The dimly lit room had only fallen silent just two hours prior. Up until that point, pockets of conversation could be heard above the nasal infected snorers. Like an unwelcomed splash of cold water to the face, the lights come on glaring brightly, cutting through the mist and haze of confusion, trying to identify your whereabouts. “Time to get up,” one of the overnight monitors repeatedly shouts with the compassion that lacks the grace of a trained monkey. You try to gain your bearings by sitting on the edge of a military cot that serves as your makeshift bed. You are one of fifty women who did not have anywhere safe and warm to stay the night. The community gymnasium, so beautifully crafted with wall-to-ceiling windows that invite the world to look inside, was your only refuge. There you are, arising from an unpleasant slumber, trying to maintain some dignity as you subconsciously prepare for the day ahead. And with the sunrise yet a distant two hours away, you don’t know where your next destination will be.
It is 5:00 AM, and you have one hour to put away your cot, gather your items, and try to wash up at a sink in a public bathroom among a sea of women with one or more of the toilets overflowing. Afterward, if you’re lucky, you will sit in a chair against the wall and gratefully eat the meager rations provided as breakfast. A few will converse if a connection is to be made somehow. Others will commune with acquaintances. Most will sit in silence, unwilling to accept the circumstances for which the experience is a shared nightmare they can’t seem to awaken from. At 6:00 AM, the buses will arrive to carry the women to various shelters across town that accommodate homeless people throughout the day. And as much as you pray that miraculously, this will be my last night here, you will inevitably be among those same unnamed faces come nightfall.
The above vignette describes the typical daily rundown at a makeshift women’s shelter in Washington, D.C. The shelter was temporarily created on an emergency basis during an extreme cold weather spell at the end of March 2019 and lasted until the end of the second week in April. While the activities described may be exclusive to this particular shelter, it is far too familiar to hundreds of thousands of homeless people across the United States.
Homelessness; a problem, a societal ill, an escape, a moment of circumstance, a crisis, or all of the above. What is the solution? Do you attack the obvious and commit to building more affordable housing, or do you continue with the band-aid resolution of funding more shelters? Of course, nothing is cut and dry, but what fundamental measures are employed to address the increasing nationwide issue?
When you think of the word homeless, a standard definition comes to mind. In generic terms, it simply means to be without housing, staying in a shelter or some other temporary living facility, or sleeping outdoors.[1] There are, however, broader definitions that incorporate the various complexities of life. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has expanded the definition to include experiences of those who:
1. Are trading sex for shelter,
2. Are staying with friends but cannot stay there longer than 14 days,
3. Are being trafficked, and
4. Left home because of physical, emotional, or financial abuse or threats of abuse, and have no safe or alternative housing.[2]
When it comes to children and youths, the US Department of Education defines homelessness as:
1. Individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and nighttime residence,
2. This includes:
a. children and youths who are sharing the housing of others,
b. children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings and,
c. migratory children who qualify as homeless.[3]
There will always be the cynic who undoubtedly believes that most people who end up in this situation are either mentally ill, criminals, or too lazy and desire to live off the system. When the reality is homelessness has no criterion. That argument also does not include children and youth who, contrary to popular belief, are not all incorrigible, wayward runaways. According to the National Center for Homeless Education, the number of students reported homeless by state education agencies during the 2018-2019 school term was 1,387,573.[4] Sadly, this estimate does not reflect children who are not on school rosters, runaways, or those who have been trafficked.
In 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published their annual estimate of homeless at a little more than 580,000 people.[5] However, this number is unreliable because it was derived from counting the number of people on the streets and in shelters on one night in January. Given the extreme winter conditions during this time of year, the number is undoubtedly inaccurate. It does not account for the numerous displaced people in unreachable public areas, those who commit petty crimes in exchange for housing during the winter months, those who present false symptoms to mental health institutions in exchange for temporary housing, or those sleeping on someone’s couch. Of the 580,000 people counted, 70 percent were individuals, 6 percent represent unaccompanied youth under age 25, and the rest were families with children.[6] Devastatingly, when factoring in the number of homeless school-aged children in one school term, a more eye-opening view places the total homeless population in one year at well over 3 million.
To argue that this country’s fragility lies in the fact that most people are not equipped to handle one tragic setback is, at best, arguably accurate. At worst are the constructs of capitalism that suck dry the labor of the poor and middle class, leave them broke and broken, then ask them to subsidize the greedy whims of the rich. Although the causes of homelessness in America are vast, the most prominent and more pressing reasons are the lack of affordable housing and below living standard wages.
