Can we find some dignity for homeless?

Over 55 social service agencies and many churches coordinate to address homelessness in DuPage.

They deliver many services from temporary shelter, to counseling, to arranging health care, training for jobs and even permanent housing; serving families including children and veterans.

These services not only improve lives but also save the taxpayers $3.5 million by preventing unneeded expensive ER visits and incarceration.

Prevention in health care and in homelessness improves results for clients and saves tax money. As a nurse who worked in our free clinic I saw that the lack of ability to pay for diabetes meds led to repeated crises with ER visits and hospital stays, as well as poor health results. Homelessness is similar. If we can intervene when a client loses a job or gets seriously ill then we can prevent homelessness and the increased family disruption, trauma and costs of extra social services needed.

Currently the Continuum of Care for Homeless does really valuable work mainly rescuing, maintaining and helping people climb out of homelessness. Clients spend a lot of their day traveling between shelters and service providers unable to stay in one place as if we were afraid to let them remain in our neighborhoods.

Can we focus more on preventing homelessness and come up with a way to help those without a permanent home that would allow them to stay in one spot, focus on their self-improvement, and just live their lives with a bit of dignity?

Dan Bailey

Wheaton