Life Unscripted - Stories of Mental Health and Addiction

Homeless - It Could Happen to Anyone

Janice Arnoldi

When people see someone who is homeless they probably think it could never happen to them. But at some point in time a person living rough and in a shelter did have a home. They may have had a family, friends and a good job. There are so many reasons why people end up living rough – job loss, mental health, trauma or substance use. In Marni Katzman’s case, she was addicted to alcohol, and despite a few stints in rehab she wasn’t able to stop drinking vodka. Finally, her family had to make the hard decision to show some tough love. Marni walked into a shelter wearing pink Uggs and pulling a designer suitcase.