Why Do Homeless People Live in Cities?

In "Homeless by Choice," Armando, a homeless person who works full time, chooses to live in the city to work and invest in real estate. In "Homeless by Choice," Armando, a homeless person who works full time, chooses to live in the city to work and invest in real estate. Load video

Suppose a person named Dan, an ex-marine who sleeps in a green tent behind a liquor store in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, say's he chooses to live in the city because it's his only option.

"Livin' somewhere out in the woods, when you don't have a car," says Dan, "ain't possible."

"You run out of food and water. You ain't got no money to keep buying what you need from the only place in that town. Places like that charge an arm and a leg."

In addition to being near food and water, homeless people choose to live in cities for other reasons.

Here are the 5 most significant reasons homeless people live in cities:

5) TO BE NEAR DRUG DEALERS

Walk down the street near your local coffee shop and randomly ask people who don't appear to be homeless why they think homeless people live on the streets.

I'll bet you a dollar that we'll donate to homelessness that most of the people will say the homeless sleep outside because they're drug addicts.

While it is true that about half of the homeless report using drugs or alcohol in the last three years, many do not use drugs. But for those that do, many choose to live in the city to be closer to drug dealers.

Stephanie, a homeless person who sleeps in her car near a park in New York, for example, admits to using meth once a week or so when she can "get her hands on some money." Stephanie cannot live in the wilderness or the suburbs because her drug dealers live in the city.

So the first reason why homeless people live in cities is to be near drug dealers.

4) TO BE NEAR SOCIAL SERVICES

Another reason why homeless people live in cities is to be closer to social services.

Josh, for instance, a 62-year-old homeless veteran with a black eye patch covering a glass blue eye, says that he stays wherever a veteran's hospital is.

Josh suffers from psychosis and a traumatic brain injury he acquired from his time in the service. He requires a lot of medical attention so he stays near the Veterans Association to get it free.

Another social service that homeless people like to live near is a welfare office. Many countries like the United States, offer free temporary food for the needy. Homeless people prefer to live near these so that they can keep their paperwork up to date.

So many homeless people also live in cities to be closer to social services.

3) TO LIVE IN A SHELTER

Janet, a middle-aged domestic abuser victim was forced to flee her alcoholic boyfriend after he became physically abusive to her and her two children. She now stays at a homeless shelter in downtown Chicago, Illinois.

Janet says that, because she has two children, the only safe place she can sleep is in a shelter. "It's too dangerous for my two boys out there to sleep on the streets," says Janet.

So Janet chooses to live in a city because it is where the shelters are.

Many other people are like Janet too.

Steve, an ex-alcoholic who has "become too old to drink," says that he stays in a shelter so that he doesn't freeze at night. "Even with two blankets and this thick, down feather jacket," says Steve, pointing to a black, puffy Red Sox coat, "it's just too cold for this old man to bear."

So homeless people live in cities to stay safe and warm in shelters as well.

2) TO BE NEAR FREE WIFI

I don't know if you've, like I have, ever been without internet for a nail-biting hour or two, but it's not exactly a "time to remember." Many homeless people don't have internet service and so they're bored out of their minds.

Emily, an ex-Del Taco employee with a twice-a-day chocolate addiction, sleeps behind a grocery store in Memphis, Tennessee after losing her job a while back.

Emily spends her days outside of a local coffee shop using the WiFi to fill out job applications on her phone. If Emily lived in the wilderness, she would never be able to get out of her situation. So she stays in the city for WiFi and to get a new job.

This is quite common. A homeless person suddenly became homeless due to an unfortunate event that cost them their home unexpectedly. They now stay in the city because it is the only place where they can get Wifi to look for a job.

So yet another reason why homeless people live in cities is to be near WiFi.

1) TO BE NEAR DONATION CENTERS FOR THE NEEDY

Finally, many homeless people live in cities to be closer to donation centers. These places are usually ran by religious organizations or non-profit agencies that help the homeless get what they need.

When I was homeless a while back, I had just lost my job and was hurting for food. A quick Google search in my area came up with multiple solutions.

Two Christian churches in my city offered free food one day a week. You show up, bring a box, and they fill it up with a bunch of delicious can goods, bakery items, and even fresh fruits and vegetables.

I was so relieved those food donation centers existed. If I had been living in the forest, which is where I did for some of the time I was homeless, I would have had no way to feed myself or my dog Taz.

Donation centers like these, not only offer food but also even provide clothing to the needy as well.

So to take advantage of much-needed free food and clothing, many homeless people live in cities to be near donation centers.

OTHER REASONS WHY HOMELESS PEOPLE LIVE IN CITIES

Other reasons why homeless people live in cities include
to be near medical facilities and people to panhandle.

The world-renowned linguist Malcolm Gladwell, in his essay "Million Dollar Murray," writes about a homeless man in Reno, Nevada, that in just one year cost the city over one million dollars.

The primary expense was hospital bills. Murray was an alcoholic. His alcoholism landed him in the emergency room quite frequently.

While Murray isn't the norm, (less than half of the population of homeless people report drinking alcohol,) many homeless people still need help from doctors more than the average person.

One reason is homelessness is unhealthy. The homeless suffer from a high rate of infections. Another reason is they are often disabled. Homeless people are more likely to have a severe mental or physical condition that prevents them from working.

So to be near medical facilities is also why many homeless people live in cities.

Homeless people also live in cities to be near people to panhandle from.

Joshua, an 18-year-old homeless kid who began sleeping behind a park bush about a year ago after running away from his foster home, makes his living panhandling.

He says he chooses to live in the city because "that's where the money is." I can see why that is so. Surely in the wilderness, Joshua would have difficulty scrounging up donations.

So the final reason why people choose to live in cities is to be near people to panhandle from.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It should be pointed out that most homeless people don't choose to live anywhere. They just become homeless wherever they do, and then remain in their town or city, sleeping wherever they can.

Big cities are especially prone to cause the problems that lead to homelessness though.

A small number of people, however, do become homeless in the suburbs and then migrate to the cities in search of better opportunities.

summary

Homeless people live in cities for five main reasons.

First, some like to be near drug dealers. While less than half report having used illicit substances in the last three years, somewhere around a third like to stay near drug dealers.

Homeless people also live in cities to be near social services. Many of them are veterans. Veterans like to stay near the Veterans Association. Plus, most homeless people, in general, prefer to be near a welfare office.

Homeless people also live in cities to sleep in homeless shelters. Shelters provide relief from the cold, rain, and snow.

In addition to drug dealers, social services, and shelters, homeless people like to be near WiFi. Many need WiFi to hunt for a job.

Lastly, homeless people live in cities to be close to donation centers. These provide the homeless with much-needed food and clothing.

Other reasons why the homeless choose to live in cities include being near medical facilities, and people to panhandle from.

conclusion

So the next time the topic of "homeless people living in the city" comes up in a conversation, consider mentioning "to live near needed amenities and opportunities" as reasons why they live in the city.