Homelessness continues to rise globally, and with that, there is an increase in children and youth who are experiencing rough sleep and are without a home. In Aotearoa, 40% of Kiwis say they have or have known someone who has experienced homelessness. That’s roughly 2 million of the 5.1 million individuals in New Zealand. In the US, the stats are shockingly similar. As of 2023, there were 653,104 homeless individuals in the US, a 12% increase from the previous year. Of those individuals, 111,620 of them were children. Homelessness does not discriminate. Nobody wants to be homeless. Nobody chooses to be homeless. It can happen to anyone from any background, ethnicity, social class, or education level. While most individuals who are considered high risk or at risk for experiencing homelessness are typically also experiencing poverty, discrimination, and other socio-ecological disadvantages. Homelessness is a complex and multifaceted issue, with many pathways far more intricate than simply lacking a place to live. Individuals experiencing homelessness often suffer poor health and premature death that result from their lack of access to healthcare and healthy social support. People experiencing homelessness are often deprived of basic human and social rights that not only intensify mental and physical health issues but also feelings of isolation (Bedmar et al., 2022).
Many homeless people have comorbidities as they relate to pathways to experiencing homelessness, and these include addiction, trauma, discrimination, adverse childhood experiences, lack of social and family support, systems and structural errors, lack of affordable housing, health issues, and mental health issues that include personality disorders.
Below is a breakdown of some essential pathways that lead to Homelessness-
Poverty- According to census data from 2022, 37.9 million Americans are living below the poverty line. In New Zealand, the statistics show that one in seven households is impoverished. There are several pathways to poverty and some root causes include living in a poor country that lacks basic resources like clean water, social injustice such as racism, sexism and discrimination, lack of education, climate change, government neglect, low personal safety nets, lack of transportation and access to jobs, conflict, and lack of access to standard healthcare.
Colonization and historical trauma- Indigenous peoples around the world are still suffering from the effects of colonization. The negative impacts that this has on communities that represent those most impacted by colonization suffer from inequities and socio-ecological disadvantages. Populations who have historical trauma are more likely to suffer from depression and have higher rates of substance abuse and suicide, including youth suicide and anxiety (Jeweski et al., 2023) (Bedmar et al., 2022).
Discrimination/Racism- “Black/African Americans, Māori, Native Americans, and other historically marginalized groups are more likely to experience homelessness. Research finds persistent discrimination in employment and credit markets” (Pager & Shepherd, 2008). The racial wealth gap only continues to increase in the US, New Zealand, and other developed, colonized countries keeping these population groups impoverished, even when resources and support are available.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)- ACEs significantly affect outcomes as they relate to poor physical, and behavioral health, as well as educational level, and employment status (Koh & Montgomery, 2021). Survey’s conducted specifically on Māori found that it is the accumulation of ACEs paired with structural barriers and systemic racism that contributed to insecure housing across the lifespan (McMinn et al., 2024). In the US, 5 of the top 10 leading causes of death are associated with ACE’s and reducing the prevalence of ACE’s can reduce the likeliness of depression in up to 44% of adults (CDC, 2021).
Addiction- Substance abuse is one of the top three leading causes of homelessness in single people as well as families (Mosel, 2024). Research shows that around 1/3 of people who are homeless suffer from alcohol and drug abuse, and about 2/3 of them have a lifetime history of drug or alcohol use disorders (Mosel, 2024). Research from SAMHSA shows that 38% of homeless people abuse alcohol and 26% abuse other drugs (Mosel, 2024).
Mental health issues- Reports indicate that personality disorders are very common and account for roughly 64-79% of individuals experiencing homelessness. An estimated 20 to 25 percent of the U.S. homeless population suffers from severe mental illness, compared to 6 percent of the general public. Based on data from the 2013 AHAR, 257,000 people who were homeless had a severe mental illness or a chronic substance abuse issue (Mosel, 2024).
The breakdown of family systems- Women who are experiencing homelessness report higher levels of anxiety and less social support from friends or family than men, even though they are closer in proximity to support systems (Ray, 2022). Children and adolescents are negatively impacted by toxic family systems that result in them feeling safer on the streets than at home. Parents of children experiencing homelessness report barriers as they relate to awareness and accessing resources and services (Finster et al., 2024). Negative experiences with services available to them is another pathway to homelessness (Finster et al., 2024).
Low social support- Social stigma within population groups that experience social roles outside the normative, such as being neurodiverse or having a personality disorder or depression.
The foster care system- Adolescents and children can become homeless due to unsafe living situations or having a parent become incarcerated. Foster care is sometimes a less than safe alternative due to abuse and neglect within the system. This can force children and youth to living on the streets as a safer option to foster care. Youth typically remain with family until the age of 23 in New Zealand, and 18 year olds facing life outside of foster care have far less resources and experience. In fact, many factors within the welfare system can lead to homelessness (Youth.gov, n.d.). Research suggests that 31 percent to 46 percent of youth exiting foster care will experience homelessness by age the of 26 (Youth.gov, n.d.).
Lack of affordable housing—New Zealand has the least affordable housing globally (HUD, 2024). The New Zealand government spends $4 billion dollars annually on housing support for families throughout the country (HUD, 2024). In America, 70% of all extremely low income families pay more than half their income on rent and only one in four people receive housing support from the government (NLIHC, 2024).
Unemployment- Can be a pathway to homelessness as job loss can be a risk factor. Paired with other pathways, it can be more challenging to maintain work than find it.
While this list covers the root causes, other factors can contribute to a person's experiencing homelessness. Because this issue is inherently complex and multidimensional in its nature, solutions will require frameworks sensitive to its complexity. Raising awareness on homelessness is key to gather stakeholders who are interested in learning more about ways to end homelessness.
Stay tuned for an upcoming article that focuses specifically on current solutions and frameworks to end homelessness.
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