this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2026
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[–] Pixel_Jock_17@piefed.ca 11 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It's tough because many situations are different and reasons why someone is homeless. In this comic the guy says he got sick, so it's clear this situation a free housing solution would probably help.

In many situations there is a combined addiction and mental health issue that creates the problem. From my own experience with family, we had someone who needed help but refused it and it resulted in having them removed from the home.

People can become homeless like that and continue to refuse help and they go from friend to friend without making a change until they're friendless and homeless. The biggest issue is they don't want to accept the actual help they need but would rather just a hand out of money.

[–] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (3 children)

You got the order backwards. Homelessness creates drug addiction, not the other way around.

[–] Tigeroovy@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It absolutely happens both ways.

People don’t only get into drugs because they’re already homeless.

[–] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Yes. Except before homelessness, the wealthy consume drugs at far higher rates than poor people. A wealthy person has a drug habit and can just ride through it without losing housing. If you take a homeless drug addict and give them a billion dollars, they would just be another billionaire with a ketamine habit. This is why it's absurd and abusive to demand people get clean before you provide them housing.

[–] Pixel_Jock_17@piefed.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Well I have a middle class family member who had their life totally set out for them who then has abused drugs and alcohol and are in the slow process of losing everyone around them and being asked to leave their family home with wife and kids due to the abuse and defiance that they have any problems. They will find themselves homeless soon and still an addict.

I don't know if these circumstances are set one way or the other. It's always sad because help has been offered and given for a decade.

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 2 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I don't think that's always true. Some people develop a drug addiction and then that leads to homelessness. Spend increasing amounts of time and money on drugs instead of life needs, and then they're broke jobless and out of options.

Someone who's homeless may use drugs and develop an addiction, too. But the order of events isn't fixed. I don't know how common either order is.

[–] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Wealthy people use drugs at far higher rates than poor people. Drugs are expensive after all. The difference is that when you're poor, drug use makes you homeless.

Also, I sure as hell would want to be high 24/7 if I had to sleep on the sidewalk.

[–] WanderingThoughts@europe.pub 1 points 2 days ago

Precarious circumstances creates drug addictions.