{"id":18630,"date":"2022-07-05T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=18630"},"modified":"2022-10-09T04:21:42","modified_gmt":"2022-10-09T08:21:42","slug":"shelters-arent-right-for-everyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/shelters-arent-right-for-everyone\/","title":{"rendered":"Shelters Aren’t Right For Everyone"},"content":{"rendered":"
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And People Who Choose Not to Use Them Aren’t Stupid or Irrational<\/span><\/h2>\n

A common refrain flies out of the mouths of “concerned citizens” everywhere whenever they see people sleeping on sidewalks, in tents, or in any other public place. It’s as out-of-touch as it is illogical, but that doesn’t make it any less ubiquitous. Maybe you’ve even thought it yourself. It goes a little something like this:<\/span><\/p>\n

“Why don’t they just go to a shelter?”<\/em><\/p>\n

For bonus paternalism points, it may even be followed up with some version of, “don’t they know what’s good for them?”<\/span><\/p>\n

And to that, the answer is yes.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Politicians, talking heads, and social media commenters would do well to remember that everyone’s needs are unique, and the only person qualified to judge what’s best in any situation is the person going through it. Not the people furiously typing away judgmental, one-size-fits-all solutions from their couches during commercial breaks.<\/span><\/p>\n

And if you can’t trust the word and lived experience of thousands of unhoused people, here’s a shiny new\u00a0<\/span>scientific study<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to prove it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Staying in Shelters Comes with Risks<\/span><\/h3>\n

People who’ve never spent the night in a homeless shelter tend to think of them as a solution with all pros and no cons. From this viewpoint, they can’t understand why anyone would logically prefer to sleep out on the streets or in an encampment rather than indoors in a shelter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than investigate why that may be, many people don’t give it a second thought, concluding that the people who do this must be irrational, uninformed, or just lacking the ability to make good decisions for themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

The reality is much different.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are plenty of reasons why a logical, informed person without housing would choose not to stay in a shelter, even assuming that one is available. We’ve\u00a0<\/span>talked<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>about<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>this<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>before<\/span><\/a>, but here’s a quick rundown of common reasons people choose to avoid shelters:<\/span><\/p>\n