Part 1: So I Did a Student Survey on Homelessness...

Hi everybody, today's post will be featuring responses from 6 questions about homelessness, that I asked 8th graders at my school. These responses interested me, and I was very pleased that 41 people took the time to answer these questions thoroughly.

Question 1: What did you grow up knowing about homelessness?

Most students said that they observed homelessness growing up, they knew that it was a problem, and it could be caused by mental illness, drug addiction, injury, or debt.

Responses included:

• "Many people in big cities tend to suffer from homelessness. Homelessness could be caused by drug addictions, war debt and injuries, or family issues. Many homeless people are unwilling to go to homeless shelters cause they want to keep their freedom on the streets."

• "I just grew up knowing that homelessness was a situation in which a person does not have enough money or resources to help themselves. I didn't ever really learn the cause behind it, but I did sort of learn the message that there are things you can do to help homeless people like giving out food or money or supporting a charity that helps them."

• "Growing up, I've known that homelessness is a very big issue and very hard to escape once you are a part of it."

Question 2: How do you feel when you see homeless individuals/encampments on the side of the streets while driving?

Responses ranged from feeling sad, bad, to uncomfortable. Many students felt like these homeless victims should be able to have a home and their community should do more to help prevent this issue. Some even mentioned that they do not really pay attention to homeless people, but they still feel bad about the problem of homelessness.

Responses include:

• "When I see homeless individuals when I'm driving with my parents, it makes me upset. There are so many things that people can do to help homelessness in their communities, but many choose not to."

• "I feel disappointed because I know there are measures that could be taken to upgrade their lives. Especially while I'm filling out this survey and actively questioning the roots of homelessness, I feel very privileged. It's sort of a reckoning experience to realize that I'm out here worried about a math quiz, but so many people don't even have access to food. Also, when I see people on the side of the road, I see how they are probably good people who were affected by some extremely difficult experience and now they're at a complete disadvantage. In fact, it could've just as easily been me or someone I know becoming homeless. In COVID times too, a lot of homeless people wear their masks, which is more than can be said for a lot of people who are 10 times more privileged, so I respect their mask usage."

• "I feel a little bad but don't really pay attention."

Question 3: Why do you think people become homeless?

Many students said homelessness was caused by substance addictions or mental illness. Some even said society was unwilling to help them because of their position. Others mentioned that people become homeless due to job loss and eviction through the pandemic.

Responses include:

• "I think that recently, a lot of people have become homeless because of losing their jobs during the pandemic. The pandemic forced a lot of people out of work, and without a steady income, those individuals can't pay for their basic necessities, like their homes."

• "I think people become homeless because there is a lack of opportunity for them, or perhaps they didn't receive an adequate education. I don't think it's anyone's fault that they become homeless, I think it's more that their society failed them in training them to take a place in society, or their society isn't helping to rehabilitate them so they can reenter society. Also, I think people sometimes become homeless because of inadequate insurance. Like when someone loses their house and their insurance doesn't cover them, I think that's a frequent cause of homelessness."

• "Lots of reasons including addictions that they cant get help for, mental illness, or all sorts of other things."