WHO ARE OUR CHRONICALLY HOMELESS NEIGHBORS? We see the chronically homeless on the streets, in shelters, holding signs at intersections. They carry packs or push carts, and often wear multiple layers of clothing because they have nowhere to store it. These are people who struggle with multiple, interrelated problems with deep roots, including histories of childhood abuse and trauma, deep poverty, illness and lack of connection to the broader community. Together these factors create personal environments that include poor educational achievement, unstable work histories and lack of skills. The chronically homeless share a host of characteristics that make them difficult to serve, particularly within context of traditional service systems. Chemical dependence, mental illness, physical and developmental disabilities are common. The behaviors that rise from these issues often lead to incarceration or institutionalization, multiple hospitalizations and emergency room use.
On January 31, 2008, volunteers with the annual Montana Survey of the Homeless identified 184 persons considered chronically homeless by the HUD definition: 169 of them had a diagnosed disability.
HUD Definition of Chronic Homelessness: A chronically homeless person is an "unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or who has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years."
Resources for Ending Chronic Homelessness
A Blueprint for Change: Ending Chronic Homelessness for Persons with Serious Mental Illnesses and Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders
