Losing a parent or becoming homeless can be two of the most devastating things that a person can experience in life. Some people, including myself, have actually experienced both of which in their lifetimes, which is a double tragedy. In some cases, the loss of a parent can actually trigger a cascade of events which can lead to a stint of homelessness.

Many homeless people that you see in public may have been in completely different circumstances had they not lost one or both parents. While all of this may be difficult for people to understand if they have not experienced any major losses in life, there’s actually many explainable reasons as to how the one event can lead to the other.

Lack of Social Support
In most cases, parents can be the most supportive people in a person’s life. When an adolescent or adult child runs into problems or needs help, their parents are who they will normally turn to first. A parent can serve as a sort of buffer between a person’s bad decisions or bad luck and the negative consequences that happen because of it.

This is often something that is not realized until years later, such as a person who begins to have financial problems until they gradually start losing things in life and then find themselves living on the streets. However, it can also be a very sudden realization or shot of reality when a person abruptly loses the roof over their head because they were living in a parent’s home. In other words, a parent can act as a safety net, and many who find themselves without that safety net end up becoming homeless as a result.

In addition to this, parents can sometimes be the median or bridge between their children and other family members. These other family members often form some of the more personal social circles in a person’s life. When parents die, these social circles sometimes become broken and family members become more distant. It’s then more difficult for some people to get help from family members when they are no longer in contact with them or when relationships become strained.

Unique Care
A parent’s guidance and the protective feelings they convey towards their children is normally unique. It’s often not something that can be equivalently found in siblings, grandparents, friends, or other people in a person’s circle of care. Of course, every person’s relationships or bonds with others are different.

Some people are raised by their grandparents or others and have a similar bond that most have with their parents. But for the vast majority of people, one or both of their parents are uniquely bonded to them in a way that is unlike any other bonds these people will make in their lives. When a parent dies, it can create a void of support or care that is difficult or impossible to replace.

Reduced Ambition and Confidence
Do you remember that feeling when you were a child and someone believed in you and commended you for doing well? Most adults can remember a childhood event where their parent was right there watching them and proud of what their child was doing.

Maybe you performed in a school play or drew something in art class that your mom or dad framed or put on the refrigerator. Maybe you hit the ball out of the park during a little league baseball game.

Whatever it was, that type of pride that a child feels when their parent is supporting them and proud as well can stay with a person the rest of their life. But for some, that feeling can disappear when a parent dies. They no longer have that source of support and commendation that they once had. That type of support from a parent, or the feeling of impressing a parent can often be irreplaceable.

While some people may be able to impress their boss at work or even their spouse or their own children, sometimes it’s just not the same as the feeling one gets when trying to make a parent proud. For this reason, some people can experience reduced ambition in life or a lack of enthusiasm in things that they once strived to do well at. This can result in a downward decline of success and homelessness can serve as the final bottom to this or the most natural end result.

Burdened by Debt
Losing a loved one or a parent can also lead to a person becoming burdened by debt. Having to pay for an unplanned funeral or suddenly becoming responsible for a family member’s financial debts can create great difficulties for someone if they aren’t financially prepared for this. As a result, some people can even become homeless when they take on somebody else’s debts.

However, an opposite scenario regarding debts can occur as well. We’ve all heard the horror stories of people who win the lottery or come into large amounts of money and end up in worse situations than before they had money.

When a family member or parent dies, they often leave inheritances or life insurance policies to their children. But these types of financial windfalls can sometimes be too much responsibility for people who have no money management skills. They may take the money for granted and settle into a lifestyle of splurging and spending until they find themselves in debt. All of this can turn into a scenario where one becomes homeless if they aren’t being careful with their finances.

Mental Disorders
The death of a parent can cause a number of mental disorders for their surviving children. Depression, hypochondria, anxiety, and having an increased fear of death or that something bad will happen can all occur. One study found that the loss of a parent can result in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for some people as well.¹⁾Destrée L, Albertella L, Torres AR, et al. Social losses predict a faster onset and greater severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder. J Psychiatr Res. 2020;130:187-193. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.07.027

In another study, the researchers found that some homeless people avoid getting apartments or homes because they have a fear of living alone. This fear was precipitated by the death of a parent and was based on a deeper fear that if they were to fall ill or become injured, then nobody would be around to save them.²⁾Perry TE, Hassevoort L, Petrusak J. Care networks in play: Understanding death of a parent as a contributing factor to homelessness. J Hum Behav Soc Environ. 2017;27(7):656-668. doi:10.1080/10911359.2017.1319316

These types of disorders can not only make it difficult for someone to function normally in society, but can lead to financial burdens as well. Many who worry about becoming ill or dying like their parents did may find themselves visiting doctors or hospitals more often, which can result in financial problems