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I wondered if mission staffers would know how to answer if Roy asked them that question. After a few stops and starts I told Roy that I wasnt really sure. But I was intrigued myself. I said I would do some research and email him some answers. As I dug into resources online and elsewhere I found that the cause of a person becoming homeless is never just one thing. According to the Homelessness Resource Center in most cases it is the intersection of structural factors personal histories and individual characteristics that lead to homelessness. This perfect storm of disaster pulls some people into the sinkhole of homelessness. We know that homeless people struggle with issues such as mental illness substance abuse and unhealthy relationships. But why do those issues lead some people to live on the street Lets take a deeper look. MENTAL HEALTH A ccording to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 20 to 25 percent of the homeless popula- tion in the United States suffers from some form of severe mental illness. Theyre gripped by schizophrenia bipolar disorder or severe depres- sionall manageable with the right medication and counseling but debilitating if left untreated according to a report from USA Today. The mentally ill homeless are some of the hardest to reach and toughest to treat often self-medicating with drugs and alcohol and teetering between lucidity and crippling despair. Serious mental illnesses disrupt peoples ability to carry out essential aspects of daily life such as self care and household management according to the National Coalition for the Homeless NCH. Mental illnesses may also WWW.AGRM.ORGMARCHAPRIL 2016 9 Typically families become homeless as a result of some unforeseen financial crisisa medical emergency a car accident a death in the familythat prevents them from being able to hold on to housing. Most homeless families are able to bounce back from homelessness quickly with relatively little public assistance. Usually homeless families require rent assistance housing placement services job assistance and other short-term one-time services before being able to return to independence and stability. National Alliance to End Homelessness