Written By SCS Intern, Andre Lee
Everyone’s heard it before: “Don’t judge a book by its cover” or “Put yourself in their shoes.” These are phrases we’ve heard so many times growing up, but how often do we actually apply them?
When thinking about the unhoused population in particular, it’s easy to fall into misconceptions like, “It’s their fault,” “They don’t want to work,” or “They chose this.” But what many of us don’t consider is why someone experiencing homelessness may have difficulty finding work or “getting off the streets.” One important part of this conversation is the mental toll that housing instability can have on a person.
In fact, a longitudinal study following a representative sample of the U.S. population found a significant difference in mental well-being between housed and unhoused individuals. Whether housing instability lasted for a prolonged period or only an interim period of time, mental health and well-being decreased significantly. Another study found that the instability and stress associated with being unhoused can also increase the risk of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
But what does this stress actually look like in someone’s everyday life?
Interviews conducted by Shoreline Community Services with individuals experiencing homelessness help put this into perspective.
One anonymous individual explained, “The first thing I had to learn was the bathroom…whether I can walk to the bathroom or whether I have to drive to the bathroom. That’s the biggest thing. The bathroom is all-consuming.”
The bathroom. Something that may seem trivial to those of us who have homes, some of us may even have two or three, can become a major concern for someone who is unhoused. The point of this quote isn’t simply how difficult it can be to find a bathroom. It’s about understanding that things we barely think about in our daily lives, such as finding food, taking a shower, charging your phone, or even getting the mail, can become major considerations for someone experiencing homelessness.
When there are so many of these “little” things to think about, simply figuring out how to survive and meet your daily needs can become “all-consuming.” With prolonged exposure to this kind of uncertainty and stress, it becomes easier to understand how someone’s mental health can suffer.
Another anonymous individual noted, “A good day a year from now would be having a normal sense of things. A place to be. Even if it’s not some place I am all the time, just a place where I can organize.”
Having a place, a stepping stone, where you don’t have to constantly worry about where you will use the bathroom, charge your phone, or take a shower can make all the difference. Having somewhere to step away from the constant uncertainty and stress, even for a little while, can provide a sense of stability.
At the Compass Station, Shoreline Community Services provides the unhoused community with connections to mental health and substance-use services, showers and laundry, and housing resources. These services can help ease some of the mental burden that comes with housing instability while providing a stable place to be. Research has also found that even temporary housing can significantly reduce emergency room visits for psychiatric conditions. Having a stable place to stay can help stabilize someone’s mental health and take some of that stress and anxiety off their shoulders.
With all of this in consideration, it becomes easier to understand why it may be difficult for someone experiencing homelessness to find a job, find a place to stay, or even stop using substances. It is easy to make assumptions about the unhoused when you don’t have to worry about where you are sleeping tonight, what you are going to eat tomorrow, or even where you will go to the bathroom.
It’s important to look beyond the cover and truly understand what someone is going through before jumping to conclusions.
Mental health struggles are very real, and they reach far beyond the unhoused population. However, it is important to recognize the unique effect that housing instability can have on someone’s mental health and how that instability can affect their ability to function in everyday life.
Understanding this connection gives us an opportunity to reevaluate the misconceptions and stereotypes we may hold about people experiencing homelessness. It also reminds us of the importance of spreading awareness about the resources available to the unhoused community, including services provided at The Compass Station.
Sometimes, helping someone begins with something as simple as understanding what they are going through.
Sources
Baker, E., Lester, L., Mason, K. et al. Mental health and prolonged exposure to unaffordable housing: a longitudinal analysis. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 55, 715–721 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01849-1
Chapman, M. (2024, May 28). Exploring the Link between Housing Stability and Mental Health. National League of Cities.
CDC. (2024, October 15). About homelessness and health. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/homelessness-and-health/about/index.html
Derek A. Christopher, Mark Duggan, and Olivia H. Martin, “The Social and Individual Effects of Homeless Shelter: Evidence from Temporary Shelter Provision,” NBER Working Paper 34376 (2025), https://doi.org/10.3386/w34376.
Padgett DK. Homelessness, housing instability and mental health: making the connections. BJPsych Bull. 2020 Oct;44(5):197-201. doi: 10.1192/bjb.2020.49. PMID: 32538335; PMCID: PMC7525583.
Talmatzky M, Nohr L, Knaevelsrud C, Niemeyer H (2026) Exploring the association between housing insecurity and mental health among renters: A systematic review of quantitative primary and secondary studies. PLOS ONE 21(1): e0294222. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294222