2014 - NCH - Page 3

6 Things I Want You to Understand About Being Homeless in America – by Jayda Shuavarnnasri.

It’s been long overdue that I’ve written about my time in D.C. doing the Homeless Challenge. Life moved on once I came back, and before you know it I was on a flight to Bangkok, still sharing my experience here and there and trying to process it all at the same time. And of course, that right there perfectly reflects my privilege of not actually being homeless.

For some reason I thought I would have some more clear cut answers to share with those who cared enough to ask. I also thought that when people listened to my experience, they would have more in depth reactions beyond, “so what did you learn?” That became the dreaded question after a while as I tried packaging my answers into something they could swallow. And that’s what bothered me most…having to package together an answer. I didn’t leave D.C. with this list of lessons learned or facts and stories just so my friends could be like, “Omg. That’s crazy. Because of you, I totally know what it’s like to be homeless now.” For some reason, I feared that sharing my experience would lead to this belief and because of that, I felt like I needed to word my answers correctly when asked, and eventually I just wouldn’t talk about it at all.

Now here I am 3 months later, I am compelled to finally write something (the littlest I can do), in hopes that those who listen can be motivated to do more in their own lives.

Disclaimer: This is from my own perspective, and I’ve tried to be as accurate as possible using what I know about homelessness…which probably isn’t a lot.

6 THINGS I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA

We live in a system that makes it extremely difficult to get out of homelessness. I think there’s a prevalent assumption in our society that homelessness is caused by an individual’s inability to make the right choices in their life, after all, you’re friends and family have been able to survive just fine through hard work and perseverance right? But the reality is that there are so many factors that lead to homelessness such as running away from an abusive family, having a mental/physical disability that prevents the ability to work, being kicked out for being LGTBQ, financial crisis, addiction/substance dependence (which is classified as a mental disorder), and the simple fact that housing, food, and healthcare in the United States are so expensive. There is no way that even if a person had a minimum wage job, they could afford a place to live in many areas of the Land of the Free.
People tend to assume that a if a person is homeless, they must not have a job, but there are plenty who do (I met a security guard while I was having breakfast at a soup kitchen in D.C.), but they often don’t make enough for basic necessities like food and shelter, and life is even harder if you have children. And for those who don’t have a job, how easy do you think it is to get one? Are they supposed to walk in with all their belongings, in their usual attire, maybe having showered, and just fill out an application? And what address do you think they should provide? And if they are hired for a job, would they have reliable transportation? For those two weeks that they wait for their first paycheck, who can take care of their kids? How will they do laundry? Would you honestly interview or hire someone you suspect is homeless? My point is, there are so many hurtles that a homeless person has to face, and our system does very little to change that.
Hunger is such a small part of the problem. For many of us, when we see someone begging for change, we feel better if we just gave them food instead, because after all they could be some drug addict trying to get their fix and you wouldn’t want to support that, right? I’ll talk about this stereotype later but there’s something bigger I want people to understand about homelessness and hunger. In big cities, food is not that hard to find. There are shelters and soup kitchens that serve food regularly and most of the homeless community know exactly how to get a meal. There isn’t so much a lack of food, as there is a lack ofquality food. The meals I ate during my week in D.C. were not nutritious at all. Canned vegetables, iceberg lettuce, pasta (and not the whole grain kind), and lots of white enriched bread. I had so much carbs that week! Most foods given to the homeless community is not meant to be nutritious, it’s just meant to fill you up. But as we know, the things you put into your body are important for maintaining your health and energy, which was reflected in my own physical health by the end of my Homeless Challenge. By the time we were done, my body felt like it deteriorated. I had a fever, chills, body aches, and barely any strength left to carry around my bags. A woman we met who was homeless at the time, shared with us that exhaustion was a normal part of life for a person who is homeless, and frankly if I was in that situation for weeks/months/years at a time…I don’t know how I would even manage to try and find work.
With this being said, I also invite you to think about your own access to quality foods. All the healthy meals you cook for the week, the delicious trendy foods you instagram on the daily, and all the expensive fair food you get to indulge on this summer…what a luxury it is for us to call ourselves “foodies” while thousands of people are starving for nutrients.
“No one in their right mind chooses to be homeless.” A man we had met, known as Better Believe Steve had said this to us when he shared his story of homelessness. (This was the night I cried my eyes out because this mans experience broke my heart…if you want to know more about that then ask me another time) I want people to realize that aside from a small number of “nomad/traveller” types, people do not choose to be homeless. The circumstances in their lives have lead them towards a path where being homeless is a last option. Look at how much invisibility and loss of dignity is attached to being homeless. Or the constant threat of discrimination and violence. Really, who would not actually want a roof over their head? A safe place to sleep is a basic necessity, but for many people there are no safe places, which may be why the streets become their best/ only option. Also there are many who choose to stay on the streets rather than in a shelter, (a shelter is still not a home!), and that’s because some shelters are so poorly run that the streets become more comfortable.
People who are homeless are not lazy, crazy, drug addicts that can’t be helped. I hate these stereotypes. I dare you too look at your circle of friends and tell me that you don’t know a single person who is lazy, a person who may be a little “off” mentally, or a person who does not use drugs. We all have those people in our circle somewhere, so don’t try and think you’re so above a person who is homeless just because you’re not the one begging for change.
As for the “crazy” part, first off it’s offensive to call anyone that, as it further stigmatizes mental health, preventing people from understanding or seeking treatment. But if we’re going to talk about mental illnesses, yes they are prevalent among the homeless population. That means people don’t just need help finding a job or home, they need services and medication that can also help them deal with whatever mental or medical conditions they have too. Addiction is a problem as well, one that should also be recognized as a challenge that needs to be over come with assistance and services. Every person is deserving of help. No matter what a person may be battling, it does not make them any less deserving of safe, adequate, and affordable housing.
Homelessness can happen to anyone. If I were to ask you, “What does a homeless person look like?” what would be the first image the pops into your head? I ask this because so many of us don’t realize that we could actually be friends or acquaintances with someone who is homeless, and not even know it. Begging or sleeping on the street is not what every homeless person does…some can afford to stay in hotels or jump from friend’s houses. Either way, they don’t have a secure home. I know of so many financial struggles from my own friends/family and I always think that at any moment, it could be one of us.
The biggest reality check I had was when I met a girl at my own school, University of San Diego, who had spent a entire year during high school homeless with her family. Thankfully they were not on the streets, but the three of them shared one bedroom that a friend had lent them, while the mom went back to school, the dad worked two jobs, and the daughter tried getting through high school.
If you really want to help the next time you see a homeless person, don’t just hand them things. Okay, if you’re that compelled to give them the change from your pocket or your leftover Subway, by all means do so. I’m not discouraging your act of kindness. But I think it’s important to first ask yourself, why are you giving? Is it because you want to help? Or because you’re trying to ease the guilt that you feel inside, and providing charity makes you feel better.

