The Disaster of Homelessness

By Sally Raskoff

While listening to a National Public Radio (NPR) report about the Minnesota bridge collapse, one of the reporter’s comments caught my attention. She was describing how a homeless man had come by when she was interviewing people and yelled, “This is my life everyday!”

To many, it seems odd that homelessness could be similar to living through a disaster. There are differences that make many of us question that comparison, though. First, disasters are short-lived experiences, yet homelessness is a long-term problem. The longer someone is homeless, the more difficult it is for him or her to move out of it.

Second, there is direct, usually governmental, aid to survivors of disasters, whether natural or otherwise. Much of that aid often goes directly to the people who suffered the loss. However, aid for homelessness goes to organizations, not to the people who suffer the effects.

Third, disaster victims are often seen as blameless. We recognize that the precipitating event came from an outside source. Homeless people, on the other hand, are often blamed for their plight. Indeed, homelessness is one of our country’s most typical blame-the-victim scenarios.

Last, in disasters, many people jump up to help those who have suffered.  Witness the blanket and blood drives, the food and other donation programs that spring up after disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes. However, most people don’t help the homeless person at the freeway off-ramp or on the sidewalk. Aid for homeless causes has been difficult to sustain—often because homeless people appear to be to blame for their circumstances and thus seem less deserving of such help.

Perhaps it would be easier to raise aid for the homeless if people stopped to consider how homeless people resemble victims of a disaster. First, people in both situations certainly experience a breach of norms. When typical rules of society are no longer applicable, people don’t know how to behave. This situation of normlessness brings to mind Durkheim’s concept of anomie. Anomic situations are difficult for the people who exist within them. Because the longer the breach in norms exists, the more upsetting it can be for the people in that situation, most people act to repair those breaches and get to some sense of normalcy as quickly as possible. 

If you’ve ever been through a disaster or been homeless, consider how you might have tried to bring a sense of everyday reality back—and consider how comforting it was if you were successful. In the days after the 1994 Northridge  earthquake here in southern California, we had no electricity or water—thus cooking or bathing was nearly impossible. Our first few days after the earthquake were spent sweeping up debris and attempting to make the house look as “normal” as possible. We all felt as if we were acting but it was comforting to try to pretend that life was indeed “normal”.

Second, whether you are homeless or the victim of a disaster, the main tasks with which people occupy themselves are similar. Both homeless people and those who survive disasters spend their time on survival issues: where will their food, shelter, and clothing come from? Bathing is difficult and safety is an issue both from the environment and other people. For example, after the earthquake my family pulled out the camping gear and tried to create a special kind of camping trip by cooking on the Coleman stove. (The kids weren’t convinced.)

Bathing was a special challenge since our water was the last utility to return. By the fifth day, I had to go to a friend’s house in a functioning neighborhood to take a shower—we were lucky that we had friends who welcomed us. Some years ago my spouse completed emergency training with the fire department and the main message was “take care of yourselves” since emergency services probably won’t get to you in a timely manner after a major disaster. Thus their advice was to barricade neighborhoods and control the entries and exits—to suppress any looting or robbery activities. If we had had the means, we probably would have gone to a hotel out of the area so that we could have felt as normal as possible as soon as possible.

Third, both for the homeless and for those who have survived a disaster, help is often not helpful at all. Shelters may be available, but they are not perceived as safe or suitable locations to spend one’s time. Rebuilding or finding suitable shelter takes time and depends on the resources available. Disaster relief may provide low-interest loans and financial grants to survivors but are often available only to homeowners, Even though both homelessness and disasters have a deep psychological impact on those who experience them, assistance for psychological help is usually not an option unless one has the resources and awareness to seek it out.

Finally, while homelessness isn’t considered a “disaster” by most people in our society disasters can create homeless people—they do destroy homes after all. The attitudes toward these categories of homelessness are very different. Those of us who study homelessness know that it is a societal disaster and that social factors have a large impact on why people become homeless, but the public does not always see it that way.

While Durkheim’s concept of anomie helps us to understand what’s happening in the social setting during such situations, Marx’s class distinctions and analysis of the ways that power is wielded in society can be useful in explaining why we see these two situations so differently when they are actually quite similar in their experience and impact.

How can we begin to explain these differences in attitudes and assistance? For one thing, homeless people are at the bottom of the class system, while those who are aided by the government and others during disasters are more likely to be at least middle class. In the hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters of the last twenty years, homeowners were often given low-interest loans from government agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to rebuild their properties and businesses. In some cases, these supplemented insurance payouts and in many areas, the rebuilt areas were actually worth more after the disaster than before. A notable exception to this trend is the Katrina aftermath in New Orleans.

Marx’s theory can also help us better understand what happened in New Orleans before, during, and after Katrina. The populations most affected were the underclass and working poor who are still suffering the effects of that particular disaster two years later. Even if FEMA had in better working order and there hadn’t been as much bureaucratic mismanagement, these poor people likely would have suffered simply because they are poor. Marx would have a lot to say about why the levees were not repaired when the government had the prior knowledge that they were in jeopardy. Why were those projects not identified as a priority? The class distinctions furthered class divisions and exploitation during a natural disaster, enough to create a massive social disaster for one of our most unique cities.

