Providing stable housing is fundamental to helping homeless individuals recover from substance abuse. The Housing First model is a prominent approach that offers immediate access to permanent housing without requiring sobriety upfront. This approach creates a safe and supportive environment, making it easier for individuals to engage in treatment and other supportive services. Substance abuse significantly impacts both the health and social well-being of homeless individuals. Health concerns include a high prevalence of infectious diseases such as hepatitis and HIV, which spread through risky behaviors like sharing needles.
Overdose risks are also elevated, especially with the increased use of synthetic drugs such as synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) and new psychoactive substances (NPS). These substances have been linked to numerous hospitalizations and deaths among homeless populations. Understanding the intertwined relationship between substance abuse and homelessness highlights the importance of integrated solutions that treat addiction and provide Stable housing.
- Organizations like Discover Recovery offer specialized treatment programs that include medical detox, therapy, and aftercare planning.
- Between 25-50% of the homeless population in the US suffer from a substance use disorder with specific populations, such as women and the LGBTQ+ community, being disproportionately affected.
- On the flip side, people who are homeless might turn to drugs or alcohol while living on the street as a form of self-medication to numb the proverbial pain of living on the street.
Alcohol Rehab
- The following article will explore how substance abuse plays a role in understanding the links between homelessness and addiction.
- Providing access to comprehensive treatment, support services, and stable housing is crucial for helping homeless individuals overcome substance abuse and regain control of their lives.
- Research indicates that a large percentage of homeless youth misuse drugs or alcohol to numb emotional pain and daily stress.
- While some social connections may encourage drug and alcohol use, others can promote recovery and support.
Detox programs provide medical stabilization for individuals undergoing withdrawal from drugs or alcohol. This process is closely monitored by healthcare professionals to ensure safety and comfort. Detoxification is often the critical first step in a comprehensive treatment plan, preparing individuals for long-term recovery by addressing the immediate physical effects of substance use.
Individuals struggling with homelessness often struggle with low income, mental illness, medical debt, and medical health problems. Combinations of mental illness, low income, and high or unexpected bills (accidents, medical care, mental healthcare) are among the most common causes of homelessness. This ties into self-medication or using drugs and alcohol to cope, increased exposure to drugs and alcohol, and lack of real options regarding comfort and how many homeless are addicted to drugs relaxation. Self-Medication – Homelessness causes considerable mental, physical, and emotional stress, especially for families. Homelessness challenges the self, the sense of self-worth, and one’s public image, leaving many feeling worthless, ashamed, and responsible for their lack of a home.
Overcoming the Stigma Associated with Addiction
Substance abuse often emerges or escalates when individuals lack secure housing, and underlying addiction can make stable housing difficult to maintain. By analyzing the data behind these complex relationships, service providers, policymakers, and community members can design interventions that tackle housing and substance use simultaneously, rather than treating each in isolation. To address substance use among the homeless population, a harm reduction approach has shown promise in reducing drug-related risk behaviors, fatal overdoses, mortality, morbidity, and substance use. Case management interventions have also been effective in reducing substance use among this population.
All of these models for treating homelessness and drug addiction see treatment as a continuum, rather than an end point. Long-term treatment, an affordable house and continued support during recovery are all essential if a homeless addict is going to remain sober. Surveys conducted on homeless populations and those in transitional housing have linked addiction and homelessness. Substance abuse can significantly hinder their ability to escape homelessness, as addiction may interfere with their efforts to find stable housing, employment, and education.
How Samba Recovery Helps Clients Navigate Post-Treatment Challenges
Evidence suggests that case management approaches are significantly better than treatment as usual in reducing substance use. It’s important to note that while substance abuse is more prevalent in the homeless population, homelessness cannot be solely explained by substance use. However, individuals facing housing instability due to low income are at an increased risk of losing their housing if they use substances 3. Also, there are significant disparities in access to addiction treatment and mental health services for BIPOC communities, making it more challenging for them to receive the care they need. But OKC’s Point In Time Count this year showed that 23% of people surveyed were experiencing mental health issues or addiction, slightly lower than the national average of 26%.
