1

Running head: HOMELESSNESS

Homelessness: A Culture within Its Community

Meleina Reyes
University of Kentucky

HOMELESSNESS
Abstract
The Homeless Community is made up of individuals that are diverse but share common
factors that make them part of this culture. These factors include what has led them to
homelessness, whether it is addiction, alcoholism, abuse, mental illness or dysfunctions of
families. This paper looks at the beliefs, struggles and stereotypes that this culture faces.
It concludes by allowing the reader to look at this culture differently than they once did.

HOMELESSNESS

We go about our day-to-day lives without recognizing the world around us. We all
claim that we are a part of this world, but in reality we are just living in it. We do not see
lives the way others see it. We do not consider the ways others are living. Until given this
assignment, I would have been rightly accused of this myself. People live a lot differently
than me. There are many cultures we are unaware of or do not specifically identify as a
culture. The homeless community is, in fact, one of these cultures.. This culture faces a
number of stereotypes that do not actually hold truth. Homelessness is caused by the
struggles among addiction, alcoholism, abuse, mental illness and the dysfunctions of
families. The people who make up this culture who come from diverse backgrounds have
different beliefs and values but all share a common denominator, and that is homelessness.
These individuals can be assisted by others outside of the community and ultimately leave
the culture.
Furthermore, the homeless community includes all types of people. As I interviewed
the volunteer manager at the Hope Center, I realized that there were many aspects of their
lives that are misinterpreted. The Hope Center is a homeless shelter here in Lexington that
provides crisis shelter, clothing, food, and even recovery services to the homeless. Their
mission is to get these people the tools they need to live self-sufficiently. The Hope Center
is a great way for individuals living in the homeless culture to get back up on their feet.
First off we started with stereotypes. The homeless community comes off as men
and women who are lazy, uneducated, and unwilling to help themselves. Many are viewed
as beggars who do not deserve the hard earned money of working people. Some even see
them as unapproachable and even frightening. The reality of it is that these stereotypes are
created from people outside of this culture. The real reason these people are part of this

HOMELESSNESS

culture is because they have fallen into a pit that they feel like they have no way out of (C.
Cario, personal communication, Sept. 20,2014).
Addiction is caused by the over use of a particular substance such as drugs. This
causes the brain to change and function in a way it usually does not. Sometimes people feel
that they can escape their feelings or problems by altering their brain to explore other
areas that only drugs take them to. After this takes place, many start to rely on these drugs
as a solution to their struggles. A lot of money and time can take up this addiction leading
to a downward spiral. Soon before they know it they have given up their lives for this
addiction. They cannot function without the drug and will do anything to obtain it. This
then cuts off family, friends and financial support. All together leaving them homeless with
no moral support.
Another cause of homelessness is abuse. There are different types of abuse such as
verbal and mental. Numerous amounts of men and women face this everyday. Both types
of abuse cause these individuals to feel unwanted or unloved. Once they have had enough
and build up the courage to leave these unhealthy relationships, most have nowhere to go.
Although this happens with both sexes, it is most often put into the case as women being
the victims.
In addition to abuse, there alcoholism is another large problem within this culture.
Alcohol plays the same type of role as addiction to drugs plays. Once these individuals have
lost everything and have nowhere to go they are inducted into this homeless community.
Besides those factors mental illness can also become the source of homelessness.
Mental illness is caused by disorders that cause a humans thinking process to differentiate
from what is actually going on. Twenty-five percent of the homeless community suffers

HOMELESSNESS

from mental illness (The Hope Center 2013). Most often these individuals cannot live
independently because they cannot carry out the daily tasks required for self-sufficiency.
Furthermore physical disabilities are another cause of homelessness. Believe it or
not, a majority of the people in this culture are individuals who are U.S. veterans. They
were physically hurt during war or other scenarios and cannot physically function
properly. This problem is often paired with a mental illness known as Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD).
This can be seen in Dr. Drews interview with a homeless man in Los Angles,
California. This man served in the Iraqi war, Panama war, and Granada war. He endured
emotional trauma leading to his PTSD disorder. Ultimately because of his disorder, he could
not serve or work at all (Dr. Drew 2014)

Figure 1. Graph of the amount of homeless veterans in U.S.. Note. Photo National
Alliance to End Homelessness

HOMELESSNESS

Moreover, another cause of homelessness is the dysfunctions of families. My second

interviewee, a young lady that would like to remain anonymous, had fallen into
homelessness because her stepfather left her mother for another woman. Her mom relied
on him for financial support and realized she could not afford the rent of the house they
were living in. They were then evicted from the house. This led to living in hotels for days
at a time then having to move to a different hotel because the special or price would go
up. My interviewee was young at the time and did not think much of it. She would get
excited about getting to stay in hotels and little did she know how much her mother was
struggling, until she became older. Her mother worked long and hard hours to provide for
her and her brothers.
At that point, she did not know she was homeless because she had somewhere to lay
her head down at night and food in her stomach. Although she did have necessities for life,
she did not have a stable living environment. Moving from hotel to hotel during grade
school was not healthy. She remembered that even though it had been fun for a while, it
grew old quick. Friends of hers would tell stories about their moms and dads getting them
new toys and clothes, but she could not relate. Her friends had no idea what she was facing;
her mother did not allow her to question the situation.