Those aren’t easy questions, but the reason I ask is because one of the biggest problems when people want to help a cause is that they assume they already know the solution without asking the ones they are claiming to help. This is something I’ve learned from Counseling (Human Services) classes and in my Development (Peace and Justice), courses. We want to help, and when we witness the problem with our eyes, we automatically think we know what that person or community needs. We see barefoot kids in poor countries so that must mean they really need shoes! Forget about clean water, nutritious food, or economic opportunities (I’m looking at you TOMS shoes…but I digress). We see a poor man begging on the street, well he must be hungry so I’m going to buy him some food! But what if he needs medication? Toothpaste? A pair of socks? What if the woman standing at the end of the freeway needs money for baby formula? Or pads? Or some shoes? We have no idea what they really need unless we ASK. Such as simple thing to do when we want to help someone, but many of us don’t. Instead we keep a barrier up and just hand that person enough to make ourselves feel better and then we move on with our lives.
My suggestion? Ask a person their name, because who knows how long it’s been since they heard someone say their name aloud, and because they are human. If you’re going to a store or you’re close to home, ask them what it is they might need that you can provide for them. If you can grab that for them before they leave their area, great. If they are a person you see regularly on the streets, ask them their usual spot and say, “Okay, I can’t get it today but I will have it next time I’m in the area.” Now the challenge I have come to realize with this is that I live in California, and most of the people I see are while I’m driving somewhere. This is different from D.C. where a person is not allowed to stand on an island to beg (and people drive less there anyways?)

Either way, my point is to ask how you can help. Because showing someone respect and being a good helper, includes recognizing an individual’s own agency to transform their own lives, even if it’s just for that moment.

So with all of this, what did I learn?

It was only 48 hours of being “homeless”, so how much could I really takeaway from this experience? More than I thought, but certainly not enough to be able to solve this systematic problem that affects over 600,000 Americans. What I’ve come to realize is that I didn’t learnmuch. What I did was experience and absorb.What I did was become mindful of my existence within the homeless community, while recognizing my own privileges as a young woman. What I heard, felt, smelled, and witnessed were beyond my usual routine as a suburban, college educated woman with a supportive family. And what I do strive to learn is more about how I can positively affect the lives of people who are homeless on the individual and the national level.