Harm reduction approaches have shown promising results in reducing drug-related risk behavior, fatal overdoses, and substance use among people experiencing homelessness and using drugs. These approaches aim to minimize the negative consequences of substance use without requiring immediate abstinence. Examples of harm reduction interventions include needle exchange programs, safe consumption sites, and the distribution of naloxone to prevent opioid overdoses 5.
The harsh environmental conditions, such as hunger, exposure to violence, and traumatic experiences, create frequent stressors that may lead individuals to use alcohol or drugs as coping mechanisms. There are a lot of assumptions surrounding the topic of “why people become homeless”, especially here in Orange County. While discussing this topic, I often hear people cite mental illness or substance use disorders as the primary cause of homelessness. However, the data from studies looking into these topics and the stories that I hear from clients that I work with do not support this narrative. Previous research has indicated that substance use rates among homeless youth are significantly higher compared to their non-homeless counterparts. Estimates suggest that 39% to 70% of homeless youth abuse drugs or alcohol, with substance use reported as two to three times higher than among non-homeless young adults.
Community-based case management, counseling, peer support, and skill-building programs support individuals’ recovery journeys. Accessible treatment options, reduced barriers such as lack of insurance, transportation, or awareness, are vital. Public venues like libraries can serve as accessible places for outreach and intervention. They also suffer from minority stress, stress which stems from internalized feelings of cultural/social exclusion and fuels their chemical dependency. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimated that roughly 36% of all homeless people suffered from a substance use disorder, a mental health condition, or both. A holistic framework that includes aftercare, supportive housing, and social connections is essential to reducing recidivism to both homelessness and substance abuse.
Related Resources
Get professional help from an online addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp. According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, nearly one-third of the homeless suffer from a serious mental illness. Often, these people were released from mental institutions and found themselves back on the streets shortly after being discharged.
Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment Options
Holistic strategies not only promote individual recovery but also contribute to more resilient communities, ultimately breaking the cycle of homelessness and substance dependence. Housing First is a government-funded approach that addresses housing issues as the primary concern for homeless individuals with substance abuse problems. This approach recognizes that stable housing is essential for individuals to effectively address their substance abuse issues. By providing housing as the initial step, Housing First programs offer a foundation of stability from which individuals can access the necessary support for recovery. These programs often integrate mental health services, case management, and substance abuse treatment to provide comprehensive care 1. Efforts like Housing First policies and supported housing programs that integrate mental health and substance use treatments have shown promise.
Our residential and medication-assisted detox programs provide a safe and supportive environment for individuals to begin their recovery journey. By integrating evidence-based therapies and holistic approaches, we help clients overcome addiction and achieve long-term stability. Despite these significant research gaps, immediate actions are needed to address the unique and severe health challenges of unsheltered populations, the researchers conclude.
Many turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with the trauma, violence, and instability that characterize street life. The high rates of trauma and mental health issues within this group make them more susceptible to developing substance dependence. Either way, 34.7% of all homeless persons seeking aid at shelters have chronic substance use disorders.
“There are humans behind those numbers, and their experience is not a statistic for them,” Holt said. “Every year, between 80 to 90% of people experiencing homelessness tell us that they became homeless right here in Oklahoma City or in the state of Oklahoma,” Holt said. It may take an entire team of family, friends and others to help someone break out of that vicious cycle. It just takes someone like a social worker or addiction counselor who knows and understands what programs are available locally to help families find the help they need for a loved one. For those seeking addiction treatment for themselves or a loved one, all phone calls are confidential and are available for 24/7 help.
These approaches recognize that harm reduction does not solely focus on abstinence but on minimizing health risks and engaging individuals in care. Stable housing combined with accessible, tailored treatment services creates a foundation for healthier, more stable lives. The difficult conditions of living on the street, having to find food, struggling with ill health, and being constantly away from loved ones create a highly stressful state of being. Individuals suffering from homelessness may additionally develop psychiatric conditions in response to a harsh lifestyle often characterized by feeling threatened by violence, starvation, and a lack of shelter and love. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SMAHA) estimates that roughly 38% of the homeless population suffer from an alcohol dependency while 26% abused drugs. Additionally, they found that 68% of cities reported that substance abuse was the largest cause of homelessness among single adults.
