The housing crisis in the United States seems to be worse than ever, as many individuals and families lost their usual sources of income during the pandemic. The housing crisis affects families and children; leading them to live in unstable conditions and experience constant stress about the future of their housing situation.
In addition to mental and physical stability, housing is crucial for people in recovery of substance use disorders. Displacement can lead to relapses as people deal with unstable living conditions, including experiencing homelessness. Even though there are current policies that are limiting evictions during the pandemic, many people are unaware of these policies, and do not feel empowered to advocate for themselves.
Now that some members of society are considering the pandemic to have ended, housing protection policies may become less reliable. As we approach these hard times, you may think of someone you know who is struggling with housing stress alongside substance abuse disorder and offer your support. Currently, there are policies in place to prevent eviction; these policies rely on word of mouth awareness efforts to ensure that people are empowered to advocate for their rights. You may not be able to resolve the housing crisis as a whole, but you can help those around you take action to avoid eviction.