By Charlene Welch, Council for the Homeless

For some reason some assume that people who are homeless are dangerous, violent, and/or criminals. The fact is a person who is homeless is no more likely to be a criminal than a person who is housed, with one legal exception: camping ordinances. People who are homeless break that law merely by being unhoused. The reality is that most spend their time and resources trying to survive and improve their situation. Rather than being dangerous or lawbreakers, they are parents trying to work or find a job while they live in a car with their children. They are teens who have no supportive adults in their lives while they try to find a place to live, so they can hopefully stay in school. They are senior citizens with poor health struggling to get by. People who are homeless are more likely to be victims of a crime than to commit a crime. It is important that we not vilify people without homes but instead, see them as neighbors in need of the best-fit assistance that can help them find a home.

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Home is where a family can be themselves. From home a future becomes visible. Through the Housing Solutions Center and our partners, we help people fine home. After 2 years 86% of people thrived.