Those Served
At Lost Dreams restored we focus on helping, healing and the nurturing of people. We believe everyone deserves to be happy, at peace, with a roof over their heads. We all have dream goals and aspirations and unfortunately due to this thing we live called life some of us lost focus of them. We are helping make those once lost dreams a restored reality. However, in a society where certain demographics are known to be at a disadvantage and underserved in terms of access to mental health resources and quality affordable housing solutions, the essence of equal rights is undermined. Below is just a small segment of society we help and how a lack of services and housing affects them.
Veterans
Speaking of the negative effects of lack of affordable housing on one’s psyche, the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services stated that about 41% of veterans have a mental health need. This is most likely due to trauma, and peculiar mental health care cases like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which are quite common among this demographic group.
Who are veterans though? A veteran, generally speaking, is any person with long experience or years of service in any specific field. Often though, the word is used to describe ‘military veterans’, a person who once served in the military but no longer does so, due to retirement or sustained injury or disability.
According to studies conducted by the researcher, Smiljanic Stasha, an estimated number of 40,000 veterans are homeless in the US, as of March 2021 and 50% are living with mental illnesses, with leading causes being PTSD, unemployment, lack of affordable housing solutions, and substance abuse.
There is an underlying issue of the role played by the government in arriving at this statistic. Our veterans are not well catered for? What are their health insurance policies like? And how does a patriot or national hero arrive at being homeless and possibly battling a mental illness?
It is general knowledge that the mental health conditions faced by some of these veterans are a result of experiences while in the field, the training they had to undergo that may have been too intense for their cognitive abilities to comprehend, or the disappointment of what their lives have become post-injury or disability. Now they have hit rock bottom and need a place to live but have come back to different circumstances, things are different and the cost of living has changed.
The inability to reconcile the reality of their present circumstances may push them into solitude and depression, more mental health issues.
How this lack of access to mental health resources and affordable housing solutions affects them may be understood by observing the recorded increase in suicide rates among these groups.
In a study conducted and published in 2017, it was gathered by the International Journal of Mental Health systems that the rate of suicidal deaths among women veterans is 35 per 10,000. The government has, however, made a commendable effort in reducing this sad recurrence.
In 2015, President Obama signed The Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act into law, which targeted all programs designed specifically to prevent suicides. Unfortunately, the number of mentally challenged and suicide deaths among veterans continued to increase.
Such a frustrating situation requires help as there is only so much the government can do. Heroes cannot be continually lost to the war of mental illness and homelessness. They need access to helpful services and given a reason to believe in humanity, especially after nearly sacrificing their humanity for the greater good.
Elderly
Senior citizens usually want to relax, enjoy their old age quietly and play bingo. This is usually not achievable for the larger percentage of this demographic, without access to mental health resources and quality affordable housing.
Everyone has the right to live in a comfortable, yet affordable home and neighborhood, and this is even more so for older people. According to the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, about 6.4 million senior citizen renters and a little above 10 million homeowners will be burdened by home costs by 2035. The majority of homeowners will be spending more than half of their income on the expenses associated with housing.
According to the National Library of Medicine, approximately half of the homeless people in the US are senior citizens above the age of 50 and this is likely because programs and policies made in the 80s to cater to homeless individuals did not exactly have the elderly in the picture.
This leaves them with limited options and those seeking to acquire a house, face difficulties in terms of cost and availability. No doubt, provisions have to be made to meet these accommodation, But to prevent the ripple effects of homelessness in the senior citizen population, which may include sickness due to exposure to the natural elements, depression due to exasperation and frustration with the inability to get affordable but comfortable housing, and eventual death if moved to the extreme.
On the matter of mental health, the CDC states that 20% of people aged 55 years and older are likely to experience some type of mental health concern or another, with the most common cases being anxiety, cognitive impairments, and mood disorders.
The ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America), suggests that the cost of therapy is a constant deterrent from getting the needed mental or psychological help. Senior citizens need to be assisted with these funds and although some policies have been set in place, relieving some senior citizens of the heavy financial burden in getting mental health care, a large percentage of elderly people cannot afford mental health care or affordable housing solutions they need. Assistance is needed and much of this help comes from contributions from well-meaning citizens and organizations, which ultimately go a long way in providing accommodation and mental health care.
Special needs
Mentally Challenged
The mentally challenged often suffer the same fate, perhaps worse as homelessness and mental illnesses are both causes and effects simultaneously.With a substantial number of mentally challenged individuals unsatisfied with the level of compassion and understanding of their condition, you may understand why getting access to affordable housing can be a stretch for them.It is estimated that people living in shelters are three times more likely to have disabilities when compared with the rest of the population. This implies that conviction, disability, and homelessness share a strong relationship and must be tackled to curb government spendings, increased crime rate, and drug addiction.It doesn’t help that mentally challenged are often criminalized and incarcerated, making correctional facilities the largest caregiver for mentally challenged individuals.This often compounds the issues of this segment of society as they have to deal with the challenges faced with being ex-convicts and mentally challenged, making it extremely difficult to gain access to affordable housing.
Physically Challenged
According to Wikipedia, a physical disability is a limitation on a person’s physical functioning, mobility, dexterity, or stamina, which may limit other aspects of daily living. A person with a physical disability is often referred to as physically handicapped. This implies that to a very large extent, such a person may not be able to do certain things as easily as those who are not physically handicapped.
