The American View of Homelessness

Homelessness is a uniquely intimate social issue, because it offers an undeniable choice for the observer: to give, or not to give? The choices of action and disregard are both vehemently defended in our culture. On one side is the American Dream: the ideal that hard work results in improved social status, and everyone has an equal opportunity for prosperity and success. On the other is compassion and, as far as I’m concerned, logic – not everyone has an equal opportunity for success, and we should unreservedly help those who are less fortunate than us.

What causes poverty?  

The 'American Idealists' say that those in poverty are there by choice. In the words of mayor Maryann Edwards,  "They have rejected all forms of help and have chosen instead to play on the sympathy of generous residents.” They believe that homeless people are lazy, unstable addicts who cannot be helped, and that giving to them creates more problems than it solves. 

"If someone is in poverty, they should simply work harder to get out of it!" is a driving sentiment of many Americans. A primary reason for this is culture. Whereas most western nations see poverty as natural byproduct of capitalism, Americans see it as a “result of individual rather than institutional failure” as per our cultural values of “work, individualism, and freedom of opportunity.^[7]

But 'freedom of opportunity' is bitterly constrained when it comes to the homeless demographic. The single largest cause of homelessness is disability - 62% in a recent San Francisco survey, and about two thirds in other cities across America.^[8] Physical and mental disabilities such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder make employment scarce and exacerbate the effects of homelessness when they are unable to be treated, with the homeless often turning to alcohol or drugs as a result. 

Alcoholism and addictions also play a major role in the homelessness debate. Commonly our culture blames this on the individual, but like depression and mental illness, this is not something that is able to be conquered on one's own. A fundamental problem of homelessness is the lack of supporting figures to encourage them to reach beyond themselves - a problem so extensive, it was defined by Caplow and Bahr as a state of complete disaffiliation.^[8] Our expectations of ourselves and the expectations of those around us play a significant role in who we are. Although not a main cause of homelessness, addiction is a contributor, with 32% of all homeless being addicted to drugs and 25% being alcoholic.^[3] 

Even without the complications of disability or addiction, this state is grueling to transcend. Because homelessness has long been considered a form of deviant social behavior, there is a massive collection of laws criminalizing the homeless: laws against sleeping in public places, eating in public space, loitering on medians, asking for change, and even bathing in public restrooms.^[4] With no place to rest, clean, or change, and a massive social stigma to overcome, it is small wonder that finding a job is extraordinarily difficult. 

Can helping hurt? 

The arguments against helping the homeless fly quick and cautionary. "They'll only use it on drugs anyway." "We don't want to make them dependent."^[1] "They'll just take what you give and continue to beg."^[6] There are even some that say the need for help is unnecessary and overrated, arguing that many of the poor and destitute in America have nice things, and so are unworthy of our help.^[5] 

The truth is, there will always be people in every walk of life who are willing to take without reciprocating. There will always be people, and not just the homeless, who corrupt what you give them instead of using it for good. We can't control the attitudes of the people coming to get help, but we can control the help we are offering and make sure our assistance is solid and effective, guiding the person to a place where they can help themselves. 

Helping at the wrong time in the wrong way can hurt. There have been cases of philanthropy in Africa where donations caused catastrophic destruction for local developing businesses.^[9] The cause of this catastrophe was a failure to fully understand the needs of the region. In the same way, we give (or don't give) based on what we think we know about the homeless when we live in an entirely separate world ignorant of their smaller one. Just as a soldier who has been trained to live in a war environment must re-train himself when he comes home, so a homeless person must learn that they are safe before they cease living in the mental state of dispossession. 

In many cases, the homeless need more than we by ourselves can give. Homelessness is as much a psychological problem as it is a temporal one, and we should not seek to play the hero for our own gratification without offering direction towards more long-term solutions. That being said, it is also matter of the heart. A kind word, a dollar or a car ride can go a long way towards making someone feel like a real person again. As Nicholas Sooy said, "The most important thing is to treat them like they're human. Just look them in the eye, give them respect... they don't get that from most people."

What we should do

Some demand a reason for the claims made by the homeless of our resources. Ignatieff cites King Lear: “O, reason not the need!... Allow not nature more than nature needs, man’s life is cheap as beasts.” We may never be able to confirm the exact story of everyone that we help, but we can abolish the false stereotypical profile of the homeless person as a lazy, irresponsible individual. 

Remember that anyone can become homeless. The rich businessman who lost his company overnight, the valiant soldier who came home with a bad leg and no connections, the single mother escaping an abusive relationship, the mechanic who survived cancer but didn't survive the medical bills. People do not choose to be homeless or to go through hardship - it is simply a fact of life, and its harrowing grip could knock down any one of us.

One thing is for sure: we can't solve the problem by passing it off to someone else or by blaming the homeless. It will take resources in the form of rehabilitation programs, patient guidance, sustenance, shelter, and funds. If we understand that these needs come not from individual failure but rather as a result of an imperfect world, we will be more willing to offer a loving, helping hand... and more willing to give up the American idea that failure to overcome is the fault of the individual. 

~The Mandarin

References
^[1] Eberstadt, Nicholas. "Are Entitlements Corrupting Us? Yes, American Character Is At Stake." WSJ. The Wall Street Journal, 31 Aug. 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
^[2]Keyes, Scott. "Mayor: People Are Homeless ‘By Choice,’ Won’t Use City Funds To Help Them." ThinkProgress. N.p., 02 May 2014. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
^[3]Knight, Heather. "The City's Panhandlers Tell Their Own Stories." SFGate. The Chronicle, 26 Oct. 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
^[4]NCH Staff. "6 Things I Want You to Understand About Being Homeless in America." National Coalition for the Homeless, 08 July 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.
^[5]Rector, Robert, and Rachel Sheffield. "Poverty and Homelessness Are Not Serious Problems in America."Poverty and Homelessness. Ed. Noël Merino. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Current Controversies. Rpt. from "Understanding Poverty in the United States: Surprising Facts About America's Poor: Executive Summary." Backgrounder. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
^[6]Thompson, Derek. "Giving Money to Homeless Panhandlers Is Not a Solution to Homelessness." Poverty and Homelessness. Ed. Noël Merino. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Current Controversies. Rpt. from "Should You Give Money to Homeless People?" The Atlantic (22 Mar. 2011). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
^[7]Wright, J., Rubin, B., & Devine, J. (1998). Theories About Homelessness. In Beside the golden door: Policy, politics, and the homeless (p. 11). New York: Aldine de Gruyter.
^[8]Rossi, P. (1989). The New Homeless and the Old. In Down and out in America: The origins of homelessness (p. 41-43). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
^[9]Davenport, Cheryl. "The Broken." Co.Exist. 10 Apr. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.