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Then why are there homeless people?

Serious question

I’d say most don’t know of these services

Sure, resources exist, but anyone who relies on or works within social services knows that these resources are scarce and often demand a lot of work to access. For example, in my area, Saint Vincent De Paul emergency rental assistance can only be access after a tenant has received a 72-hour notice of lease termination due to unpaid rent. Then you better be available at 9:30am SHARP to get in their hold line. If you get through, you may simply be informed that funds are exhausted for the month or your specific situation does not qualify for use of their limited funds. The week before Christmas the hold queue had more than 100 people waiting by mid-morning. They were trying to get overdue rent covered—no support for next month becomes available until evictions are already being processed so it is impossible to get ahead of impending eviction proceedings, you are forced to play catch up. I worked in social services for a while and it became a running “joke” (not funny, just a sad coping mechanism) to ask a coworker: “and what should we tell them to do now? Call 211?” Because calling 211 is rarely an effective course of action when trying to prevent an impending eviction or other event that could result in someone losing their housing. Yes, calling 211 (or using their surprisingly functional mobile app) can help people learn about local resources but that’s just the first tiny baby step toward qualifying for, applying for, and receiving any form of rent or utility assistance. My goal in sharing this info is not rain on anyone’s parade, I just get exhausted when well-meaning people share these resources as if they are a miracle cure for housing insecurity. These support systems are designed to be ineffectual and it can take someone a lifetime of effort and pure luck to get anything out of them. People are not unhoused simply bc they don’t know these resources they exist.

I mean okay, but that just seems implausible to me. There's got to be some other mechanism at work: an inability to ask for help due to mental issues or something.

But thanks for doing something. Thanks for doing anything at all

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So both of these prevent you from using these services?

Essentially yes.

These services are overwhelmed.

Most do know about them. In fact every homeless person I met while being homeless myself was aware that these services exist. But it's a real lottery thing. Most play but never win. Funds run out fast, women with children, elderly, and disabled people get first priority, there usually isn't anything left after that.

People say help exists and it does, but most people don't get it.

I think it’s a mix of people not knowing about the services, not knowing how to access them, and the services being unable to meet high demands

Maybe start tagging the country? I see tons of LPTs on here that only work in the US, or only contain specific information for the US.

Just adding [US] at the start of the title would go a long way.

Because these services can only do so much. there are too many homeless people in America and the government isn't doing its best to help them . Anybody saying that it's because the homeless aren't trying to seek help is a liar.

Also, many shelters have been reported to suck lol. There are ppl who would rather sleep in a tent than sleep in a shelter because of the shit that often happens in shelters

Except funds are limited and unfortunately there are more and more people entering homelessness every month. There just isn’t enough to go around

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Exactly. Mainly Because they can't help everyone

Factor not everyone wants the help or knows too

Really should be a sub rule...

As someone who works in and around this sector (not in the US), I'd agree that some of these orgs are totally gearing themselves to be ineffectual while looking the part, but a lot of programs are filled with well intended people trying to bend the shit out of ridgid, and usually outdated, policy, with near bugger all funding because governments do not understand how to heal a society; they still think (or now just know how much money can made) that punitive measures are what deters people from "ending up" homeless and/or "fucked up".

We have examples around the globe of tried and true ways to combat individual societal breakdowns yet I find those that have the ability to make key decisions can't see any other view but their own, one forged in the outdated and punitive based education system - everyone's born with an even chance to make something great of themselves. And sure, aren't we just. But being born is a lottery and that's just the beginning.

Not entirely true. I can't help but think that if countries made corporations pay their taxes we'd have a little extra laying about.

Well yeah, but that requires governments and corporations to take action. Currently, the programs available to help are underfunded and under resourced and we working in them are tired and burnt out by the sheer number of people who need help and so little help available.

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They aren't designed to be ineffective, they are so deeply under-resourced that they: 1) Lack sufficient staff to keep pace with need, and 2) Have added a number of criteria so they can prioritize resources to those with greatest needs. You can't design your way out of that kind of mess, the only improvement would come from more funding to support organizations.

This is very much incorrect. Programs such as Housing First and permanent supportive housing have demonstrated that virtually no single person is "unhouseable". Rather, they just need the right housing and right supports to keep them in that housing. Mental illness and criminality are not the problems, sufficient housing and supports for those living with mental illnesses and who have criminal histories is the problem.

I've worked in the sector, people experiencing homelessness are kept well informed on available supports. Unfortunately they are vastly under-resourced. For example our community has a rent bank but it always runs out, which isn't an issue of awareness.

This is very true and a good starting point for a tip. I'll note that you have presented a US specific option on a global site, but that said, many other countries will have similar options available like a rent bank or utilities arrears assistance, worth looking into.

However, as many are already pointing out, the challenge in most communities at this time is that these supports are vastly over-extended. Apart from a few outlier countries like Finland which is still building new social housing, the number of people in housing need is increasing faster than affordable options, and therefore homelessness is rising.

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It's both/(drugs more than criminality), at least initially

Finland has essentially zero homelessness, yet they have drugs and mental illnesses. The U.S. has nearly 10x the rate of homelessness as Canada, yet they both have drugs and mental illnesses. The differentiators are availability of affordable housing and supports to make that housing work for those with highest needs.

Because homelessness (at least in the US) is pretty rarely the result of a lack of money. Largely its based around mental illness, addiction, and disenfranchised youth.

Exactly, this is r/LifeProTips, not “r/USALifeProTips

If relevant, jurisdiction should always be stated.

Lets also add that this help is never instant. Wait times on average are like 3 months or more. If youre a single male,good luck, youre at the bottom of the priority list.

Also add that if you do end up needing this assistance be respectful to the people answering the calls. They are simply there to collect your info and add you to the waitlist. They dont control how fast shit goes so dont call to take your anger out on them for a situation you got your ownself into.

.......at least initially.