I think the homeless man in Michigan was right on target, living as a homeless person is like living a disaster everyday—but without the assistance and support given to most disaster survivors.

Photos of Northridge earthquake damage courtesy of Richard Raskoff

Comments

[Blair Boyles]

My name is Blair. I am studying homelessness and the reasons that people are homeless. One of the reasons that my group is studying is NATURAL DISASTERS. I was wondering if you could help me in any way by sending me some articles or just emailing me about it. I need all the help I can get!!! My group has had alot of trouble finding research on NATURAL DISASTERS.
Thanks for all the help!!!
Blair

[khameed6272]

It is a sad thing we have houses that could house homeless and diaster victums yet we let them go to waste military houses not on the base of course. The pres could invest in homes and let people pay the uitlies and people would not be homesless for one. If a man can live on the streets everday then victums should be patient until they gain there everyday life back. Sure people get fursated with the postion they are in. HOMELESSNESS only a excuse not for a goverment to help people

[Rodney Watts]

I think it is a shame that we have homelessness in America because it is an excuse to the Government.All the money in tax payers money and there are millions of homeless people in this world today.

[bhiser]

Homelessness is truely a sad situation and if many people weren't so greedy maybe these people could have a roof over their heads. Some people think that homlessness only happens to lazy people or people suffering from alcoholism and addiction but that just is not true...So many people simply cannot support themselves for reasons they have no control over and plenty of homless people fought for our country.My question is why is the government allowing this and what could ever be done to give these people a quality of life.

[Ebony J]

I think no one should be homeless we have tax payers, organizations and so much money floating around and people are still homeless. There is no excuse for this. I think the homeless man was right living homeless is like living in a disaster everyday.

[Abell4570]

The homeless have to live a disaster everyday with no help or relief from the government. People who live in an area where a national disaster took place, immediately get help and relief from the government and organizations get started to help them, but very little (less to none) people help the homeless. They blame them for being homeless without knowing their circumstance. There may have been a disaster that occurred and left someone homeless, but when people jump to judgements without knowing, those people are left behind and left homeless.

[A Santillan]

I think the way the socity looks at a homeless person it that they let theirselfs get there. As for victims of natural disasters were doing what they had to do but something like a earthquake happen. However i think humans make mistakes and everyone needs a second chance and everyone needs to help homeless people as much as we help the victims from natural disasters. Homeless have to deal with this for many many year because the help is not offered to them like it should be and the only reason the victims for disasters get better is because the help is there.

[Neil]

I think it is very sad that we have homeless ness in America. I agree with the above post we have all the tax payers and we are paying millions in taxes and for what? To take our hard earned money and give it to other countries that bomb us?? We should be taking care of our own. As opposed to spending the billions on freaken Iraq aparently people have forgotten about 9-11. and all our fallen soldiers.

[Matt Ritten]

The homeless have to do deal with anomie because they do not feel normal in this kind of society today. They can get upset with diasters and other things. Homeless people and people who have faced a natural diaster are similar to each other by having to live out of the norm of society. The differences between homeless people and people affected by diasters is that people who have faced diasters usually have some kind support like insurance or aid. Certain people have a calling to something different wether it be aiding the homeless or helping people affected by natural diasters.

[delbert faden]

i have a problem with sympatizing with tose who are homeless when i was a child it was always the thing woundering where your next meal was coming from are whos house they would send you to to live i do not belive it is the goverments palce to take the money of those who work and give it to those who do not i know that a good percent of the homeless are there because of there choices they made there are ways out of all situations if you only will put your mind and body into doing the work to improve your potion in life i know it can be done because i have done it but i also know that i can also lose every thiong but i know that if it happens i have the resolve to pick myself up and start over if i have to

[AMclester]

Homeless people are displaced at different times and locations however self preservation will kick in and they will find away to make it.While a natural disaster is a larger scale group affected at once in a specific area but still self preservation kicks in and recovery begins

[Wes Johnson]

I have more sympathy for those who suffer from a natural disaster than those who are homeless. Every situation in unique but in the United States, there is simply no apparant reason to be homeless. There are thousands of opportunities out there, even with the recession. However, victims of a natural disaster lose absoultly everything and have to start from scratch. Emotion, financial, physical. The reason more are willing to help the natural disaster victims instead of the homeless is because the victims can't help themselves, whereas the homeless probably can, they just dont.

[Sunnie Norris]

The homeless have to deal with anomie because people do not feel sorry for the homeless. It is a looked at as the homeless have created this consequence for themselves. Unlike those who have went through natural disasters who only have to go through the trial for a set amount of time, the homeless must live through everday with no light at the end of their tunnel. The situations betweeen the homeless and the natural disaster victims is that the homeless do not recieve any kind of aid unlike the natural disaster victims. People have compassion on those that could not help thier situation because society knows that they could not help what happend. With the homeless, it is different because society looks at them and thinks that they have out themselves in that situation, therefore they can find a way out.

