Why Some People Don’t Use Shelters

Why Some People Don’t Use SheltersFrom BRC www.athiestshelping.org First, many homeless people do seek shelter. There are more people living in city shelters than there have ever been; over 60,000 on an average night and over 100,000 over the course of the year. And though there are still thousands of homeless men and women living on the streets and sleepingFrom BRC

www.athiestshelping.org

First, many homeless people do seek shelter. There are more people living in city shelters than there have ever been; over 60,000 on an average night and over 100,000 over the course of the year. And though there are still thousands of homeless men and women living on the streets and sleeping on the subways, it is fewer than in the past though still significant.

Every year BRC assists thousands to leave the subways and streets for more appropriate living situation. And every year thousands more become homeless.

There are many who decline help. Their reasons are several. Independence. Fear of the unknown. Concern for safety. Lack of confidence. Pride. These are not exhaustive, but they are representative of what many feel, who say “no” to shelter.

Living unsheltered isn’t easy, but you’re autonomous.

Shelters have structure and rules: curfews, schedules, no outside food, no alcohol, limited smoking breaks, and limits on visitors. This has a practical benefit; sensible from the perspective of maintaining health and safety.

But it limits the freedom that comes naturally with living unsheltered, or in your own home. Living in a shelter also means living among people you don’t know, may not trust, or even fear. Further, many have lived in shelters before, and often in other institutional settings as well (such as foster care, hospitals, residential treatment, jail and prison, halfway and three-quarter houses, etc.); their lack of success from these past experiences only reinforces their doubts that anyone wants to or can help them.

And those seeking shelter have no choice as to which shelter they go. Homeless people are assigned to a shelter after applying at a central intake center. There are good shelters and bad; shelters with access to multiple services, and others that offer less (see: “Are all shelters the same?”). Or perhaps people have ties to a neighborhood — family, friends, a job, school, or house of worship.
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FacebookJoseph Shaw