Meet Elizabeth and the Hidden Pathway Into Homelessness
Homelessness doesn’t always start the way people think it does.
Sometimes it begins quietly — not with a single crisis, but with a slow unraveling of stability. Medical challenges arise. Work becomes harder to maintain. Paperwork piles up. Systems meant to help move too slowly.
Elizabeth and her husband found themselves caught in that kind of moment.
Her husband lives with a disability and began the long process of applying for disability benefits. For many families, this step is essential to maintaining stability when health issues make steady employment difficult. But the process itself can be complicated and time-consuming.
Applicants must gather extensive medical documentation, complete detailed paperwork, and often wait months — or longer — for a decision.
National data shows that the average wait time for an initial Social Security disability determination can take six to eight months, and many claims are denied the first time. In fact, only about 18–21% of initial claims for disability insurance benefits are approved. Denied applicants must go through an appeals process that can take months or even more than a year to resolve.
During that time, applicants often have little or no income while they wait for a decision.
For families already living close to the financial edge, that waiting period can be devastating.
Housing is often the first thing to become unstable.
Researchers have found that health challenges and disability are closely connected to homelessness. When a household suddenly loses income due to illness or disability — especially while navigating complicated benefit systems — rent, utilities, and other basic expenses can quickly become impossible to manage.
That’s what happened to Elizabeth and her husband.
As they worked through the disability process, their financial situation became increasingly unstable. Eventually, they lost their housing.
Elizabeth came to the Salvation Army of Knoxville’s shelter while trying to navigate the next steps.
While her husband is currently in the hospital, Elizabeth has been working hard to rebuild stability and prepare for the future. During her time with us, she focused on the practical steps needed to regain her footing — reconnecting with community resources, rebuilding confidence after a difficult season, and working through the many details involved in securing stable housing.
Just as important, she found something many people lose during a housing crisis: a sense of community. People who cared about her and reminded her she wasn’t facing this difficult season alone.
Recently, Elizabeth reached an important milestone — she moved into her own apartment.
Soon, she will be able to welcome her husband home.
Stories like Elizabeth’s remind us that homelessness rarely has a single cause. Health challenges, complicated systems, and unexpected life events often collide in ways that are difficult to navigate alone.
Elizabeth’s journey is still unfolding, but today she has a place to call home — and a door she’ll soon be able to open to welcome her husband back.
Learn more about the common connection between disability and homelessness:
Social Security Disability Insurance | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2024