The causes of homelessness are complex and connected to one another. Listed are some of the reasons that people who come from a wide variety of backgrounds find themselves on the streets. The chronically homeless invariably suffer from a combination of these factors.
Mental Illness
Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other severe and persistent mental illness;
Physical Disabilities
Profound injuries, illness, birth defects, or socially debilitating physical traits (such as disfigurement, dental deficiencies, or obesity caused by a “survival” mentally);
Educational Deficiencies
The inability to read/write, the lack of basic academic kills or no high school diploma;
Severe Trauma
History of sexual or physical abuse, combat, catastrophic loss of family, or a similar traumatic event;
Addiction
Drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, and other addictions;
Severe Family Dysfunction
Abusive parents, broken homes, and/or multiple residences/caregivers;
No Family or Significant Support System
Total lack of family or support systems due to death, alienation, or institutional childhood;
Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia, ADHD and other disorders that interfere with education and life functioning;
Developmental Disabilities
Low IQ or brain damage that hinders intellectual functioning;
Criminal History
Existence of a criminal record that seriously limits opportunity;
Limited Occupational Skill Set
Inability to do anything beyond the most basic manual labor;
Transportation Deficiencies
Inability to purchase, maintain, insure, or legally drive a car or obtain transportation through public or private means;
Life Skill Deficiencies
Inability to manage the most basic life functions such as hygiene, housing, transportation, and interpersonal relationships;
Prior Long-Term Institutionalization
Extended stays in foster care, juvenile institutions, mental hospitals, prison, or other institution;
Generational Poverty
Two or more generations of family dependent on public assistance or charity for basic living needs that has fostered an attitude of hopelessness;
System Navigation
Inability to effectively navigate Government and Social Service Agencies;
Cognitive Disability
Impairment to how a person thinks reacts to emotions or behaviors, inability to problem solve, lack of understanding of consequences of ones actions, emotional immaturity, the all or nothing thought process, inability to manage life, impairment of mental process of knowing, including aspects such as reasoning and judgment
Generational Poverty
Two or more generations of family dependent on public assistance or charity for basic living needs that has fostered an attitude of hopelessness;
System Navigation
Inability to effectively navigate Government and Social Service Agencies;
Cognitive Disability
Impairment to how a person thinks reacts to emotions or behaviors, inability to problem solve, lack of understanding of consequences of ones actions, emotional.