The stories of our unhoused neighbors reveal unexplored causes of our biggest homelessness-related challenges.
Homelessness, a countrywide pandemic that is particularly visible in the East and South Bay (San Jose’s homeless population ranks fourth in the nation, and Oakland’s seventh) has become a staple topic of discussion and debate. Every day, different policy ideas are presented, and myriad organizations work to address this issue.
But one thing lies behind all systemic human rights crises such as homelessness: humans. Rarely are the stories of our unhoused neighbors included in policy and community discussions, let alone the unhoused individuals themselves. We discuss statistics and data and demographics but not the stories, the people, behind these numbers.
I didn’t know the importance of this until I became a case manager for people experiencing homelessness. Through working closely with them, the causes of the drug abuse, refusal of shelter and services and mental health issues became surprisingly clear. But these causes weren’t apparent on the surface, and they haven’t been included in policy discussions.
Only 22% of individuals become homeless due to substance abuse. From afar, we can, and do, conjure numerous explanations for this problem.
Take a step back and genuinely put yourself in their shoes. Imagine you’ve been forced to live outside for years, have completely lost hope, and methamphetamine is the only thing that can bring you some form of joy and allow you to forget about struggling to survive the unrelenting heat. Wouldn’t you consider using this substance?
Another topic readily brought up by those resistant to serving the homeless is refusal of services. “They don’t take shelter when we offer it anyway, so why should we help them?”
What we don’t see are the realities behind the systems of shelter and services. Alameda County spends $183 million on homelessness each year. Santa Clara County invests roughly $62,000 per unhoused resident per year. Despite this spending, services are both lacking and dehumanizing.
Shelters often have astounding rates of sexual assault, are overcrowded and unsanitary and have strict hours, with residents having to enter at 7 p.m. and leave by 7 a.m. People are not allowed to bring in more than a bag or two, leaving any other belongings unguarded.
It makes sense that it can be preferable to live in a tent, with the ability to sleep in and maintain belongings, rather than forgo these for an uncomfortable bed in a room of 80 people. We should not expect people to accept services that we ourselves would reject.
Some of the most pervasive stereotypes and myths surround homelessness and mental health issues. Unfortunately, this problem is indeed prevalent among the unhoused community, and these individuals are often viewed as beyond redemption. However, this problem is the result of our failures, not theirs.
First, mental health problems are often a result of homelessness, not a cause of it. Additionally, when someone is suffering from severe mental health issues, they typically aren’t in a place to ask for help or they don’t have access to the services they need. It is our job as a community to bolster mental health support and make it accessible to those who need it.
I learned these lessons by getting to know people experiencing homelessness. Our unhoused community members are closest to the problem and therefore are also closest to the solution. We must value and include their perspectives if we want to make true progress toward ending homelessness.
Remember, homelessness in Alameda County has more than 8,000 faces and in Santa Clara County more than 10,000 faces. The next time you see a person experiencing homelessness, make eye contact. Have a conversation. Remember that this is a unique human being, with passions, fears, loved ones and struggles. You may be surprised how much you have in common.
Kylie Clark is a community organizer and the Public Policy Coordinator at West Valley Community Services.
Source: www.mercurynews.com