move in with relatives temporarily out of necessity, they are ineligible for many housing programs, even though recent research has shown how detrimental this overcrowded lifestyle can be. Their only other option would be to move into a shelter (if there are any immediate openings, which is not usually the case in Weld County), which may mean exposing themselves or their children to the environments that often accompany shelter lifestyles. Those lifestyles also make it very difficult for individuals with mental health or substance abuse challenges to stay in shelters. Strict regulations, lots of people and chaos, and the often overcrowding that accompanies many emergency shelter programs often pushes those most vulnerable individuals out of shelters and onto the streets, limiting the resources they know about and have access to. These individuals and families are not expecting someone to hand them the key to their new apartment without any work on their part. But they should not be expected to give up every aspect of their life in order to receive services (which do not guarantee housing placement currently in Weld County) simply because they do not have a stable home. Communities do not expect that of stably housed households receiving services and, therefore, should not expect that of those experiencing homelessness.

• Myth: Homelessness can never be solved.

  Fact: There are actually quite a few effective solutions for dramatically and sustainably reducing homelessness. Many housing programs are based on the “Housing First” model, which states that an individual, no matter how challenging or chronic their homelessness has been, will be more successful in maintaining housing once they are living stably. The idea is that, once an individual or family has a stable place to call home, they can begin to focus on self-sufficiency as opposed to struggling to survive on a day-to-day basis. Programs based on the Housing First model place clients directly into housing without any prerequisites or program demands. This model has led to cities like Salt Lake City, Utah, sustainably reducing their most challenging cases of homelessness by 91% in December of 2015.  Housing First has shown to be incredibly cost reducing as well. Often, those most chronic individuals, that are best helped through a Housing First program, use the most community resources (around 50%) even though they make up the smallest portion (about 10%) of those experiencing homelessness; these savings then translate into broader preventative programs, keeping more families living stably when unexpected expenses arise. Learn more about Housing First.

   

  While it is true that no system can ever prevent the unexpected crises that often lead to homelessness, communities can (and do) create successful continuums that quickly, effectively, and sustainable move households from instability to stability while saving taxpayer money and limiting the trauma associated with losing one’s home.

• Myth: Homeless individuals want to be homeless.

  Fact: A journalist in Maryland spent time immersed in the lifestyle of people living in homelessness and was surprised by much of what he learned. On the causes of homelessness, he had this to say: “Aside from a small number of ‘nomad/traveler’ types, people do not choose to be homeless.  The circumstances in their lives have led them toward a path where being homeless is a last option.  Look at how much invisibility and loss of dignity is attached to being homeless. Or the constant threat of discrimination and violence. Really, who would not actually want a roof over their head? A safe place to sleep is a basic necessity, but for many people there are no safe places (including shelters), which may be why the streets become their best/only option.”

  In the same way that unemployed individuals often say they are “between jobs,” individuals experiencing homelessness will work hard to avoid being identified as homeless. Facing their situation as one that may not be temporary is a tough pill to swallow and many will deny that their homelessness might last longer than they think it will.  

• Myth: All homeless individuals live in shelters or on the streets.

  Fact: While the most visible segment of those experiencing homelessness can be found in shelters or on the streets, this population does not constitute the majority of those living unstably. Individuals and families living in cars, vans, and RVs have dramatically increased in numbers in recent years, with some studies finding that 30% of those experiencing homelessness not living in shelters to be living in their vehicles.

  In Weld County specifically, a majority of those living unstably are living doubled-up. This means that 2 or more families occupy one housing unit out of necessity. In the 2013-2014 school year, Weld County school districts reported 1,013 children living either in literal homelessness (in a shelter, outside, in a car or other location not meant for human habitation, or in prepaid hotel/motel rooms) or living doubled-up; this number does not include the other families members living unstably as well, just those enrolled in Weld County schools. Research shows that living doubled-up can cause psychological problems in elementary school children and significantly delay academic progress, among other long-term side-effects. 

• Myth: Individuals experiencing homelessness are all mentally ill or addicts.

  Fact: About one third of those experiencing homelessness are part of a family. Research shows that only a small percentage of adults in homeless families suffer from serious mental illness and/or addiction disorders. Unaffordable housing is much more often the culprit for causing family homelessness. For homeless single adults, the rates of mental illness and addiction disorders are higher: around one-third among homeless single adults in shelters, and around two-thirds among homeless adults sleeping on the streets or in other public spaces.