It goes unsaid that elevated real estate prices and historical unfair banking practices leave many Americans outside the reach of homeownership. For those fortunate enough to achieve this American dream, the unfortunate reality is that the perils of homelessness are not specified to any particular group when bills don’t get paid. It is a long pass down the football field to tackle this industry under the homeless crisis. Thus, immediate attention must be given to the quick hand-off of current renting conditions and temporary housing that are within the grasp of every American for real progress to be made.
Very little has been done in the past decade to alleviate the problems of homelessness. While there have been numerous attempts to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, this number just meets the standard cost of living in some of the poorest states across the country. In the meantime, the skyrocketing housing costs are out of reach for the average everyday worker who often works two or more jobs to make ends meet. By the time the government reaches a consensus on the minimum wage hike, the nation will need a universal $25 an hour increase.
Approximately 10.5 percent of Americans live in poverty, amounting to 34 million people.[7] Long gone are the days when one week’s salary could pay your rent/mortgage. In 2019, the effects of economic burdens caused 6.3 million households to spend over 50 percent of their income on housing.[8] This meant families had to ration out the costs of other necessities, like food, medicine, transportation, and childcare, to get by. As a result, lower-income households are typically one major life incident away from not paying their rent, losing their housing, and becoming homeless. Such incidents can include a major car repair, an emergency hospital visit, or an illness that causes missed days from work.
“Income declines have played a major role in the rising incidence of cost burdens. From 2001 to 2007, median monthly rental costs rose 4 percent while renter incomes fell by 8 percent.”[9] This variation continued where median renter incomes in 2012 decreased from $36,000 to $31,500.[10] Ultimately, affordable housing is substituted for quality with a higher possibility of placing the renter in crime-ridden neighborhoods and exposing them to issues with rodents, insects, lead paint, mold, and other unsanitary conditions.[11] There is some curiosity about how wide the range will be between rent and income once the pandemic ends and the emergency government subsidies have dried up.
Since the passing of the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009, HUD set out to combine the mandates of this legislation with the competitive homeless assistance grant programs under one umbrella.[12] Together they reside under the Continuums of Care program (CoC).[13] The CoC program is “designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, and state and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals, families, and communities by homelessness; promote access to and effect utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness.”[14] Essentially, the CoC program is an ambitious collaboration of HUD-approved agencies and landlords that provide permanent housing, transitional housing, supportive services, and in some instances, homelessness prevention to those in need. Their efficacy, however, is practically futile when thrown up against a weak economy, high unemployment rates, low incomes, and a lack of affordable housing. For example, most homeless people, 57 percent, live in five states; California, Texas, New York, Washington, and Florida.[15] These people take up half of the 25 CoC’s in existence, leaving other states with lower homeless rates relatively unserved.[16] In these areas, there are either no forms of recourse for the homeless, or private entities take up the slack. The fact that there are only 25 CoC communities when there are 50 states speaks volumes. Just because an area is not oversaturated with a homeless problem like California or New York does not mean that they don’t need assistance. The size of the problem may not weigh as heavily. Nevertheless, it is still a burden.
Then there is the problem of reaching the majority. Even if the available services were to expand, available funding does not meet the needs of even half of all affected. A Harvard study found that in 2000 and 2012, the number of affordable and available rental units only met 25 percent of the populations eligible.[17] Similarly, in 2012 the National Low Income Housing Coalition reported that one out of four renter households were considered extremely low income.[18] Still, the number of available renter units could only meet half of that population.[19] So, on average, only about 25–37 percent of all eligible families and individuals can benefit from programs under the CoC and those like it. What about the other 63-75 percent? Once again, the doors to housing are shut not just because of income but also because of too much demand and insufficient supply.
Then there is the elephant in the room that no one wants to acknowledge. There are simply not enough shelters to provide temporary housing for the homeless. For the ones already in place and have open beds, it must be asked, “Why is it that so many homeless people still prefer to sleep outdoors than at a shelter?” Can it possibly be that most people seek refuge from shelters under duress, thereby creating a hostile atmosphere? Does the lack of privacy make these facilities far more dangerous than officials are willing to state? Does the crowding of multiple bunk beds in a room of strangers from various backgrounds create a prison-like environment? When politicians and shelter providers are faced with these questions, the answers get neatly swept under the rug and tucked away. This only raises suspicion as to why there is continual spending on a broken system.
In short, it only takes compassion and an earnest effort to make a difference in one person’s life, which helps out your fellow man and exemplifies brotherly love. Yet, it is not a panacea for a sea of others pushed overboard without a life vest. If only homelessness could be viewed across our television screens every Sunday afternoon and Monday night from the middle of September to the first Sunday in February. How much attention would be paid to it then, and how soon would the sight of a homeless individual on the streets become an anomaly? For the survival of this nation, there must be a call to action to ensure that every American has access to DECENT living space, that is PRIVATE and SAFE.
Here are a few questions for you to ponder when considering whether this country needs more luxury apartments that most people can’t afford or should there be affordable housing for everyone.
Have you ever been hungry and not know where your next meal is coming from? Have you ever attended school to receive a free meal and temporary shelter? Have you ever fallen asleep in school because you had nowhere safe to sleep the night before? Have you ever searched through garbage cans looking for wasted food? Have you ever encountered a self-righteous individual who offers you his half-eaten leftovers in absolution, then believes you ought to be grateful to receive his scraps? Do you know what it’s like to have no choice but to eat food that doesn’t agree with your stomach or dietary needs? Have you ever had to dispel your bodily waste and had nowhere to go to use the bathroom because society doesn’t allow you in? Have you ever slept outside all night without protection from the elements or the harm of others? Do you know what it is like to get no sleep for days on end and try to function in a typical fashion? Have you ever slept on a bench, sidewalk, or staircase because it was the safest place to get rest? Have you ever slept in a room full of strangers, fearful that one might accost you in the middle of the night? Have you ever been sick and weren’t allowed access to your bed because the shelter didn’t allow you access to the living space at that time of day? Have you ever gone a week without a shower? Have you ever washed up and changed clothes in a public bathroom to attend a job interview? Have you ever feared being locked up for vagrancy just because you didn’t have anywhere to go? Better yet, have you ever craved the chance of an arrest just so that you would have a place to stay for the night? Have you ever scratched yourself almost raw because you acquired lice? Do you know what it feels like to be a woman on her menstrual cycle and not have proper supplies or a place to shower? Have you ever slept in your car for days or months and developed arthritis because you couldn’t stretch your legs? Have you ever been turned away from a shelter because it was at capacity? Have you ever been abused, beaten, threatened, or forced to commit unpleasant acts while residing at a shelter? Have you ever concocted a story of mental illness to be temporarily institutionalized in exchange for shelter? Have you ever sold your body in exchange for shelter and food? Have you ever ignored your child’s cries of hunger because you didn’t have the means to feed him? Have you ever voluntarily turned your child over to social services because you couldn’t provide basic necessities like housing?
If you have never experienced any of the above scenarios, you should be grateful. With this gratitude, you should consider writing your legislators to demand that they legislate affordable housing for everyone. And if this is not feasible for you, then at least use the power of your vote to endorse it. Suppose you believe that homelessness is somebody else’s problem and has no bearing on you. In that case, I hope that you never encounter: a natural disaster that destroys your dwelling and livelihood, a long-term loss of employment and income, a mistake in identity that unlawfully places you in prison, a financial scam that dries up all of your funds, a disability that negatively affects your ability to earn a living, or the sudden loss of a loved one who was your sole provider.
[1] Section 330(h)(5)(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C., 254b) defines homeless as, “an individual who lacks housing, including an individual whose primary residence during the night, is a supervised public or private facility that provides temporary living accommodations and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing.”
[2] US Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD’s Definition of Homelessness: Resources and Guidance, March 18, 2019. Retrieved from: www.hudexchange.info/news/huds-definition-of-homelessness-resources-and-guidance/
[3] Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act per Title IX Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
[4] National Center for Homeless Education; Federal Data Summary School Years 2016-2017 through 2018-2019: Education for Homeless Children and Youth, UNC Greensboro, (April 2021). www.nche.ed.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Federal-Data-Summary-SY-16.17-to-18.19-Final.pdf
[5] HUD Releases 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report Part 1: HUD No. 21-041; (March 18, 2021).
www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/hud_no_21_041
[6] National Alliance to End Homelessness: State of Homelessness 2021 Edition. www.endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2021/
[7] Id.
[8] Id.
[9] Joint Centers for Housing Studies of Harvard University; The State of the Nation’s Housing, (2014), p. 29. www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/jchs.harvard.edu/files/sonhr14_txt_bw-full.pdf
[10] Id.
[11] Id. at p. 30.
[12] Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Interim Rule: Published in Federal Register, (July 31, 2012). www.hudexchange.info/news/continuum-of-care-coc-program-interim-rule-posted/
[13] Id.
[14] US Department of Housing and Urban Development; Continuum of Care Program. www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/coc
[15] National Alliance to End Homelessness; State of Homelessness: 2021 Edition.
www.endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2021/
[16] Id.
[17] Joint Centers for Housing Studies of Harvard University; The State of the Nation’s Housing (2014), p. 30. www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/jchs.harvard.edu/files/sonhr14_txt_bw-full.pdf
[18] The Affordable Rental Housing Gap Persists. Housing Spotlight, Volume 4 (1), (August 2014).
[19] Id.
A Paige from my Book 