Facts About Homelessness

These facts are obtained from the annual Point In Time (PIT) count, (a survey of every homeless person in the country including Central Oregon), and from studies done by local and national universities, non-profit research groups, and the National Institute of Health.

Most of our homeless neighbors are from Central Oregon.

National surveys have shown 70 to 80 percent of homeless persons are from the local area or lived there for a year or longer before becoming unhoused. The local PIT count confirms these numbers.  One famous example from Bend is Craig Coyner. He was a third-generation resident of Central Oregon, served on the Bend City Counsel, and was Mayor of Bend. He was homeless when he died from complications of frostbite. Most people experiencing homelessness in Central Oregon worked and lived locally before becoming homeless.

Most people who experience homelessness do not struggle with substance abuse problems or addictions.

Only about 20 to 40 percent of homeless people have a substance abuse issue. In fact, substance abuse is rarely the sole cause of homelessness and more often is a response to it because living on the street puts the person in frequent contact with users and dealers. As a comparison with the general population, 17 percent of the total US population have a substance abuse issue, so the rates among homeless people are not much greater than among everyone in the country.

Most people who experience homelessness do not suffer from mental illness.

Decades of research shows that at most one-third of homeless people have a serious mental illness. De-institutionalization or closure of mental hospitals was initially believed to be a prime cause of homelessness, but this occurred well before the sharp increase of homelessness in the 1980s. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, more than one-fifth (21%) of U.S. adults had a mental illnessin 2020. Again, mental illness among the homeless population is not much more common than among everyone else.

It is much more difficult to find a job while experiencing homelessness.

Challenges such as lacking a permanent address, not having regular access to showers, barriers to transportation, no regular access to technology or electricity – all make it difficult to obtain employment. Even when individuals experiencing homelessness find jobs, they are often part-time or minimum wage positions. This work fails to get them housing due to expensive housing costs.

Being homeless is not easy.

Surviving on the street takes work. Homeless men and women are often sleep-deprived, cold, wet, and sick. Their minds, hearts and bodies are exhausted. Though help is available, they may have no idea where to begin navigating the maze of social service agencies and bureaucracy. With no transportation and little money, they can spend all day getting to food, a shower, and maybe an appointment. And often, they must pack up and move their encampment. It is not a life of ease.

When homeless people have access to food, shelter, showers, laundry, restrooms and mail service, they gain some stability in their lives. Recovery programs, like counseling, addiction recovery, emotional healing, education, life skills and job training help them move back into the community.

People on the street often reject the option of crowded, unsafe shelters—they do not reject housing in general.

Being homeless is dangerous.

There is theft and violence in homeless camps and shelters, almost exclusively committed against homeless people. The homeless population regularly experiences the crime that is feared by the housed community. Talk to anyone living in shelters or living unsheltered and they can tell you about thefts they have experienced. They are also threatened by wildfires like the rest of the community. All homeless people would welcome a safe place to live.

There are many reasons for homelessness.

It isn’t possible to say there is main cause for homelessness. Availability of affordable housing is certainly an important factor, but it is one among many.

·       Many people are homeless because the jobs they are qualified for do not pay enough to afford housing.

·       Many people become homeless as the result of an expensive, disabling medical issue that leaves them without work or money.

·       Many people become homeless after escaping a dangerous or unsustainable family situation.

·       Many people become homeless because of mental health or substance abuse problems.

·       Many people become homeless because a criminal record makes it difficult to find work and housing.

Because of the variety of causes, many different types of solutions are required.