In Los Angeles County, unsheltered homelessness rose by 9% between 2020 and 2023. In this county alone, more than 75,500 people experience homelessness every night. Although there are many men’s, women’s, and family shelters in Los Angeles, those who use them don’t always have access to services for creating safe, sustainable lifestyles. At Midnight Mission, people without stable housing benefit from meaningful accountability, structured planning, and a diverse range of needs-specific resources. Our preventative care limits recurrent homelessness by promoting self-sufficiency.
What Does It Mean to Be Homeless?
Homelessness can mean many different things. All people, irrespective of gender, race, age, personal history, or other factors deserve to live with dignity and hope. For some, homelessness means sleeping on the street. For others in LA, it entails sleeping in tents, homelessness camps, and other forms of makeshift, non-traditional housing. However, homelessness can additionally include couch-surfing or living in quarters that do not meet the most basic standards for habitability. If you currently lack safe, stable housing, contact Midnight Mission Los Angeles for emergency food, shelter, and bridge services.
Understanding and Mitigating the Risk Factors for Homelessness
At Midnight Mission Los Angeles, participants have the opportunity to regroup, reflect, and make plans for starting their lives anew. Experiencing housing loss often leads to feelings of shame, guilt, and regret. Not surprisingly, there’s also a strong correlation between homelessness and depression or overwhelming anxiety. Homelessness exacerbates existing mental illness and creates mental health challenges where none existed before.
Untreated mental illness frequently leads to substance abuse. When people have no other way to mute or manage their pain, they often self-treat in unhealthy ways. Moreover, some research shows that homelessness itself can be a catalyst for addiction. Midnight Mission Los Angeles rises to meet these challenges by offering health and wellness services, a 12-step recovery program, and healthy living advocacy. By establishing strong foundations of sobriety and mental wellness, these programs prime participants for success in other life areas. Sadly, when family shelters in Los Angeles lack health-oriented services like these, homelessness often becomes a recurring issue.
Domestic Violence, Insufficient Healthcare, and Poverty
Other common risk factors for homelessness include domestic violence, lack of affordable health care, and poverty. Many people are unable to work due to untreated or unmanaged physical illness, terminal illness, or all-around poor general health. Others have fled households in which they were subjected to physical, sexual, or emotional violence. Others still struggle to keep up with the rapidly rising costs of living in densely populated areas.
Get Skill-Building Services, Life-Planning Support, and More
To help people experiencing homeless achieve self-sufficiency, Midnight Mission Los Angeles offers resources like:
- Rehousing assistance
- Transportation assistance
- Job training
- Skill building
- Counseling
- Life-planning support
There is no one-size-fits-all approach that can effectively address the challenges of homelessness for all people. Each person deserves a customized and needs-specific plan for mitigating personal risk factors and preventing recurrent homelessness. At Midnight Mission, homelessness and hopelessness don’t have to go hand-in-hand. Get in touch with Midnight Mission Los Angeles today to get on the path to stability.