When it comes to dealing with homelessness in the United States, I would argue that we approach it in the wrong way, just like we do with many other problems in this country. That is because, in this country, we value money more than anything else. If the solution to the problem doesn't involve someone getting filthy rich, it won't likely be seen as a priority. The traditional method for addressing homelessness is to invest in creating shelters and beds for those impacted. Once people are in the shelters, we seek to provide individuals with resources to improve their standing in society and get a higher-paying job so they can afford to rent a place to live. This may sound like a good idea in theory, but there are better places to work on yourself than the shelter. There is virtually no privacy as you are constantly surrounded by people, most of whom have not chosen to be there. Tensions can get high, and sometimes things get physical, so finding space to work on yourself can be very difficult. This is one reason why many people who are homeless choose to be on the streets or camp instead of staying in a shelter.
Many people who are impacted by homelessness are in that situation because of medical issues. This could be a physical ailment that caused them to lose their job and then saddled them with medical debt that they have little to no ability to pay off. I have written other blogs about how we tie our ability to receive medical care to our ability to generate a profit for someone else and how wrong this is, but I digress. Many people who are impacted by homelessness are also affected by mental health problems. Think about the friends and family members that you have who battle anxiety or depression. You know how challenging dealing with these issues can be. Now imagine that friend or family member dealing with that issue while on the street or in a shelter. Mental health problems are complex enough to deal with when people have jobs and homes to live in with friends and family to support them. Can you understand why getting people help while in the shelter or on the street would be even more difficult? Maybe it would work if psychiatrists were readily available and accessible, but many people have to wait 6 months before they are even able to be seen. Imagine how stressful a situation that would be where you don't know how to take care of yourself, and you can't get access to people who are trained to help. Now, you can begin to understand what it's like to be homeless or live in a shelter.
The Way Home and the solution to the homeless problem in the US is with Housing First! The Way Home is the umbrella that the City of Houston created to unify all organizations working to support people experiencing homelessness. One of the program's main goals is to first provide housing for people impacted by homelessness. Since adopting the housing first method in 2012, homelessness is down 63% in Houston, and over 30,000 people have been housed. The program is effective because it addresses the basic needs of people experiencing homelessness right away by prioritizing getting them into a safe space. Once they are in a safe space that they can call home, they can begin to leverage the resources available to better themselves and support themselves. Stress is one of the significant contributors to both physical and mental health problems. We can't expect people in one of the most stressful circumstances to be able to work on themselves and inherently make progress. We must create space for them to feel safe. Only then can progress be made.
