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I would like us all to have practical solutions to homelessness. I use the inclusive “all” because the dilemma of no home affects all of us eventually.
I care about this for various reasons, one of which involved a friend of mine who spent a winter living in my apartment in Bangor. After he left my apartment his chronic healthcare issue worsened and he died from it. I have since suspected that the transient nature of his housing was an aggravating factor with his illness.
As a health care professional who worked in a hospital emergency department I have frequently encountered clients who have delayed seeking health care intervention because of their fragile personal financial situations, often all the worse for being homeless. The delay of care sometimes resulted in more extensive (and more expensive) medical care. Having one basic human need (housing) met makes it easier for people to seek solutions to other problems — such as illness — standing in the way of their thriving.
One can only hope that improving the amount of affordable housing available to Mainers will result in more timely access to our state’s health care options for all of us. I encourage our elected leaders to seize all possible opportunities to ensure Mainers are affordably and safely housed.
Dick Bissell
Auburn
