According to the Center for American Progress (CAP), “People with mental health disabilities are vastly overrepresented in the population of people who experience homelessness. Of the more than 550,000 people in America who experienced homelessness on a given night in 2017, 1 in 5 had a mental illness.” CAP goes on to point out that there is a “vicious cycle between homelessness and mental illness.” It is very difficult to see a doctor, receive mental health care, and keep up with medications and treatments when one is homeless, and “the extreme stress, anxiety, isolation, and sleep loss that come with homelessness worsen mental and physical health problems.”

According to Shelterforce, “People with disabilities have the constitutional right to choose community-based care rather than institutionalization, but without enough accessible, affordable units, some are still being forced to live in nursing homes, [group homes, or institutions.]” Once “in the system,” it can be very difficult to escape. According to The Arc, “Institutions create an isolated, unnatural way of life that is inappropriate and unnecessary, while consuming a disproportionate share of limited public resources.”

People with disabilities “are by far the most under-employed, unemployed, and impoverished of all marginalized groups,” according to Urban Land, which makes affording a place to live especially difficult. Some people with disabilities find themselves with nowhere to go and can end up living on the streets. “Hospitalization, medical treatment, incarceration, police intervention, and emergency shelter expenses can add up quickly,” reports National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives, “making homelessness surprisingly expensive for municipalities and taxpayers.” The clear solution to this problem is to ensure that people have a place to live, and yet policies to make that happen are not made a priority at the state or federal level. “The leading cause of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing,” reports the Center for American Progress. “Therefore, the key to ending homelessness for virtually all populations—with and without disabilities—is affordable, accessible, permanent housing.” 

Finding a job is often very difficult for people with disabilities. In fact, unemployment is much higher for people with disabilities than it is for the general population. A lack of affordable and accessible housing leaves some people with disabilities without a stable place to live, which hinders employment. Add to that a lack of accessible transportation and finding employment can be nearly impossible.

Unfortunately, our nation’s lack of affordable and accessible housing means there are people with disabilities who find themselves living on the street. People who are unhoused are at greater risk of violence. “Homeless people, like everyone else, need safety, which mostly comes from having a home to live in,” reports the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “And every member of our communities needs to know that we are all safer when everyone has a stable place to call home. The humanity of everyone in the United States depends on our ability to make that happen.”