Homelessness & the War on Drugs

In an age of earth-orbiting satellites and mega-economies—homelessness persists as one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the UK. At the start of 2023, England had over 270,000 homeless, with 123,000 of them being children. A national crisis? Certainly. But when we put it under the microscope to understand why, drug addiction always emerges as one of its most significant contributing factors. In this post, we’ll zoom into the link between homelessness and the war on drugs to better understand a complex issue that still cripples us today.

A Spiralling Problem

At first glance, homelessness and drug addiction seem like a chicken-and-egg quandary: which comes first, homelessness that leads to drug addiction or drug addiction that leads to homelessness?

The reality is that it’s very much both.

During the 1950s, the UK government faced a deepening issue: those suffering from poverty and unemployment were increasingly turning to drugs as escapism. And when addicted, the chances of becoming homeless would drastically surge.

This legacy gave birth to the government’s “War on Drugs.” They responded with a host of new policies and interventions aimed at reducing the spiralling effect that seemed to tunnel in one direction: as problems with drugs rose, so did crimes, deaths, and, indeed—homelessness.

The Impact of the War on Drugs

Perhaps the origin of the war can be traced to a single act: the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. While amendments and updates would happen over time, the immediate effect was a massive increase in law enforcement.

Police became more present in high drug-use areas. With more crackdowns, there were more arrests. And the sentences they led to were often harsher.

At the same time, the government expanded its support for those with drug addictions. As a result, more drug treatment services were opening across the UK, and more funding was poured into them.

But the critical question is: what was the impact of it all? The answer is: it was mixed. Did it succeed in enforcing the law and making more drug-related arrests? Absolutely. Did it curtail the harm that drugs caused to individuals and communities? Very much so.

But various statistics show another picture: because of the war on drugs, homelessness amongst drug users was on the rise…

The Root Causes

Homelessness and drug addiction are complex, intertwined problems. And like any complex problem, it calls for going to its root cause. As mentioned earlier, poverty and unemployment set the context for drug use, which then would push people into homelessness. Looking at those root causes makes us realise how inadequate the single-faceted “war on drugs” has been.

Because people don’t just need drug treatment services, they need secure and affordable housing, access to good education, opportunities for employment, and support for their mental health and other complex needs. In taking this holistic approach, we’re addressing the root causes of both drug addiction and its spiralling into homelessness.

The War on Drugs: A Problem Too Complex

In this post, we’ve only touched on the problems of homelessness and drug use. And the reality is that there is much they’re intertwined with too. Homeless people struggling with drug addictions are more likely to be involved in crime. And rising crime is a safety problem for the entire public.

The two don’t just impact individuals but families, communities, and society as a whole. Their burden isn’t only on law enforcement and social services but on public healthcare systems and social welfare programs. But it’s precisely because of these interconnections—this complexity—that we begin with addressing root causes. Cut out what isn’t working. Double down on what is working. And constantly let the data tell us the true impact of these two crises.

 

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References

 Shelter England (2023). At least 271,000 people are homeless in England today.

UK Government (2023). Drug Misuse: Findings from the 2022 to 2023 CSEW.

The Guardian (2002). Homeless and hooked: drug misery on streets of Britain.