  While it is important to realize that not all individuals experiencing homelessness also experience mental health and substance abuse challenges, it is equally important to understand those experiencing homelessness AND mental health/substance abuse challenges face an even more difficult road. There is a lack of accessible resources for this population facing these challenges, many housing programs outside of the Housing First model require sobriety for program entry, and maintaining stability can be impossible with the unstable life that so often accompanies homelessness. An individual experiencing homelessness and mental health/substance abuse challenges should not be pushed further to the sidelines; they need access to care, affordable treatment options, and stable social support just like their stably housed counterparts receiving treatment for mental health and substance abuse challenges.

• Myth: If someone can afford a smart phone or cigarettes, they mustn’t be that poor.

  Fact: In 1984 under President Ronald Reagan, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created the Lifeline Assistance program to promote universal access to telecommunications services in the US. In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act which offered a subsidy through the Lifeline Assistance program that helped to provide essential communications technology (at the time, the subsidy was created for landlines) to low-income individuals and families. As telecommunications technology moved away from landlines and toward mobile cell phones, smaller cell phone companies began partnering with the federal government to continue providing up-to-date access to telecommunication to those low income households. Safelink Wireless offered the first free cell phone in 2008 during George W. Bush’s presidency and this program continues today under President Barack Obama. This program, also known as the Obama Phone, has grown dramatically in recent years as more households are eligible for the subsidy since the Great Recession. This is why most individuals experiencing homelessness now have access to up-to-date (and free) cell phone technology. Phones and internet are critical to securing employment and maintaining it. With ever-advancing technology, it is imperative that this vulnerable group not be left behind.

   

  Medical studies show that approximately three-fourths of adults experiencing homelessness use cigarettes regularly. Many challenges contribute to this fact. First, many households experiencing housing instability will choose rent payments over cable payments, resulting in less access to anti-smoking marketing. Second, households that are housing cost burdened (meaning they spend more than 30% of their income towards housing costs) and those living in homelessness will often cut corners on healthcare expenses out of necessity, meaning fewer primary care visits at which a trusted medical professional can explain the determinates of smoking to one’s health. Finally, those living in homelessness are focused on one thing – survival. They are more vulnerable to attacks and thefts, they do not have a place to relax, and their lives are comprised of stressful decisions and dangerous situations. Often, smoking acts as the one thing they feel they can control. It is cheaper and less dangerous than other drugs, it provides a bit of warmth and stress release, and it can allow someone who feels that their life is spiraling out of control a few moments of peace. When we see stably housed individuals smoking, we do not question their personal integrity and doing so to another simply because they do not have a home is not only unfair, but illogical. Quitting is nearly impossible for anyone that is addicted, even without the added stress of homelessness. Furthermore, the cost of that cigarette (if they even bought it with their own funds) will do almost nothing toward attaining affordable housing on unlivable wages. It is important that we see those experiencing homelessness as people first and realize that even though they do not have a stable home, that does not suddenly give others the right to criticize each decision they make when those same judgments are not made of those that do not appear homeless.

• Myth: Panhandlers will just use the money they collect to drugs or alcohol.

  Fact: Not all panhandlers are homeless, but almost all are poor and in need. Whether or not to give money to people panhandling on the streets or in the subway system is a personal decision.

  Another aspect of this situation is to realize that they may not want money; they may be in need of something else like socks, toothpaste, basic first aid tools, etc. If you are feeling uncomfortable giving someone cash, take the opportunity to ask them what they may need. Many people feel uncomfortable talking to a homeless person but what we need to realize is that these people are humans, just like you and me. While their lifestyles may be different and their stories much more diverse (and often more traumatic), they still deserve the respect of human dignity. Speaking to them is no different than speaking to a stranger at the supermarket, who may be just as likely to abuse recreational drugs. Assuming you know what they will use the money for suggests that you know their needs (often without even knowing their name) better than they do. They may want the money for something with which you do not agree, but if you never ask, you will never know.

• Myth: There are plenty of places for individuals experiencing homelessness to eat.

  Fact: In many large cities, it is not hard to find and access three free meals a day for those experiencing homelessness. The issue with these meals is not having the ability to choose what you are eating. Many of these meals are intended to fill as many stomachs as possible for as little money possible. This results in carb heavy, nutrient depleted diets that not only contribute to long-term health issues, but also add to the stress and loss of control of daily living for those experiencing homelessness. These diets lead to exhaustion, decreased strength and focus (especially for school-aged children), and make those following them more susceptible to disease and sickness. They are not starving, but they are starving for nutrients. The diet that much of the homeless population relies on is often criticized when eaten by those living stably. Why do we justify this kind of food intake for one population while focusing on its determinants for another?