Homelessness is not a picture you can paint with a broad brush.

As News staff writer Temi Fadayomi told us in a story in Monday’s edition of The News, there are myriad ways an individual or even a family might face homelessness.

Fadayomi introduced us to one family living out of a camper at the Alpena County Fairgrounds. According to the family, the two adults in the family both work but make too little to afford available housing and too much to qualify for assistance. They’ve especially struggled to find housing where their two children and two dogs can live.

A person could find themselves homeless because they had to leave an abusive relationship at their home. Or because they struggle with substance abuse. Or because they lost a job. Or simply because they can’t find a home they can afford to live in.

In truth, any one of us could find ourselves facing homelessness if just one or two things happen differently in our lives.

Thankfully, the homelessness picture in Alpena appears to be improving.

The Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency’s point-in-time headcount in 2022 listed 57 homeless individuals in January 2022. A year later, that number had fallen to 28.

But one person experiencing homelessness is one too many.

We encourage everyone to understand the many shades of gray involved in homelessness and to have compassion for those experiencing it.

And, if you’re able, to donate to organizations such as the Salvation Army, NEMCSA, the Sunrise Mission, or Hope Shores Alliance.

We’re also encouraged by the work of a housing task force made up of local government officials and others that aims to increase the housing stock in the Alpena area, which should help more people find a place to live.

There are many ways to end up homeless, and that means there are many ways to combat it. But all of those ways begin with compassion and understanding.