subject: Why Do Some Homeless People Prefer To Sleep Outside? [print this page] Although it is wonderful homeless shelters exist and that there are homeless shelter workers who do their best to care about people without homes, not all of the homeless shelters in the United States are safe enough for people to feel comfortable enough to sleep in. A lot of homeless people prefer to sleep "in the rough." They actually prefer to sleep outside rather than to bed down in a homeless shelter. This article will explore some of the reasons why some homeless people would rather spend the night outside than in a shelter.
Homeless Shelter Check in Hours Conflict With Work Hours
A lot of homeless people actually have jobs. They just are not earning enough money to pay for a roof over their heads. Homeless shelters often have a rigid schedule for checking in and waiting in line could take hours. If someone works 9 to 5 he or she will usually not have enough time to get a place in line that will allow them to check into a shelter.
In addition, some homeless people work during the evening or at night. Their work schedules won't allow them to get into shelters before curfew.
For this reason a lot of people who have regular jobs find that it's necessary to sleep outside.
Homeless Shelters are Hunting Grounds for Human Predators
Homeless shelters and the area near homeless shelters seem to attract the dregs of society - the human predators who prey on people who are having a hard time taking care of the basic necessities of life. Some predators are rapists while others get some sort of sadistic pleasure out of tracking, taunting, and beating up homeless people as they leave the shelters.
Unfortunately police usually don't' take complaints from homeless people very seriously and criminals are well aware of it.
Sure, there are often attendants on watch. But few if any of them are trained to cope with violent behavior. For these reasons a lot of homeless people avoid missions, homeless shelters and even going to soup kitchens by pretending that they are not homeless because they've found that by doing this they are less prone to being attacked by any predators.
Contracting Parasites from a Homeless Shelter
In general homeless people tend to carry a lot of parasites. This is probably due to having to share the bedding that a lot of other homeless people have slept in.
It doesn't matter how clean homeless shelters are kept, when someone sleeps in one there is always a danger of getting parasites. It is highly likely that at some point in time anyone who has had to sleep in a shelter has ended up getting public lice, head lice, bedbugs or scabies. And when a person is homeless it is very difficult to get rid of these parasites.
Homeless shelter personal, for the most part are doing their best to take care of their clients. They try to help them not only have a roof over their heads for the night, but to get proper training and jobs that will pay enough for them to find their own homes. Homeless shelters often use information and referral software to help keep proper records.
