Why are so many people with serious mental illnesses homeless?
• Their symptoms are often active and untreated, making it extremely difficult for them to meet basic needs for food, shelter, and safety. • These individuals are impoverished, and many are not receiving benefits for which they may be eligible. • Up to 50 percent have co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders. • People with serious mental illnesses have greater difficulty exiting homelessness than others. They are homeless more often and for longer periods of time than other homeless populations. Many have been on the streets for years.
