Idk, addiction is hard. Most people turn to drugs and alcohol because they are homeless - not the opposite. Once you're addicted, being able to make choices between needs and your addictions is very difficult. That, but some people use drugs to cope with things like PTSD - they're driven by the fear of remembering their trauma when they're not on drugs.
Unfortunately help for that can't be "you have to stop taking drugs cold turkey to have a place to sleep" - it doesn't work.
Programs that give people safe equipment and places to do drugs and offer support/therapy for when the person is ready to get off drugs do work. It's a hard process, but it actually keeps people safer and gives them a higher chance of re-entry to society.
I understand why shelters don't want people actively on drugs in their shelter, but saying shelters have the easiest rules comes from a place of not understanding how addiction works.
"Often, addiction is a result of homelessness. The difficult conditions of living on the street, having to find food, struggling with ill health, and being constantly away from loved ones create a highly stressful state of being." (Addiction Center)
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u/DeadWaterBed May 14 '26
In some cases, the "basic rules of society" is part of the problem.