The Bureau of Internet Accessibility states that 16% of people in the US (39 million) are living with physical disabilities, 1 out of 4 adults in the U.S are living with disabilities such as vision impairments, hearing impairments, cognitive and mobility difficulties. The WHO states that over 1 billion people worldwide, live with some form of disability.
The US Census Bureau also predicts that by 2030, elderly people will likely out number children, which by implication means that the population of physically handicapped will be significantly increased. The National Council on Disability stated in its 2010 housing report that poverty and the low-income status of people with disabilities are key barriers to acquiring quality housing in the US. As earlier said, most people living with physical disabilities are more likely to suffer from one mental health challenge or another. Sadly, there is a lack of resource challenges in terms of mental health needs.
People with physical disabilities would naturally require housing conditions that are ‘handicap-friendly, yet affordable and of set standards. Unfortunately, this is usually unattainable and that has to change as it affects the physically handicaped, and the society at large negatively in the long run.
The WHO confirmed in December 2020 that there is a lack of available service for people with disabilities, with a high percentage of unmet healthcare needs, especially in remote areas.
A lack of access to resources for mental health and quality affordable housing for the physically handicapped gives these individuals the impression that they are probably undervalued and unimportant. This can affect their psyche and further complicates pre existing mental health issues. What they need is support, especially financial and psychological support. Where the work of the government ends, family and society are meant to pick up. We can all join hands together to put smiles on the faces of these physically disadvantaged people and achieve greatness.
Transitional/at-risk youth
Transitional youth’ is the term used to describe the category of young people between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four who are in transition from foster care or state custody and are at risk (Wikipedia) – basically aging out of the foster care system. They are young, vulnerable people seeking to start a promising life but are held back by factors such as limited resources and a family to support them.
This makes a lot of official processes more complicated for these individuals, with the usual absence of a family member to guarantee their official signatories and related documents. This could prove to be problematic when it comes to accessing limited resources like mental health care and quality accommodation, seeing as their age may deny them the privilege of a sustainable well paying job, eliminating the viability of purchasing an apartment on their own.
This in itself can lead to mental health complications with the pressure of inadequacy and the need to meet up to a certain societal standard.Clearly, guidance and counseling are needed, especially from a place of trust. These young ones already feel alone and confused; what they likely need the most would be assistance with mental health resources, affordable housing solutions, and a reassurance that all will be well eventually.
Therapy is a very important part for them as it would go a long way in answering burning questions about life and the future. However, the rates for therapists for their much-needed and requisite service are often exorbitant from the perspective of these transitioning youth who are yet to find their bearing in life.
As a result, many may consider other options which may be detrimental to their health and continued existence. Options like drugs to forget the pain, illegal businesses to sort out financial needs, and other wrong decisions generally. They need help before it gets to that point. According to the Juvenile Justice Series, September 2013 report, ‘ Each year, more than 2 million children, youth and young adults formally come into contact with the juvenile justice system…and of those children, youth and young adults, 65-70 percent have some forum of diagnosable mental health needs.
These young people aging out of the foster care system and being thrust into the real world, often face the challenge of paying rent consistently and may eventually find themselves back on the streets. These are the ones who need help, they need our help, at least until they can find their way.
Ex-Offender
Statistically, a criminal record is one of the leading barriers to getting comfy, pocket-friendly housing. This could be a major contributor to the population of repeat offenders, who are left with no choice but to return to the streets, which likely led them to incarceration in the first place.
While there are better support systems set out for family integration, mental health monitoring, and substance abuse for ex-offenders, there’s very little effort directed towards the need for affordable housing for these vulnerable members of society as this report from the National Research Council suggests.
The lack of gainful employment and affordable housing often leads to recidivism as ex-offenders will often struggle to live a life devoid of crime without a roof over their head
Homelessness
Homelessness is a societal and global concern affecting the countries throughout the world and more of a bigger problem in people with mental illness. A home is a place that includes elements of stability, privacy, safety, security and the ability to control living space. Homelessness is thus defined as lack of these elements in the living space or residence which is transient in nature, unsuitable and unstable for accommodations such as in shelters.
Research has shown that homelessness may contribute to mental illness and vice versa, i.e. the people having poor mental health conditions are more than twice as likely to experience homelessness in their lifetime,
Crowding, pollution, inadequate lighting, noise, poor hygiene and maintenance are usually associated with poor housing quality. Homeless conditions and slums can result in exacerbation of certain psychiatric disorders, like substance abuse, violence, depression, anxiety, and can lead to social, occupational, societal dysfunction. Psychiatric disorders in homeless individuals, for instance, psychosis (3–42 %) is estimated to be three times higher than in the population with a sheltered living (Fazel et al., 2014).
People living on the streets are more than likely to suffer from poor health conditions like TB, DM, chronic cough. These conditions are generally neglected as far as treatment is concerned due to issues of poverty, ignorance. Increased prevalence of substance abuse in this population further adds to the concern of poor treatment outcomes. All these unmet needs, poverty, job concerns, poor access to food supply add to mental stress and burden. All these lead to poor immunity in this population cohort, in the background of poor hygienic conditions. Hence, if exposed, homeless people are much more at risk of developing illness due to COVID-19 than rest of the population. The other added personal vulnerabilities homeless people have to cope with are social isolation/exclusion and stigmatization, high rates of criminality and violence, lack of reliable and affordable health care,mental health resources and quality affordable housing solutions. It is not very difficult to reason that homelessness and victimization associated with it, blocks the path to recovery. Other barriers like stigma, difficulty in assessing available treatment options further add to this already existing problem.