How can we change things?

Chronic Homelessness

Image retrieved from Examiner.com at
http://www.examiner.com/faith-social-
issues-in-omaha/homeless-america 

            There are many homeless shelters and assistance programs available to those in need in almost every city across the country. One fortunate fact about homelessness is that the majority of victims become homeless due to some sort of financial crisis and are able to turn their circumstances around after the crisis is resolved. However, there is an unfortunate group of the homeless population that, mainly due to mental illness and chemical abuse, remains chronically homeless. The primary factor contributing to this population’s persistent homelessness is a lack of programs and shelters that are able to deal with substance abusers or those suffering from mental illness. There is a significant need for programs that can provide shelter and counseling for the mentally ill and substance abusing homeless. Although there are programs like the Canadian initiative to create an alcohol distribution program for those chronically homeless who are alcoholics, many of them remain in clinical trials and never make it to the mainstream social support systems. Even though the chronic homeless make up a smaller percentage of the homeless population as a whole, they consume over half of the available resources in shelters that were not designed to handle them. If real change is wanted, then there must be a push for more specialized resources that are able to handle the homeless with mental illnesses, substance abuse, or both.