//Jayda Shuavarnnasri

Vulnerable to Hate: A Survey of Hate Crimes and Violence Committed against Homeless People in 2013 is a new report that documents the incidents of violent attacks on people experiencing homelessness by housed perpetrators. The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has been tracking these acts for 15 years. Sadly there currently is not a federal system in place to collect these statistics and many cases go unreported.

In 2013, there was a 23.8% increase in the overall number of attacks from the previous year. NCH learned of 109 attacks in 2013, 18 of which resulted in the death of the homeless victim.

This is a widespread issue; attacks have taken place in 47 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. They most commonly occur in locations where homeless individuals tend to be more visible and thus more vulnerable to people passing by and seeing an opportunity.

Homeless populations are currently not protected by hate crimes legislation. You can help to stop these atrocities by advocating for local, state, and federal legislation that will classify the homeless as a protected class under hate crime legislation and collect appropriate data on the number of incidents that occur each year. Awareness programs and sensitivity trainings are also recommended to improve the treatment of homeless individuals in your community. Ultimately, providing access to affordable housing and getting people off the streets will be the best way to remove the risk of violence against this vulnerable and exposed population.

View the full report here!

Solidarity and the Homeless Challenge – by Matt Gatti, NCH Intern

From May 28-30, I completed the National Coalition for the Homeless’ Homeless Challenge, spending forty-eight hours on the streets of Washington D.C. with nothing but the clothes on my back and a black trash bag containing an old sleeping bag. Knowing that I would be working for NCH this summer as an intern, I decided to make the challenge a prerequisite to my two months with the organization.

So, I spent two days on the street. I panhandled, dumpster dove, ate at shelters, walked through the pouring rain, hung out at libraries and museums, got kicked off street corners for panhandling or simply loitering, and slept on the pavement with the rats. Those forty-eight hours had their ups and downs. On one hand, panhandling was embarrassing and shameful. Sleeping outside on the street was miserable, and I began to smell my own body odor after only a day. On the other hand, I was on the receiving end of incredible acts of generosity and got to meet some great people. One particular morning, a woman purchased me and my friend breakfast as we posed as a couple. Another time, a shelter staff spent at least twenty minutes trying to find an extra blanket for my friend whose covers had not been sufficient the previous night.

Now, I refuse to try to convince anyone that I completely understand homelessness after just forty-eight hours of immersion. I knew going in that after two days I would head home to my friends and family. With this in mind, I was only ever on the lookout for my closest, most immediate needs. I never had to figure out a way to get off the street because I already knew how I would do so. I do not truly understand what it means to be homeless, without any kind of safety net, and I probably never will.

Despite this, I found great value and education in this experience. Growing up in the D.C. area, my contact with those experiencing homelessness never expanded far beyond serving meals on McKenna’s Wagon or slipping a dollar to a panhandler on my walk to the Metro. These experiences are a part of only one lens from which one can view this issue. There is a large difference between serving a meal at a shelter and eating a meal at a shelter, and that is what I would like to suggest. In the shelter setting, we too often allow barriers to disconnect us from one another. We become service providers and service recipients, and this alienation hinders our ability to live with and interact with each other. We forget the only real difference that separates us is housing status. The Homeless Challenge allowed me to experience a small dose of solidarity with the almost seven thousand people who live without a home in our nation’s capital.

Delaware Introduces a Homeless Bill of Rights – by Kristin Howard, NCH Intern

Delaware, nicknamed the First State, may soon be the fourth state to pass a Homeless Bill of Rights. Introduced in the House on June 3, 2014 by primary sponsor Representative Stephanie Bolden, the Bill’s chief objective is to ensure that people experiencing homelessness receive the same rights and privileges as everyone else. They should not be on the receiving end of discriminatory, disparate treatment simply because they are without a home. While equality is the overall goal, the Bill is comprehensive; it enumerates certain rights that the homeless should never be denied.

These enumerated rights address temporary shelters, public spaces, and other fundamental rights that the rest of the population is regularly afforded. Under this Bill, the homeless will have the ability to move freely in public spaces without harassment and will have protection against discrimination based on current housing status when either dealing with government officials and agencies, such as police officials, or when seeking employment and permanent housing. Furthermore, when accessing temporary shelter, discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, disability, national origin, or housing status will be prohibited. And while residing in these temporary shelters, individuals are further entitled to a reasonable right to privacy with regards to their personal possessions, along with protection from unlawful disclosure of records and private information. Additionally, the fundamental right to vote cannot be denied to the homeless population for lack of permanent address; a park or temporary shelter may be utilized for registration purposes. Lastly, emergency medical care must be provided and cannot be withheld due to housing status.

