This summer I attended a cookout for folks experiencing homelessness. It was suggested by one of our unsheltered folks that summer does not offer “normal” experiences like cookouts, so Youth Street Reach puts on this great event complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, potato salad, ice cream treats and more. Beyond the food, we have clothing and toiletries, and a raffle (just tickets, no payment required) for not one but two bicycles. This event brings youth, church, volunteers, and unsheltered folks together in a beautiful way and offers a bit of “normalcy” to folks living an anything but normal life.
While at this event I had an interesting conversation with a long time volunteer, a conversation that has really stuck in my mind. This person said, “it’s different now, we make it easier for folks to be homeless.”
I guess my query is: Are we doing a huge disservice to the homeless community by offering tents, sleeping bags, blankets, clothing, food, toiletries etc.? Yes, they need this, but what they really need is to NOT be without shelter. What kind of a backwards system is this that folks receive some essentials to make it palatable to be living rough? Please know that I’m not disparaging those who do homeless outreach. I’m one of those folks, offering lunches and clothing once a month, because the system is broken and these folks have no way to get their needs met. But, it’s not enough; it’s not enough to offer socks knowing that these folks are going back “home” to a tent or a stairwell.
Folks, living rough…being homeless is NOT like camping. It is full of violence, trauma, fear, degradation. People who are homeless are trapped in a system that works to keep them down. People who are homeless often do anything they can to get their basic needs met. People who are homeless often do anything they can to escape the pain of their day to day life. I have seen folks become homeless, and seen the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual decompensation that comes from living in ongoing trauma of homelessness until -often-they are incapable of moving forward because they have had all hope exorcised from their existence.
It is shameful that this country has as huge a homeless population as it does. It is shameful that this country does not offer sustainable services to house people even if they are struggling with substances, to house people even if they have mental health issues, to house people even if they lack skills, to house people if they have aged out of foster care and have no where to go. Learning to live a sheltered life, after being unhoused, takes time and practice and there will be missteps and there will be backsliding. Punishing folks by taking away their housing or kicking them out of congregate living because they are fallible, just like everyone else, is almost as unbelievable as offering blankets to homeless folks so that they can be warm-ish while living without a safe place to rest their heads.
We need to do better so that everyone has their basic needs met, so that everyone has an opportunity to live without the ongoing trauma of being unsheltered or marginally sheltered, so that when we offer blankets it is to put on the beds of folks who have a home to go to that is safe, and warm, and allows them to grow into their best lives.
What can we do? Vote in such a way that affordable housing is possible in your community. Vote in such a way that supportive services are offered and that those who work in these fields are given the education, training and compensation they need to do this difficult, meaningful and necessary work. Vote in such a way that the system leans towards restoration instead of punishment. Vote in such a way that we no longer need to make it easier for folks to be homeless because homelessness will no longer exist.
Please pray for those who are unsheltered as we enter into the colder months. Pray that all hearts be turned towards justice and equity so that everyone, no exceptions, has access to having their most basic needs met. Pray for safe housing for all.
Rev Pam Wannie 