Home-less

Homeless.

Recently, I was speaking to a group of middle school students who were writing essays about this issue and a young lady asked me if there was a space between the words 'home' and 'less.' I answered her and then continued with the topic, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking about her question. It wasn't particularly profound and her intent was not to provoke a larger discussion; she had a spelling question, plain and simple.

But the more I thought about the phrasing, I began to realize there is a gap between the the two words. It has nothing to do with the spelling and everything to do with the perception. Being homeless and home-less are two very different things.

Home-less implies the problem is a lack of housing. This is easily identifiable and actually not difficult to address or solve. If a family or individual is home-less, the issue is remedied by providing or helping them secure a home. On a base level, the intimate variables are removed and the narrative is less about people and more focused on habitats. Drywall and foundations are needed. If a physical structure can be built, the problem of being home-less goes away. Home-lessness is characterized by building permits and zoning regulations and solved by construction projects and housewarming parties. If this were the brunt of the conversation, we could well be on our way to ending an American epidemic.

Unfortunately, homelessness lacks the hyphen or open space separating the two words. Homelessness is a snare often predicated upon a set of circumstances not easily fixed. Its systemic nature can engulf entire generations, making self-reliance impossible even if it desired. Children born into poverty have a higher likelihood of not finishing high school. The high dropout rate can be accomplished by illegal activity and higher instances of single-parent households. When kids don't finish school, college becomes unlikely and lower-paying jobs become a reality.

Homelessness and poverty can be cyclical because they are handed down from one generation to the next. Living paycheck to paycheck is difficult enough, and when finances are depleted unexpectedly due to any number of emergencies, homelessness is only a step away. This problem is not absolved with any brick and mortar dwelling. Addressing the conditions causing poverty... lack of education, expensive health care, abysmal living wage conditions, just to name a few... will be the key to eliminating homelessness.

I'm thankful for occasional spelling errors because they make me think.