Delaware’s Homeless Bill of Rights, which is currently pending in the Housing and Community Affairs Committee, amends Title 6 by adding Chapter 78. It will provide the basic legal and civil protections that never should have been denied in the first place.

The Real Meaning of PRIDE by Frank McAlpin

Homeless Youth are OUR Youth

As we, in Los Angeles prepare for one of the largest and most spectacular Gay Pride Parades in the nation there is much to be proud of. We are experiencing unprecedented progress in the LGBT rights movement. From the legalization of same-sex marriage across the country, to the acceptance of openly gay professional athletes, to greater visibility and inclusion of LGBT folks in media and politics. Yes, there is much to celebrate!

Yet with all this GAY excitement and celebration we can’t overlook the hundreds of young people sleeping on the streets of Los Angeles every night. It is estimated that in the US a half a million youth are homeless, about 40 percent of these youth identify as LGBTQ. And it is believed that Los Angeles is home to the most young people in country experiencing homelessness.

There are numerous reasons as to why youth become homeless such as: abuse, neglect, poverty and homophobia. Often times LGBTQ youth are not physically or emotionally safe in their homes and communities, due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. They leave home in search of a more affirming and supportive space to be who they are.

For whatever reason youth become homeless, their daily reality is almost impossible to imagine. It is a reality of constant hunger and exhaustion. Of violence and exploitation. Of rejection and stigma. For many homeless youth each day is just about survival. The realities that homeless youth experience
impact every facet of their life, including employment prospects, education and physical and mental health.

When trying to imagine these realities I can’t help but think, what kind of community allows young people, some already marginalized because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression to be homeless? To have no safe and supportive space to live and grow into the beautiful individuals they are?

Our collective acceptance of youth homelessness in OUR community is not something we can be proud of. It is an injustice so horrific it diminishes our entire community. And its existence overshadows the very equality the LGBT rights movement is achieving today.

These homeless youth, many of whom identify as LGBTQ, are our youth. We, as an LGBT community and more broadly as a nation, must care for these youth. We must recognize them. Talk with them. Fight for them. For these young people represent all that is beautiful and possible in our community. They are our
future.

Youth experiencing homelessness, LGBT or not, want the same things we all want. To be safe, respected, supported and loved. And isn’t that what Pride is really all about?

So as we gather in West Hollywood this June to throw glitter and celebrate our Pride, let us also commit to ending youth homelessness. Let us ensure that all homeless youth feel safe, respected, supported and loved. And that we all come to know the true meaning of PRIDE.

Frank McAlpin, social worker and homeless youth advocate
@FrankMcTalk

Our Homeless Challenge Project helps people experience the realities of homelessness by dressing down, emptying their pockets, and living on the streets for 48 hours with an experienced NCH guide. Participants see the world through the eyes of a homeless person and meet others who are currently experiencing homelessness. One student from Colorado State University recently shared her experiences with us.

48 Hours on 48 Cents by Taylorae DeWitt

Contact the author here.

NCH is proud to work with the Ali Forney Center to launch the National Campaign for Youth Shelter, a collaboration that will build a grassroots campaign to demand a national response to youth homelessness.

The National Campaign for Youth Shelter calls include the following:

A federal commitment to provide all youths age 24 and under with immediate access to safe shelter, affirming the principle that no young person in the United States should be left homeless in the streets.
An immediate commitment to add 22,000 beds with appropriate services. (This number corresponds to the number of youths identified in the most recent Point In Time Count of homeless persons conducted by the federal government).
A more accurate and comprehensive effort to count the number of homeless youth in the nation in order to determine the number of beds that are needed over the next decade.

The campaign is going to hold rallies in New York City and Washington, DC, to launch the campaign as a priority within the LGBT movement. The New York City rally will be held on June 2. Details to come.

LGBT youth are disproportionately over-represented in the homeless youth population, with as many as 40% of the nation’s homeless youth being LGBT, while only 5% of the overall youth population is LGBT.

Currently, there are only approximately 4,000 youth shelter beds in the United States, yet as many as 500,000 unaccompanied youths experience homelessness each year.

“It’s indefensible that our nation would abide hundreds of thousands of young people to be homeless and on their own,” says Jerry Jones, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. “The National Campaign for Youth Shelter will highlight the urgency of basic emergency shelter as we work toward permanent solutions to this crisis.”

