Another cause of homelessness is mental illness

(4) mental illness,

People need support, whether that be emotional, physical, or relational.

A gross lack of support in any of these areas can lead to mental illness. Studies find that childhood trauma and neglect as well as being exposed to drugs and violence are common factors that make people more susceptible to mental illness.

One of the best ways to take preventative measures against the causes of mental illness, neglect, and trauma, is to have a community filled with support. I theorize that this is best accomplished by taking some ancient but true advice. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Mental illness is not something we can cure overnight, but we can certainly decrease the number of people being left to live on the streets if we have a close-knit loving community for them to turn to.

Practically this could be achieved in many ways.

Being involved in your local food shelter, meeting your neighbors, extending offers of generosity to those in need. The bottom line is we need to be intact with our community.

That could even mean taking someone into your home, maybe temporarily, maybe permanently. It’s found that for the chronically homeless in their 50s and 60s stable housing is the only proven solution. The elderly who are mentally ill have quite a hard time getting into the workforce or pursuing any form of education again.

In contrast, those that are young adults with mental health issues do move on to school, jobs, and in some cases, independent living.

No matter where you are or what you do, you can find a way to love your neighbor as yourself.