On any given night in America, anywhere from 700,000 to 2 million people are homeless, according to National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. Those without a steady roof over their head sometimes turn to drinking, in fact, 66 percent of homeless people have problems with alcohol.
In many cases, the temporary housing options that are available have restrictions on alcohol consumption, which presents a barrier for many.
However, a new study shows housing projects that allow people with severe alcohol problems to drink in their apartments actually drank less, cutting their consumption by 35 percent.
More on the controversial findings
“Homeless individuals have multiple medical, psychiatric and substance abuse problems, and housing that requires them to give up their belongings, adhere to curfews, stop drinking and commit to treatment all at once is setting them up to fail,” said Susan Collins, lead author and University of Washington research assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.
“The result is that we are relegating some of the most vulnerable people in our community to a life on the streets.”
The impacts on homelessness and on society
The housing project in Seattle was the first housing project to participate in a scientific study. By allowing alcohol in their housing, it’s estimated they saved the taxpayers about $4 million in social services.
“A lot of people believe in the ‘enabling hypothesis’ – that allowing homeless, alcohol-dependent individuals to drink in their homes will enable them to drink more, and their drinking will spiral out of control,” Collins said. “But instead what we found are across-the-board decreases in alcohol consumption and problems.”
A sense of home
The research shows cutting down on alcohol consumption leads to an overall improvement in health, and reduces the chances of medical complications brought on by alcohol, including heart problems and erectile dysfunction.
“Participants in the study told us that they’re happy to have a home, and happy that they no longer have to drink to stay warm or to put themselves to sleep or to forget that they’re on the streets.”
