{"id":1909782,"date":"2018-11-13T11:18:17","date_gmt":"2018-11-13T16:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.futurity.org\/?p=1909782"},"modified":"2018-11-13T16:46:14","modified_gmt":"2018-11-13T21:46:14","slug":"homelessness-causes-1909782","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.futurity.org\/homelessness-causes-1909782\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do people become homeless? Ask them"},"content":{"rendered":"
A new study examines the question of why people become homeless.<\/p>\n
There is a significant perception gap between what the general public think about why people become homeless, and what people who have experienced homelessness say\u2014particularly when it comes to substance use, says Julie Moschion, senior research fellow at the Melbourne Institute Of Applied Economic and Social Research at the University of Melbourne.<\/p>\n
“Rough sleepers” are the most visible of the homeless population, but it is actually a much larger issue than just those who sleep on the streets.<\/p>\n
Being “homeless” includes anyone whose housing conditions don’t qualify as “decent”\u2014like squatting in abandoned buildings, having to stay with relatives or friends temporarily when there is no alternative, or staying in a caravan park, boarding house, hotel, or crisis accommodation.<\/p>\n
Matter of opinion<\/h3>\n
A survey conducted by Hanover Welfare Services in 2006 found that 91 percent of Australians believe that drug addiction is one of the main reasons people become homeless\u2014a view that is widely shared in the community, including among experts in public policy and academia.<\/p>\n
But if you ask people who have experienced homelessness, only 10 percent say that’s the case, Moschion says.<\/p>\n
So, while homelessness and substance use are commonly linked, is it actually the case that people become homeless because they use drugs?<\/p>\n