Causes of Homelessness: Mental Illness

• Nationwide, 20-25% of homeless people suffer from serious mental illness.

• Only 5-7% of homeless persons with mental illness need to be institutionalized.

• Most could live in community settings with appropriate treatment and housing, but many homeless people who are mentally ill are not able to obtain the supportive services they need to find and maintain housing.

• Homeless people with severe mental illness tend to remain homeless for longer periods of time, have less contact with family and friends, encounter more barriers to employment, tend to be in poorer physical health, and have more contact with the legal system than other homeless people.

• These individuals are among the most likely to be stigmatized, exploited, and victimized.

• At least one-half of severely mentally ill homeless people are estimated to have a co-occurring substance abuse problem. This increases the likelihood that they will be chronically homeless.

• Providing treatment for severely mentally ill homeless people is difficult because they do not understand that they are ill and need care. They typically misinterpret what others say and react with irrational fear or anger, often alienating friends, family and caregivers.

• For those with severe mental illness, outreach, integrated case management, safe havens, treatment, income support and benefits, vocational training, supported employment, and safe and affordable housing must all be provided to end the cycle of homelessness.
  
  

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Sources

Homelessness: The Causes and Facts. (n.d.) Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. Retrieved on August 11, 2001, from http://www.cohhio.org/Chicagofactsheet.html

Mental Illness, Chronic Homelessness: An American Disgrace. (October 2000) Healing Hands, Vol. 4, No 5. Retrieved August 8, 2001, from http://www.nhchc.org/hands/2000/October2000 HealingHands.PDF

Mental Illness and Homelessness. (April 1999) National Coalition for the Homeless. Retrieved August 8, 2001, from http://www.nationalhomeless.org/mental.html

Profile of Homelessness, Results from a National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Homeless Persons. (n.d.) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved August 8, 2001, from http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/progsys/homeless/profile.htm

Homeless Education & Neglected/Delinquent Programs
Arizona Department of Education, 1535 W. Jefferson St., Bin #24, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Phone (602) 542-4391  Fax (602) 542-3050

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