Myth #2: Most People Experiencing Homelessness Abuse Alcohol and Drugs. A TYPICAL MISUNDERSTANDING on the part of many Americans is that most of the unhoused abuse alcohol and drugs. This, as it turns out, is another one of the many myths about homelessness. The image of a publicly inebriated man weaving his way down DONALD BURNES VICE PRESIDENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS DENVER VOICE the street looking totally unkempt or of a badly dressed person shooting up in an alleyway has been ingrained into our psyches through various media; however, according to the most recent Annual Homelessness Assessment Report from January 2025, only 14.96% of the total unhoused population, or about 111,500 out of 745,600 individuals surveyed at that time, indicated having chronic substance abuse. Why do so many of us have these mistaken attitudes about people experiencing homelessness? There have been significant legislative and policy changes that have influenced our thinking, and one of these is the decriminalization of alcoholism and public drunkenness. In the mid-1950s the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association agreed that alcoholism was a physiological disease. Then in 1970 and 1971, Congress enacted two pieces of legislation — the Hughes Act and the Uniform Alcoholism and Intoxication Treatment Act — that funded detoxification centers and shifted responsibility for dealing with public inebriates away from the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, the promise of a huge influx of detox and treatment centers for alcoholism never really materialized, as only a small percentage of such facilities were ever created. Working in the early 1980s as a director of a direct services agency for homelessness, I can remember discussions of a huge public inebriates’ warehouse, a cavernous hall, about 25 miles south of the District of Columbia in a town called Occoquan. On busy nights, the warehouse housed 1,200-1,500 public inebriates on mats and cots. Following the passage of the two federal pieces of legislation, this warehouse closed completely, but without adequate facilities of care, these inebriates had nowhere to go. Many joined the ranks of the unhoused. Starting in the late 1960s and continuing to today, the entrance of various illegal drugs has fueled a national drug culture. With the advent of cocaine and crack, PCP, and meth, the illegal drug culture exploded, leaving some of its users unhoused. In Denver, there has always been an inadequate supply of treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction. This paucity was exacerbated by the closing in 2019 of Arapahoe House, a prominent alcohol and drug treatment center with satellite facilities throughout the metro area. The void has never been adequately filled. With all these influences, it is no wonder many of us think of the homeless population as a large homogeneous group of substance addicted people even though national data provide strong evidence that such perceptions are untrue. What then are we to do about this myth? First, let’s remember that there are far more housed people who have significant substance abuse issues than there are unhoused people, and many of us, when confronted by a relative or friend with such an addiction, try everything we can to assist the abuser. Why can’t we do that for the unhoused? Furthermore, as Kevin Nye says in his seminal book, Grace Can Lead Us Home, “homelessness causes substance abuse as often as, or more often than, substance use causes homelessness.” Nye, p.125 Nye goes on to say, “The lack of safety, security, and basic necessities afforded by homelessness is, in many ways, a constant trauma. Since people experiencing homelessness are already likely victims of traumatic environments, it is easy to see how substance abuse would become so appealing. People use drugs because they work” to ease the pain, to calm the nerves, to help sleep, to give people confidence and energy to face the day, to keep people awake to protect their belongings. Nye, p. 149 We must put aside our negative attitudes and realize the unhoused deserve help in dealing with their substance use disorders. We need to push for more treatment facilities. We need to come together as a community and argue for better and more humane understanding of substance use disorders among the unhoused. Helping to destroy this myth will make life better for all of us. Donald Burnes has co-authored four books on poverty and homelessness, and has studied poverty and homelessness-related issues and policies for more than 40 years. Burnes joined the Denver VOICE board of directors in June of 2025. He received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, a master’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and a PhD from Columbia University Teachers’ College. EVERYONE CAN VOTE People without a home address, such as those who are unhoused, can still vote in local and federal elections. People who are homeless may register using the address of their “home base,” according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Offi ce. “Home base” includes, but is not limited to: • A location the voter regularly returns to and intends to remain, like a park, vacant lot, RV park, or homeless shelter. • Any place where a voter can receive personalized mail, including a friend’s house or a post offi ce box. Homeless shelters and service providers are allowed to help people who are homeless register to vote, and people facing an eviction also are allowed to vote: • If someone still lives at their address before an election, even while an eviction case is ongoing, they do not have to update their registration. • People who have been evicted before an election is conducted need to update their address with their local County Clerk to ensure they receive their ballot. DENVER VOICE OCTOBER 2026 13
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