HOMELESSNESS

Figure 2. Children pray before dinner provided at UMC. Note. Photo United
Methodist News Service
Finally, her mother was able to get back up on her feet. She worked three jobs and
decided to ask her family for help. With the money coming from both places, they were able
to get out of this situation and rent a new house.
Furthermore, through this obstacle that this young lady faced she is able to reach
others who are walking through hardships. No matter what the situation is there is always
help. It may take time and pain but the conditions will be overcome and there will be
brighter days (anonymous, personal communication, Sept. 26, 2014).
Indeed if there is a will there is a way. The Hope Center and other shelters around
the world are a great way for individuals living in the homeless culture to get back up on
their feet. Through these shelters and programs provided specifically for the homeless,
they can attain rehabilitation. This ultimately leads to living self-sufficiently without the

HOMELESSNESS

struggles they once faced. Once they have reached this step they are no longer part of the
homeless culture.
Another issue that people outside of the community do not see is the children and
families that are stuck in this situation together. Many like my second interviewee cannot
get out of the situation quickly, leaving them without a home. One in 45 children
experience homelessness in America each year (Children, 2010). Because of this they are
more prone to problems in their future. They have no way of choosing this lifestyle and
cannot get out without their caregivers support.
In addition to the stereotypes there is a question that is aroused by those outside of
the culture. That question is what about those who choose to be homeless? This is
answered in different ways. Many of these individuals have their own stories as to why
they have chosen this lifestyle, whether it is forced or chosen.
One of the reasons that people choose this lifestyle is because they have allowed the
struggles in their lives to rule out a better life, per say. They may get entrenched in it, like
someone who becomes institutionalized and doesnt know how to navigate the world outside of
an institution (Understanding the Homeless 2014). They learn how to navigate outside of a
home. They learn where to find shelter and food. Some even feel that this is who they are and do
not remember their life before being homeless. This is their sense of comfort. This is their sense
of home.
On the contrary, the homeless culture is not specifically identified with a specific
group of people. This community is as diverse as any other. Men and women whether they
are black, white, Spanish-speaking or any other ethnicities face this struggle. Shelters and
programs, like The Hope Center, fits the needs of an individual precisely upon what they

HOMELESSNESS

are facing. This allows these people to seek the appropriate help they need. Within each
program, there comes specific treatment to meet their demand s in taking the first steps of
living self-sufficiently. Once this is accomplished successfully, patients are given a second
chance at life. Some programs provide the opportunity to get a job and start back in the
right direction. Many are given housing areas that are a drug free and safe environment.
At this point, once a member of this community has received the help they need to
live and support themselves they leave this culture. This process can take anywhere from a
few weeks to a few months to even years. Whatever the case is as to why they are part of
this community they can always opt out. They must be seeking help.
The beliefs of this culture are not always shared. Like said before the community is very
diverse and come from a variety of areas. They include all ethnicities and do not specifically
relate to a certain race. Therefore the beliefs depend on their backgrounds. What is found
commonly believed within the homeless community is that this life was not destined for them.
In addition, there are people outside of this culture that want to help these individuals.
This community can be assisted through volunteer work through the shelters and programs that
provide for these people. Another way to help these people is through donations. Now some may
not want to donate or give money because these people may abuse it and use it for other things.
They can be given things such as food and clothing. Although these are small ways of helping
this impacts the community in a vigorous way.
Through my interview with the volunteer manager at The Hope Center I learned what had
impacted her the most with helping this community. Cario explained that she had seen many
people come in that were strung out on hardcore drugs and had thrown their money, families and
potential futures away. Once they realized that they had hit an all time low and decided to get

HOMELESSNESS

10

help from the shelters and programs they were completely transformed. Through the help of
others outside of this community they were able to find their way out of the problem.
In conclusion, the homeless culture face a variety of stereotypes that are not true. They
face struggles, although different from others outside of the community, like any other person.
The people involved are diverse in most aspects. They do not hold a specific belief or value
together but have their own. They share the common denominator of being homeless. Hopefully
this paper has allowed others to see the Homeless culture in a different way than they once did.

11

HOMELESSNESS
References
Retrieved from http://www.hlntv.com/video/2014/07/29/homeless-america-dr-drewcall-hear-their-stories Staff of, D. (2014, July 30). 'There is a way out':

Homeless in America. Retrieved October 16, 2014.

Retrieved from http://www.homewardboundwnc.org/about-homelessness/
Understanding Homelessness - Homeward Bound of WNC. (n.d.). Retrieved
October 17, 2014.

Retrieved from http://www.hopectr.org/services/mental-health-program/

Mental Health Program. (2013, January 1). Retrieved October 15, 2014.

Retrieved from http://www.familyhomelessness.org/children.php?p=ts

Children American Institutes For Research (n.d) Retrieved October 17,
2014.