The National Campaign for Youth Shelter has gained the support and endorsement of over 30 organizations, including: GLAAD, the Alliance for a Just Society, Campaign for America’s Future, Campus Pride, Center for Community Change, Center for Popular Democracy, CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, Coalition on Human Needs, Covenant House, Empire State Pride Agenda, Family Acceptance Project, Family Equality Council, Garden State Equality, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, GLSEN, the Hetrick Martin Institute, Housing Assistance Council, It Gets Better Project, Matthew Shepard Foundation, National AIDS Housing Coalition, National Black Justice Coalition, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, National Low Income Housing Coalition, NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, Partnership for Working Families, Rebuild the Dream, the Ruth Ellis Center, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, Treatment Action Group, USAction, and You Can Play Project.

“It is unprecedented to have so many LGBT organizations join together with prominent national housing and anti-poverty organizations to fight for the humane treatment of impoverished youths.” says Carl Siciliano, executive director of the Ali Forney Center. “With all this support, the National Campaign for Youth Shelter will build a movement to finally prevent youths from being left to suffer homelessness without access to shelter. The wealthiest nation on earth must not allow its youths to be left out in the streets.”

David Jaure’s film, 3:13, tells the story of a man falling on hard times. Together, we experience the emotionally taxing moments of losing work, facing familial tension, and many other struggles that those who find themselves homeless confront. There is no one face of homelessness, but the character in this film feels familiar and his story resonates. Despite the many different ways one can fall into homelessness, there are several common experiences that the majority of people living in a state of homelessness may likely share. They are discriminated against by individuals, businesses, and law enforcement. They are stereotyped and treated poorly by people who are blinded by their prejudices. They are victimized because of the vulnerable position that they are in. This film walks us through a day in the life of one man who has lost everything to show us the unjust nature of homelessness and how it is perceived by many in this country.

Discrimination and Economic Profiling among the Homeless of Washington, DC is a new report documenting the extent to which homeless individuals in Washington, DC feel that they have experienced discrimination as a result of their housing status. In the fall of 2013, The National Coalition for the Homeless and graduate students of George Washington University Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration created a survey to examine experiences of discrimination by housing agents, employers, health service providers, and law enforcement due to housing status.

Homeless individuals have long told staff at NCH that they perceive discrimination brought on by their housing status. In light of this, the National Coalition for the Homeless has been tracking discrimination against homeless individuals for years.

One homeless individual explains that homelessness can mean being turned away at the door of a “coffee shop … due to my attire, push cart, my extra bags.” This type of discrimination is typical in the life of a person experiencing homelessness.

This recent study revealed that discriminatory actions most often came from private business and law enforcement. Specially, 70% of the respondents felt they had been discriminated against by private business and 66 % of the respondents felt the same discrimination from law enforcement.

The National Coalition for the Homeless advocates for Washington, DC and other states to consider passing a Homeless Bill of Rights, which would guarantee equal treatment for people who are un-housed. This new law would not create special rights or privileges, but rather protect homeless people from discrimination while seeking employment, emergency medical care, and the right to move freely in public.

View the full report here!

Infographic on when emergency shelter opens during cold weather Extreme cold weather has touched just about every region in the country this winter. Snow, ice and below normal temperatures have caused traffic jams and school closings, but many communities have also been opening additional shelter for those who have no other place to stay warm.

Each year, as winter approaches and the temperature begins to drop, many homeless people move from the streets to their city’s shelter system to escape the cold. However, few communities have city-wide cold-weather response plans, and many of the plans currently in place leave gaping holes in accessibility.

In rural areas, shelters often have no outside resources to help them cope with the increased demand caused by cold weather conditions. Many shelters or cities offer expanded winter services only during certain months or only when the temperature falls below a pre-determined and arbitrary cut-off temperature. Above those cut-offs (hypothermia can occur in weather as warm as 50 degrees Fahrenheit) many cities do not offer resources to help the homeless people escape from the cold.

Without a carefully constructed winter plan, homeless service facilities may find themselves unable to accommodate the influx of residents, and some of those people who seek shelter are turned out into the cold. With nowhere to stay except the streets, people experiencing homelessness have a much higher risk than the general population of developing exposure-related conditions such as hypothermia and frostbite. These conditions can be immediately life threatening and may also increase the risk of dying from unrelated conditions in the future. Increased homeless services, especially additional shelter availability, are necessary to accommodate the amplified need in the winter.