The Toll Of Mental Health

These days it seems like everyone is talking about mental health. The term ‘mental illness’ means that someone is having difficulty with their mental health. In America, 1 in 5 adults battle mental illness, it is not uncommon. Yet, the number increases to 1 in 3 people experiencing homelessness that battle mental illness. Sometimes mental illness and the effects of trauma are what leads people to lose their homes, and let’s be honest: simply surviving in the streets and dealing with perpetual crisis and sleep deprivation will negatively impact anyone’s mental wellbeing.

We want to highlight these statistics for you today because they can inform our perception of the people we encounter living on the streets. At first glance, it can be both intimidating and overwhelming. But the truth is, they are not that different from those of us that do have housing. They simply lack access to appropriate support like community and mental health professionals. 

So how can our City Relief community help? Good question. The first step comes by destigmatizing mental health care in general and especially in the homeless community. Mental illness is not something reserved for people who are unhoused, it is something we all face. Theirs is just more visible. The next step is advocating for affordable permanent housing so that they have a safe place to receive help and heal. And finally, to create funding that provides them with long-term care.