Summary: The Impact Of Familial Relationships On Poverty And Homelessness

In the city of Los Angeles, Chris has been living on the street for the past 5 years; he’s been in and out of homeless shelters for “bad behavior” but the caregivers don't know that he’s been suffering mental illness his whole life. As a kid, he was emotionally and physically abused by his mother, which caused him to be diagnosed with PTSD and Depression. These mental health illnesses affected Chris's life because he had to spend time in and out of jails and the Criminal Justice System and could not get a job due to the criminal records placed under his name. Chris also looked towards substance abuse to make him feel better and this soon became a habit that got in the way of Chris’s ability to do simple tasks so people would see him as the street term “crackhead”. Untreated mental illness and substance abuse cause homelessness

In her article “The Impact of Familial Relationships on Poverty and Homelessness” Sairah Khan writes, that when living in a toxic household they’re forcing themselves to leave and if they don't have a place to stay, their only option is to be homeless. “Many individuals experiencing homelessness have been forced to do so as a result of broken or weakened connections with their families,” (para 5). People who are living in toxic households have forced themselves to leave since they didn't have a choice, which resulted in homelessness. It is a proven fact that people who live in a toxic household where they were physically and emotionally abused caused them to be diagnosed with any type of mental illness, which in most cases causes homelessness. After living through these situations and struggling with mental illness, it can be difficult for them since they have a different point of view of the