Several years ago I saw a play about homelessness—produced by homeless individuals. Listening to them speak, I realized “the homeless” are a diverse population, no more the same than all teenagers or college students or senior citizens are the same.

The play revealed at least four reasons people are homeless, though the list isn’t exhaustive. It was meant to start us thinking.

Some homeless people abuse alcohol and other drugs, which prevent them from finding and holding jobs and becoming responsible members of society.

Some are hard working but make poor decisions. They spend salaries too freely and don’t save when they earn money beyond the essentials. They fall prey to shysters who promise easy money. They buy housing beyond what they can afford, then can’t keep up payments—especially when caught in a recession not of their own making.

Some manage their lives and income fairly well but can’t find low cost housing to match their minimum wage jobs, especially if they have families.

Others become homeless through circumstances beyond anyone’s control, like an illness or accident or disappearing jobs in a recession.

Obviously, different reasons for homelessness call for different solutions: low cost housing; substance abuse programs; counseling for those who abuse money rather than drugs; jobs that pay adequately—to scratch the surface.

The homeless are us, making choices any of us might make given certain circumstances: abusive homes, irresponsible families, lost jobs, medical illness, physical or mental handicaps, inadequate education, terrible personal adversity. Some will always struggle, requiring tough love and continuing commitment from those who would help them. Others can find their own way if given better housing or job training or decent wages or medical attention. We don’t all have to be social workers to help. A responsive, caring community does require us to be aware of the need, willing to give even a small boost to those community programs which we judge most helpful.