I work with communities all over the United States to help them address homelessness. In my work, I often encounter people assuming that those who are homeless in their community are actually from other places. This assumption is usually coupled with the belief that people are being “shipped” there because of a shelter or other service the community has, and they have moved there to access this service. I have encountered this misconception in almost every community I’ve worked with, and it isn’t true. Across the country, research has shown that the majority of people that are homeless in a community are actually from that community.
Author: Andrae Bailey, Founder & President, Rethinking Homelessness
