Much like the narratives of what makes a good “victim,” people are so quick to delineate the “good homeless” from the ones whoto be there. But no one deserves to be there. We all deserve shelter, food and compassion, without any conditions attached.with a substance use disorder. With an estimated half-million people experiencing homelessness, many of whom have addiction issues, that means more than 19.5 million people struggling with substance use have homes.
No one “lazies” their way into homelessness. Homelessness is a systemic problem created by a lack of affordable housing, a lack of access to health care, to drug treatment programs and mental health services. A person who appears “lazy” is likely struggling with things we have no knowledge of. I didn’t end up homeless because of my addiction. Why? I am white, and even when I had blown through everything I had, I had access to care through my family. There were systems in place to help me, systems I had access to because of my financial and social privilege. We have to acknowledge the role these privileges play. Because no, not everyone has the same opportunities to recover from addiction, not everyone has the same access to health care or community support systems.
Drug addiction is a public health issue. It’s not a choice. It’s not a moral failing. People with addiction disorders are human beings struggling with adeserve to eat, deserve comfort and care. We should be giving with an open heart, human to human, especially at this time of year, regardless of what someone is struggling with or how they might use the money. Because that is how we show compassion.
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