#seahomelessness

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#HomelessEntrepreneur #ProjectHomeless #seahomelessness (at Space Needle) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn7teP2hcOW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1binog73fkfoc

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6 subtle (but important) ways you can help unsheltered folks today

Today, oodles of area media outlets (and media outlets around the country) are focusing on the subject of homelessness. Because, while King County’s high numbers of unsheltered individuals is in no way new (here’s our reporting on the One Night Counts of 2016, 2015, and 2014), it is rapidly gaining the attention of regular, indoor folks who have rarely thought about the realities of life outside before. 

And while we don’t necessarily subscribe to the idea of One Day to Talk About Homelessness (because, by default, that kind of means the other 364 days are about Not Homelessness, which is a pretty major erasure), but we agreed to take part in the discussion today because, well, some talking about it is better than no talking about it. 

Our contribution? A reminder that homelessness in and of itself isn’t a problem, but rather, one painful, apparent symptom of a whole lot of smaller, harder-to-see problems—and a call to action with direct steps for how you can help, because that’s kind of how we do. 

Vote. You knew we were going to lead with this. Even if you never donate a dollar to a service provider, by voting, you can help elect officials and back policies (more on that later) that channel revenue, eliminate barriers, and propose active solutions that change and save lives. It’s literally the easiest way that you can help. 

Support inclusive policies that actively help people. When we think about policies that help individuals living in extreme poverty, we tend to think about really obvious, direct pieces of legislation, like those which add money to the mental health system, which help provide temporary shelter, and which create Section 8 or other housing specifically for people living in poverty. 

That’s only some of what actually needs to happen, collectively, to help people living outside. 

To get a better idea of how this works, let’s look at why people become homeless to begin with. From the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty: 

According to the most recent annual survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, major cities across the country report that top causes of homelessness among families were: (1) lack of affordable housing, (2) unemployment, (3) poverty, and (4) low wages, in that order. The same report found that the top four causes of homelessness among unaccompanied individuals were (1) lack of affordable housing, (2) unemployment, (3) poverty, (4) mental illness and the lack of needed services, and (5) substance abuse and the lack of needed services.

The risk factors for homelessness are about so much more than just not having money—it’s also about not having access, and what leads a person to not have money. As income inequality reaches historic levels, we need to be very mindful about the many nuanced causes of poverty and homelessness, not just the simple, responsive, reparative solutions. 

According to a 2013 report, about half of “all women who are homeless report that domestic violence was the immediate cause of their homelessness,” and 63% report having been victims of intimate partner violence in their adult lives. Survivors of domestic violence are often cut off from funding (and common sources of funding, like families), may not have enough work history to be hired, may not have rental history or good credit, and may be suffering from PTSD—all because of the abuse they’ve suffered.

For this reason, policy which helps survivors of DV—whether it’s a ban on firearm ownership by known abusers, mandatory reporting laws in schools, or the ability to safely get into shelter without having your personal information compromised—is extremely important for those living outside, whether or not it actively names itself as an anti-homelessness policy. 

Housing policies which don’t directly aid people who are currently homeless are still extremely important. CLTs, expansion of affordable housing, pro-density policies with mandated affordability, and policies which reduce barriers to homeownership help ensure that people can get into housing and stay there. 

Paid sick leave, higher wages, workplace protections, and affordable health care benefits all indirectly help curb homelessness by ensuring that workers are able to support themselves, regardless of the challenges that we know, statistically, lead to homelessness. 

As you consider which political issues to get behind and which lawmakers you support, don’t just look for their Shiny New Policy On Homelessness. Look for the ways they’re helping people at every income level with real, tangible policies that are based not in the moralization of poverty (ahem Paul Ryan) but instead, on the realities of our current economic climate and the very real barriers people face. 

Check your privilege, locate your biases. Most of us have never lived outside—and in most cases, it’s because we had some kind of privilege. Whether it took the form of a parent we could call for emergency money, insurance than ensured we didn’t end up bankrupt after a medical procedure, a social safety net that bailed us out, or just a brain that consistently and effectively functions as it should, whatever has kept you from sleeping on a sidewalk probably doesn’t come down to Working Really Hard alone.

Almost half of homeless men suffer from traumatic brain injuries. Grief and loss are significant contributing factors. Eviction is directly linked to homelessness. Disabilities are prevalent. LGBTQ kids (and especially trans kids) are more likely to end up homeless. Close to 9% of the total homeless population are veterans.

These are factors which, often, people don’t realize could leave them without housing until suddenly they’re sleeping outside. Just because it hasn’t happened to you yet doesn’t mean it never will. 

When talking about issues like homelessness, consider where your own life has taken you—and how it may be informing your opinions. Just because you’ve never been there doesn’t mean you never could be—and it doesn’t mean that the only thing keeping you from that situation is your own excellence. 

Be aware of your language. Words matter. The way we talk matters. 

People living in extreme poverty aren’t all “junkies,” they aren’t “hobos,” they aren’t “druggies,” they aren’t “transients.”

They are human beings. They are humans with parents and emotions and physical feelings and inner turmoil and preferences and favorites and expectations and hopes.

For this reason, one of the most important thing we can all do is focus on using people-centered language, and trying to use language that doesn’t come with built-in biases.

Don’t assume that every person sleeping outside is an addict. Don’t assume they’re mentally ill. Don’t assume they’ve done something wrong. Don’t assume that their situation is their fault. Don’t assume that you could have done any better with your life given the cards they were dealt.

Don’t use language that makes those assumptions.

What should you call them, then?

Neighbors. Community members. Folks living outside. People who are living without shelter. Is it more weighty that tossing them off as “crazies”? Yes. Does it matter? Absolutely it does. 

Meet people on their level. This is crucial if you’re an organization. Whether you’re running a media outlet, a neighborhood group, a campaign, or a business, if you’re interested in helping people, you need to go to where they are, not expect them to meet you. 

Instead of holding a public forum that’s convenient for you (say, on a weekend in the evening), consider the times and barriers for people living outside. Many people need to be checked into a shelter as early as 5pm, which means a 7pm meeting in the North End will never work for them. Try to find venues that are easily accessible by transit, that require little walking, that are ADA-compliant. Or, even better, find out when the groups of people you’re trying to meet with already meet. 

Too often, people in positions of relative privilege who think they’re helping are inadvertently exclusive. If your neighborhood meetings seem like they never draw people of different demographics, ask yourself what you’re doing wrong—not why people can’t be bothered to show up.  

Ask. If you’ve ever caught yourself wondering why “no one was doing anything” about homelessness in Seattle, you’re not alone—but you also weren’t asking the right question. TalkPoverty has a great piece today about the big question that’s not being asked:

The fact is that people generally fail to understand homelessness because they don’t ask homeless people what happened to them—how it is that they ended up in the situation they are in and what their needs are.

By establishing what leads to people sleeping outside—rather than, say, what keeps them outside, or why someone else isn’t fixing the problem—we can better understand what we all can do to help. 

Instead of assuming that someone else will fix it, or that there is no solution, or that the reason people aren’t getting help is because they don’t want it, assume that there’s some component that you haven’t thought of yet—and then ask after it. 

Yes, you can (and should!) give money to service providers (we’ll be sharing a list of our favorites later today) to help them operate; the people who work directly in the field, in the community, with the people most impacted by extreme poverty do important work, and they need your money to do it.

But throwing money at the problem alone won’t do a damn thing if we aren’t also supporting policies and lawmakers who have the power to enact actual change, if we aren’t reconsidering our own personal biases, and if we aren’t interested in a holistic approach to a healthy community. We all do better when we all do better.