Homelessness and Mental Illness Today

Everywhere I go, I see the tragedy of homelessness and continue to wonder how this became such a problem nationwide. We should all feel a sense of shame that our elected officials have failed so miserably to meaningfully address the plight of our fellow human beings. I continue to educate myself. 

A big reason for today's homelessness crisis goes back to the 1980s, when President Ronald Reagan shut down state-run mental institutions and prisons to cut government spending. He promised private replacements, but only the prisons were rebuilt — because they made money. Mental health care? That didn't turn a profit, so it was left behind.

As a result, people with mental illness and addiction were dumped onto the streets. The prison system became the new mental institution — but it wasn't built to help, only to punish. Just look at the change: in Johnny Cash's 1968 concert at Folsom Prison, the inmates were mostly white. Now, prisons are overwhelmingly filled with poor Black and Brown men, many of whom never stood a fair chance.

We're not just facing a housing crisis — we're seeing the long-term effects of defunding care and prioritizing profit over people. It's time to reverse course.