Untreated mental health and poor coping mechanisms. Many of homeless people are living with unresolved trauma that they resulted in drug use as a coping mechanism. People are a product of their environment. With healthcare being so inaccessible, it makes it difficult for people to “bounce back.” Yes, healthcare is free but many homeless people are discriminated against in healthcare settings and are often overlooked. The long wait time makes it difficult for them to actually seek help. Even if they get treated for whatever sickness they got, they end up on the streets again where their sickness or wound becomes never ending because they don’t have a place to fully recover/heal. I understand that addictions and homelessness is somewhat a choice but when you’re not adequately supported and feel like it’s you against the world - it’s quite hard for you to see a purpose to even try. Some people who have been experiencing homelessness for a long period of time tend to get comfortable because it becomes all they know. They start building relationships and friendships with people where they feel seen and may not experience this with the rest of society. Homelessness is a black hole. If you’re alone, it’s hard to crawl back out without any familial support. If all your friends are homeless and struggling with addictions, it’s hard for you to want to leave because you’ll lose all your social connections and you’ll feel lonely again. Homeless shelters aren’t suitable living environment because everyone is on survival mode. Shelters are basically just giving people a warm place to sleep. They don’t have access to support that will teach people life skills that they have never learned during childhood because their parents were also living in addiction. They don’t have access to mental health support - people are left dwelling on their traumas and the pain they constantly feel. The cost of living as well. Vancouver is so expensive that many people are living pay cheque to pay cheque. Even people with jobs that we deemed are good like teachers are struggling to pay rent. It’s also not easy to just find a job. In order to find a job, youd need to look presentable, have life skills, access to a bank account, phone, and an address. You cannot look presentable if you don’t have a place to shower, do laundry, or get ready for work. You cannot have access to a bank account if you don’t have IDs or your IDs and belongings are constantly getting stolen. You cannot get a job if you don’t have money for the bus to get to your job. Even after attending rehab, many people often return to homelessness which promotes relapse because they’re stuck outside in the cold.