Why do so many people refuse to come in off the street?
Posted March 13, 2016 8:25 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – While the final analysis of Vancouver’s annual homeless count last week is due out later this spring, the operators of a local shelter are revealing some of the reasons why so many people are not interested in receiving help.
Jeremy Hunka with the Union Gospel Mission notes there was an unprecedented demand for the shelter’s services this winter, but admits some homeless people simply won’t come in off the street.
“A lot of people just really value that independence. They don’t want to necessarily give that up and stay in a shelter when they feel like they want to make the best of it on their own,” he explains. “Sure it is not a house, but it’s at least their home. It’s their little piece of the world and they don’t want to come into a shelter when they feel that they might have to give up that sense of ownership that they have that piece of their life that they have staked a claim on.”
Addiction or mental illness may also play a part.
Hunka adds the challenge is helping that person realize that assistance is safe and readily available.
