How would we end homelessness?

Color photo of a person, who appears to be experiencing homeless, sitting on the ground against a wall with a hood up over their head

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In February 2017, I became homeless. I slept on benches in the park. I walked and walked every day until I was tired of walking. I used restrooms in parks and stores to freshen up. 

 Being homeless takes a toll on you because you have to carry all your belongings everywhere. Homelessness drains you physically, mentally and financially. How does one end homelessness? 

 I don’t believe we can even begin to end homelessness unless we are going to include the voices of those who have lived or are living the experience of being homeless, like me. 

 Homeless people have to endure extreme weather while sleeping outside. Many nights, on the street, I stay awake so my belongings don’t get stolen. I know how it feels to lose your ID, birth certificate and all your other items.  

I was lucky enough to have been accepted for a fellowship position at Miriam’s Kitchen, which allowed me to testify before the D.C. Council. I urged councilmembers to support a centralized location where people can have their basic needs met while working toward housing. D.C. recently invested $2 million to create a downtown service center that will open prior to hypothermia season, which began on November 1, 2018. The center will serve 100 clients per day. Clients will have access to meals, computers, showers and laundry facilities. Additional services will include connections to case management, behavioral health resources, employment support and housing assessments. 

 That would not have happened without the powerful advocacy of people who have experienced homelessness. Without us, paid advocates wouldn’t know what to advocate for. We are the authorities of our own narratives. For us, this is about our lives.  

The late Mitch Snyder, a leading American advocate for the homeless, said “The condition of homelessness continues to be demoralizing to those who live and have lived it. The work needed to be done to end homelessness is far from over, but the potential for large-scale homelessness to be ended is a goal within reach.” 

However, ending homelessness is only within reach if we include homeless voices in the conversation. I expect there is a correlation between policies that positively affected the homeless community and policies that have been enacted with input from homeless communities. 

 Miriam’s Kitchen helps its guests engage in racial equity issues. Disproportionate numbers of people who experience homelessness are people of color, most of whom are Black. This is not a coincidence. Racial equity work helps explain why some groups have resources while others do not. As a Black woman, I see and feel the sting of racism every day, and I know that we cannot keep deprioritizing the needs of Black people. People of color and people experiencing homelessness often have their voices silenced, their experiences marginalized and their bodies stigmatized. To end chronic homelessness, we must address racial inequity and we must center the voices of the people who have been silenced in all the work we do. 

What you should know about the homeless population in Washington: 

  • There are over 7,000 homeless individuals in, not counting families that are homeless. 
  • There are only seven places in the area for the homeless community to shower outside of a shelter. 
  • Women and girls especially suffer in the homeless community  
  • Homelessness is not an anomaly that happens to “those people.” It can be just one miscalculation or unforseen challenge away 
  • Homelessness is our problem. 
  • We can end chronic homelessness in D.C. The District has the knowledge, capacity, and resources to end chronic homelessness and show the nation that true D.C. value means housing our most vulnerable neighbors. 

 

I know that people like me who have a lived experience of homelessness are experts in ending homelessness. I know how it feels to be homeless, and what hurts about being homeless is that you are alone out there. As a member of the homeless community, I can meet people where they are. I truly understand their struggle. I understand how great the need is to end chronic homelessness. There are many ways that organizations can better engage people with lived experiences in the work to end chronic homelessness, thus empowering us as advocates for our community. 

Homelessness has always existed, but in the past three decades or so, it has unfortunately increased. Fortunately, social media has helped us to become more aware of this ever-growing epidemic. 

Homelessness used to be looked upon as something that happened to people with addictions, alcoholism or mental health challenges. Homeless people — mostly men — were referred to as “hobos”, “drunks”, and useless “non-members” of our society.  

All that has dramatically changed. Alarmingly,  homelessness has increased among “regular” members of society who, through no direct fault of their own, have lost their means of income. During the recession of the early 2000’s to mid 2010’s, many families lost their jobs and homes. Those who are living “paycheck-to-paycheck” did not have much of a financial cushion available to them to help them through their crisis. In some cases, married couples moved back with their parents in order to have safe shelter and try to get back on their feet again. 

For those with no family or close friends to lend a helping hand, shelters could and still can be found through charitable organizations in the form of often-crowded shelters. While homelessness used to be seen as mainly an urban problem, those struggling with this epidemic can be found in rural areas and small towns across the United States. Some of the saddest members, in my opinion are veterans, disabled people and those who struggle with mental illness. Their voices desperately need advocates, social workers and organizations to help them navigate the often lengthy and tedious paperwork required to be admitted into appropriate programs.  

Many homeless people once had a career. Many had their own homes, businesses and a normal life. Society must never judge or stigmatize homeless people, for homelessness is not a choice. The devastating wildfire in California is a prime and very sad example of the ways that we humans are vulnerable to natural disasters that also cause homelessness. 

While ending chronic homelessness may seem daunting, it is possible. Communities across the country are making progress towards this goal, and cities such as Houston, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and New Orleans have ended chronic homelessness among their veterans (The Way Home Campaign). The D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness has a plan in place to end chronic homelessness, and with the right resources and leadership, D.C. can do the same. The solution to ending chronic homelessness is not a mystery: providing housing with supportive services can end chronic homelessness.  

It costs less taxpayer money for the District to end chronic homelessness than it does to manage it. Between the costs of shelters, hospitals, police interactions and other emergency services, it costs the city less to provide Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)–the gold standard for ending chronic homelessness–than it does to continue with the current model of temporary housing. An analysis of the emergency services used by the 828 most vulnerable individuals in the District shows that housing those individuals through PSH could save the city $19 million per year (The Way Home Campaign). Housing’s most vulnerable residents would cost less than 0.3% of the city’s overall budget. This small investment would save taxpayers millions and provide thousands with the dignity of a home. 

The mission of the People for Fairness Coalition is to end housing instability for individuals who live on the street and to end the need for shelters in the nation’s capital. Every organization can and must ensure that people like me are engaged in decision-making at every step of the way: from the way programs are run to the choice of which  issues to advocate. To ensure this happens, organizations should have dedicated staffing and resources for client engagement, create intentional spaces and structures for consultation and feedback, ensure organizational buy-in and support creation of more Permanent Supportive Housing options. Elevating the voices of people with lived experience is the most impactful thing organizations can contribute to the cause. 

 

Sheila White is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media. A version of this essay was written for one of her classes pursuing a degree at University of the District of Columbia. 

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