There’s a lot more to it than that. Many shelters have check in times and doors closed times. If your local shelter has a check-in time of 5 and queuing starts at noon, then when your work shift doesn’t let out until 3, you have to decide between temporary shelter and upward mobility on a regular basis.
They do, but the number of people attempting to juggle shelter life and employment is shockingly low. It’s not zero, because it’s never zero, but that’s not the primary reason people are living on the streets.
The primary reason people live on the streets is because they can’t afford housing. Unemployment, underemployment and physical ailments are bigger drivers than substance abuse.
I can’t speak to the UK, but here in Oregon:
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/investigations/260-shelter-beds-portland-homeless-arent-used/283-f028c410-3bf0-4425-bc3b-94eaeeaa10ee
“I don’t want to go to a shelter, I couldn’t do it, being out here, it’s freedom.”
Mostly when they say “freedom” what they mean is “shelters won’t let them bring their drugs, alcohol, and pit bulls.”
Oh look, it’s the dumbass with the bad takes lol.
Just telling you how it is here… people are choosing meth and fentanyl over housing. It’s not an assumption, this is what they actually tell people.
There’s a lot more to it than that. Many shelters have check in times and doors closed times. If your local shelter has a check-in time of 5 and queuing starts at noon, then when your work shift doesn’t let out until 3, you have to decide between temporary shelter and upward mobility on a regular basis.
They do, but the number of people attempting to juggle shelter life and employment is shockingly low. It’s not zero, because it’s never zero, but that’s not the primary reason people are living on the streets.
The primary reason people live on the streets is because they can’t afford housing. Unemployment, underemployment and physical ailments are bigger drivers than substance abuse.
The reason they can’t afford it is because they’re too far gone on drugs. At least here in Oregon. decriminalization has been a disaster here.
https://www.kptv.com/2023/10/11/man-says-portland-drug-homelessness-crisis-continues-pose-problems/
https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/we-enable-portland-drug-counselor-calls-for-new-approach-to-homelessness/
That guy though has other problems:
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/11/04/kevin-dahlgren-homelessness-service-provider-theft-misconduct-charges/
The sources for those are “some guy” and a drug councilor, neither seem particularly qualified to speak decisively about the causes of homelessness.
The sources are actual homeless people.