When driving through your community, you may encounter homeless people. This is a reality. Unfortunately, you may scoff at them, and label them as “lazy,” but this is simply untrue.
Homelessness is a complex issue, but laziness is not a cause. According to security.org, 653,104 Americans were homeless in 2023. Each of these individuals have a unique story, including the people you see in your community.
They may belong to the 37% who are unsheltered, one of the 111,620 homeless children, or they are one of the 35,500 homeless veterans recorded in 2023. Regardless, being homeless does not make you less of a person. It’s essential to acknowledge the challenges they’ve faced that led to their situation. Overcoming homelessness is not as easy as many assume.
Kenwood’s Pupil Personnel Worker, Mrs. Cox shares “there’s a lot of misconceptions about homelessness. I think that people think it’s easy to get your family in a house, and it’s not.” She highlights that housing shortages are a primary challenge for those experiencing homelessness.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, “The U.S. has a shortage of 7.3 million rental homes affordable and available to renters with extremely low incomes.” Additionally, shelters cannot accommodate everyone in need.
According to State of Homelessness in 2024, “The number of people experiencing homelessness is always larger than the number of sheltered beds.” Mrs. Cox continues to explain that various life challenges can lead to homelessness, like not being able to afford childcare, lacking a high school diploma, or dealing with mental health issues.
For example according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2022, “21 percent of individuals experiencing homelessness reported having a serious mental illness.”
Interestingly, Mrs. Cox suggests that a life coach can be beneficial in helping the homeless. A life coach could help people navigate the issues causing their instability. For instance, a person who has mental health issues and doesn’t have a high school diploma may struggle with stability, but a life coach would intervene and introduce methods to overcome hardship. Overall, a person can experience a series of difficulties that lead them to being homeless, and achieving stability is no simple task.
This is why it’s essential to stay informed, show compassion, and dispel harmful myths like “homeless people are just lazy.”
If you are a Baltimore County student or family struggling with homelessness, you can reach out for assistance below to:
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McKinney-Vento Specialist and Homeless Liaison443-809-6311
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Homeless Academic Programs and Institutions Specialist, and Homeless Liaison
Our school social workers can also be reached at [email protected] and [email protected]. Never be afraid to ask for help.