[K. STEVENS]

FOR ONE SOME HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE IN THAT SITUATION BECAUSE OF THEMSELVES THEY CHOOSE TO BE THAT WAY BY WAY OF ADDITCTION TO WHATEVER OR THEY HAD SOMETHING HAPPEN THEIR LIVES THATJUST MADE THEM GIVE UP HOPE. A PERSON THAT IS HOMELESS BY DISASTER IS VERY DOFFERENT, IN THEIR SITUATION THEY DIDNT CAUSE IT OR COULD HAVE STOPPED IT AND IN NO WAY ARE THEY AT FALUT. I PRESONALY WOULD HELP WITH A DISASTER BEFOR I WOULD HELP THE HOMELESS UNLESS I KNOW WHY THEY WERE HOMELESS TO BEGIN WITH. WHY TRY TO HELP SOMEONE THAT IS NOT WILLING TO HELP THEMSELF OR GIVE AND ADD TO THEIR PROBLEM.

[Cathy McKinnon]

I think that it is sad how we do have homeless people in America. Our government is getting enough from the tax payers and things get more and more harder for us to buy, but where does all this money go? When dealing with natural disasters people jump more quickly because that is something no one has control over and people want to help. With homeless i think some of it may be because people are scarred to pull over to someone on the side of the road. But we all do not know their story, they could have been laid off work and lost everything, including their family.

[joshua wade]

im on the fence on this one i think 90% of the homeless population is homeless because of there own choices!! but on the other hand some just have shitty luck!!

[Sarah Connell]

Disaster victims do get aid more often and sooner then homeless people do. It is sad, but many people think that homeless people are homeless because of a drinking or drug problem or some other reason in which they are in fault of, which isn't always the case.Homeless people who are just down on their luck especially in this economy today don't get that much help and that maybe one of the reasons. It is hard to tell who is telling the truth.I can't tell a persons story by just looking at them. I agree with some of the other posts we need to take care of our country more than we have in the past.

[J Turley]

ive never really consider the things this article mentioned! After reading this, i now see how the homeless man said living in that disaster is living his everyday life! most people consider homelessness to be self inficted, and in some cases may not be true!

[Tristen Loyd]

The homeless have to deal with anomie because nobody wants to "see" another person who needs help, or food. We would rather not concentrate on someone else's problems when we've got problems of our own. In some ways, natural disasters are similar to being homeless, especially if you're already poor or almost poor to begin with. However, most people that are affected by natural disasters with homes, family, and the like, usually get help by the government; whereas the people that are homeless never get help in their life unless someone takes pity on them. When we see people that are homeless, we assume that they did something to deserve being homeless. When we see victims of natural disasters, we see people whose lives were torn apart by tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes. We are more likely to help someone who has had a "natural" disaster happen to them, than someone who has come upon "hard times."

[aThomas]

Disaster victims are forced into situations that they are not able or ready to handle. A homelessness person has been working in that direction their whole life. Im sure there are some exceptions, but in my opinion ones own selfishness, pride, and laziness contributes to homelessness. Despite that fact I still think there should be overwhelming help for these homelessness people. A diaster victim might get a rude awakening in the life of homelessness person. Maybe the next time they pass by a person with a "I Homeless" sign they'll understand what it may be like.

[Chase Cotton]

Homeless people are often looked at as if they have brought their problems on themselves. These people deal with anomie because people often do not feel sorry for the homeless. We often see homeless individuals as drunkards, addicts, or people who just could not keep a job. The difference between these people and natural disaster victims is that victims of things like a hurricane will recieve help from the government and other places. We are more willing to help those who are affected by nature because nothing could be done to prevent that situation from occuring. We see the homeless as victims of their own mishaps.

[Seth Cardwell]

Homeless people have no purpose in life. We are identified by the work we do, the place we live, the people we live with, and the possessions we have. The homeless are also identified by these aspects and it does not give a good impression. We tend to view them as irresponsible in not providing for themselves and their families. On the other hand, people of natural disasters are truly victims of their circumstances. They did not bring it upon themselves, but were living their lives and suddenly disaster struck. These people we tend to feel sorry for and want to help them in their time of need.

Seth Cardwell

[npullum]

In my opinion I think that people that are homeless choose to be homeless because they can just go to the military and have a good life

[C. Mosley]

I have no choice but to be religious on this one. Most of the time no one chooses to be homeless. This should remind you to be thankful for your life and what you have everyday. Imagine not having a home to go to. Imagine your only place of refuge, privacy, and seclusion from the world taken away as a result of mother nature.

[K. Stovall]

The homeless experience being abnormal because it is not typical for someone to be homeless and wondering the streets with signs asking for food, shelter, etc. The unfortunate event of being homeless and being the victim of a natural disaster is not similar. People that are homeless are not always that way simply because of circumstance. Rarely ever is someone homeless just because a series of unfortunate events. Victims of natural disasters however had no preperation and no way of avoiding the disaster that they had no part in creating. People are less likely to give to someone who may or may not have brought their unfortunate situation upon themself.