But I thought about it a bit longer and I think I was wrong. Homelessness is not so much a disability as it is a disabler. It disarms people on multiple levels. It steals dignity and self respect as much as it kills hope and presents tangible physical difficulties. If a person is caught in its clutches long enough it does disable them from functioning in society as well as in isolation. It is the great segregator as much as it forces people together to try and cope with a life of communal dependence. There are official definitions and classifications of homelessness that would cure an insomniac, but the more we try to capture it with a definition, the more it seeps out of our neatly constructed box and becomes an 8 year old living under the bridge with her mom.
Words can't feel when the temperature dips below freezing.
So, as autumn begins its methodical descent into early winter, here are some conditions that many of our homeless brothers and sisters face. We can haggle over definitions and terms and the arrangement of letters that make us feel more comfortable, but I also ask that we remember that the effects of homelessness on a person are much more than a case of semantics.
Cold Injury
This is especially important in the northwestern United States and Canada and is the result of being without proper protection from the cold.
Cardio-Respiratory diseases
Many suffer from upper respiratory problems or chronic physical illnesses such as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure.
Tuberculosis
TB is highly infectious and common among those in shelters and in the streets. The rate of TB among homeless people is at least a hundred times greater than the average for the general population.
Skin diseases
Homeless people are predisposed to skin problems and edema resulting from malnourishment, poor circulation, ill-fitting shoes, cuts and dirty clothing.
Nutritional deficiencies
Because of poor nutrition and lack of care, a high percentage of homeless persons have dental problems and suffer from malnourishment, which increases the risk of infectious diseases and gastrointestinal disorders.
Sleep deprivation.
For most people sleeping is difficult in the noisy atmosphere of shelters. Sleep disorders cause irritability, apathy and behavioral impairment. Children are especially affected.
Health problems of children and youths
Children in emergency shelters have emotional and developmental difficulties and most are unable to do well in school. These children have a rate of chronic disease twice as high as that of their more stable peers. They can suffer from upper respiratory infections, traumas and skin disorders, lice infestation, chronic problems with eyes, ears and teeth, along with malnutrition, gastrointestinal disorders, genito-urinary difficulties and sexually transmitted diseases.
Mental Illness
There are evident links among homelessness, mental health and public policies relating to the care or mentally ill people. It is generally accepted that about one third of all homeless people have serious and chronic forms of mental illness. Half of them experience hopelessness and despair because of their conditions and one in six attempt suicide.
Physical and sexual assault
Life on the streets is violent. Physical assaults and muggings are common, and these attacks precipitate health problems. Women and children are especially vulnerable. The rate of sexual assaults to homeless women is twenty times higher that for women in general.
Drug dependency
Between 10 and 15% of homeless males abuse drugs and among them there is a high occurrence of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, venereal disease, skin ailments, bruises, lacerations and injuries resulting from violence.
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