Homelessness profoundly impacts mental health, creating a vicious cycle that exacerbates existing conditions and fosters new psychological challenges. Individuals experiencing homelessness often endure extreme stress, anxiety, and depression, which are intensified by constant instability, stigma, and exposure to traumatic environments.
Many develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic attacks, and chronic sleeplessness due to the dangerous and unpredictable nature of living without a stable home.
Rates of substance abuse and psychiatric distress are notably higher among homeless populations, often stemming from attempts to self-medicate against psychological pain. Moreover, those with pre-existing mental health disorders may find their conditions worsening, as access to consistent treatment and support is severely limited.
This population also faces disproportionately high rates of traumatic brain injuries, which can further impair cognitive and emotional stability. Combined, these factors contribute to a cycle of poor mental health and homelessness, making recovery and reintegration into stable housing particularly challenging.
(Below feature article from 2013)
Homelessness on the Range
Over the past decade, Western North Dakota has experienced change in nearly every facet of life. From infrastructure to traffic to commerce to basic community services. One slice of demographics that is changing in Western North Dakota are those sleeping without a roof over their head.
"The Bakken historically is not a place where we see many people who are homeless," Michael Carbone, executive director North Dakota Coalition Homeless Persons. "But right now that is where we are seeing the majority of our state's homeless are."
Most have heard the stories of workers coming from all over the globe to find work in Western North Dakota and the Bakken oil fields. Newspaper headlines, nightly news report all told the story of the modern day gold rush, and everyone was hiring. Even the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce got into the game and took out billboards outside the state letting people know "we're open for business."
This is the siren song to many entrepreneurs and opportunity seekers. Some hopped in their vehicle and drove to the Bakken, while others purchased a one way Amtrak ticket to Williston, Stanley or another oil town. Many came believing there would be a job literally waiting for them the minute they arrived. Turns out the news casts only tell part of the story.
"These are primarily opportunity seekers, people who have come looking for work or an opportunity to turn their life around," Carbone said. "Some are successful in finding employment but not housing, and some are not successful finding employment or housing."
Carbone added that there are those who do come out to the Bakken and find everything they need, but there are some who don't. Carbone continued saying many of those individuals who do not find opportunity or housing in the Bakken migrate east where there are more housing and services available for them.
"The migration to the east is really putting a stress upon the whole state," Carbone said.
With homeless resources in short supply and unsheltered people abundant, Carbone said the biggest challenge they are facing right now is finding out what the appropriate service is needed.
"Some people just need a light touch, like a couple week shelter until they can establish themselves," Carbone said. "Or maybe they just need that affordable housing unit to open up so they can just get in."
Currently North Dakota has about 2,100 homeless people living in the state and 1,400 unsheltered.
"Unsheltered means living outside, under a bridge, in a car, in a tent, in some other building not meant for human habitation." Carbone said. "We've actually found people living in haystacks, in grain bins, we found one guy who took shelter in a culvert each night."
Carbone pointed out the numbers their study calculated are not 100% accurrate. He said many people are not eager to disclose their situation.
"Homeless families with children are difficult because they are not particularly eager to disclose their situation in fear that Social Services may intervien or something like that." Carbone said.
In addition to detailed information like children sleeping in cars and tents being disclosed, mental illness, criminal backgrounds and disabilities are undercounted too. Carbone also added that on any given day in North Dakota there are 185 unsheltered veterans, but believes that number is low too.
Carbone said what they found was two-thirds of the homeless population in North Dakota are from Bakken opportunity seekers migrating to the oil field.
"We've identified people from all 50 states coming to North Dakota seeking opportunity, Carbone said. "The majority of them come from places in the United States with depressed economies - Michigan, Nevada come to the top of my mind, but also from other energy producing states like Wyoming and Texas."
Carbone explained further that many of the homeless Bakken opportunity seekers from energy producing states have a background and contacts within the energy industry and just haven't secured housing yet. He added that only 25% of those looking for work could return to a house in their home state.
Historically western North Dakota used hotel vouchers to address the homeless population, and it worked.
"In the past they would be put up for two, three days, a week until some situation could be found for them," Carbone said. "We've gone through a couple years where hotel vouchers were just impossible because there were no hotels available. That's improving in Western North Dakota."
Carbone addressed the national reputation that is migrating people to the Bakken which is that everyone is hiring.
"There are many who come to the Bakken hoping for a job in the energy sector and they just don't have the skills, or perhaps they have background issues with criminal elements or drug and alcohol, which makes it difficult for them to get and maintain employment," Carbone said. "However not everyone come to the Bakken for an energy sector job, some people are just looking for a job. Many would be happy working at McDonald's or an assembly line somewhere, the problem with many of those jobs is the cost of housing."
Carbone added that there is a catch 22 in the West with housing assistance. The housing income guideline are outdated and result in one's income high enough to close many doors in the high priced Bakken housing market.
"No one should be stigmatized by homelessness. It can happen to anyone of us for a variety of reasons at really almost any time," Carbone said.
(Interviews from 2012 and 2013. Newspaper and magazine features from 2013.)
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