Often we are asked questions by others that we can challenge by answering with a question of our own. These questions we respond with are intended to help the original asker realize that they may be missing some crucial perspective when it comes to those experiencing homelessness.
Example 1:
Person: “What if a homeless person comes up to me?”
Us: “What if you approached someone experiencing homelessness?”
If you have the time to think through how and what you would want someone to do if you were the person experiencing homelessness, you just might find your answers to both of these questions. You need to do the personal work of establishing your boundaries beforehand, and those will be different for everyone. Second, do all you can to get out of the mindset of them, “the homeless,” and us, “the ones with homes.”This helps with doing away with the overwhelming amount of stigma, shame, and stereotypes placed on those currently homeless. A sincere, honest, real human interaction most often is the most important thing you can offer someone.
Example 2:
Person: “Why don’t they clean up after themselves?”
Us: “Which is more important to figure out? What are you going to eat and drink today, or are you picking up trash? Did you ever consider the trash could be the result of others from outside of the encampment destroying and throwing the trash around, or at times people literally pulling over to where an encampment may be and dumping things there? If they did collect it and bag it up, who will pick it up and haul it off then? When you are clinically depressed or in strict survival mode, do you think trash upkeep is going to be high on the priority list? Do you know how often we are told by people that they are sorry for how their encampments look or that they are doing their best to keep the place clean? Have you seen or heard the shame people have when they tell you these things? Do you know we get asked for trash bags, which we rarely ever have, all the time? Did you realize that what may look like trash or hoarding to someone observing may actually be the result of an extreme amount of loss and accompanying trauma in that person’s life to the extent that they may no longer be able to distinguish between what is worth keeping and what isn’t?
Example 3:
Person: “Well, most homeless people choose to be homeless, don’t they?”
Us: “Why would you think that? Are you really saying that living without permanent stable housing is a lifestyle choice comparable to attending folk music concerts or surfing the waves at dawn?”
If given the option between permanent, stable, safe, preferred, and affordable housing and living out on the streets or without a place of their own, almost everyone would choose the first option. And the few that wouldn’t most likely wouldn’t because of their inability to trust the validity of such an option due to past bad experiences with the housing system.
Example 4:
Person: “The majority of homeless people are on drugs or are mentally ill, right?”
Us: “No! Who told you that? And even for those that are, did the addiction and mental illness begin before the experience of homelessness, or after a person experienced homelessness for a period of time? And even further, does the fact that there are people who are struggling with alcohol and drugs and mental illness cause you to feel disdain or empathy?”
In reality a substantial majority of those living without housing do not have a severe mental illness and are not addicted to alcohol or drugs. According to the American Addiction Center, most research shows that 1/3rd of people who are homeless have problems with alcohol and/ordrugs. And according to the Substance Use and Mental Health Service Administration, only 20%-25% of those who are homeless suffer from some sort of severe mental illness. The tens of millions housed in the US who struggle with addiction and mental illness far outnumber those without a house. Although they are much more likely to have access to quality treatment options and care.
Example 5:
Person: “How many homeless people do we have here?”
Us: “Who in the world actually knows? It also depends on what your definition is of who qualifies as a homeless person? Did you know that nationwide only 40% (essentially every 3 out of 5) of people who are homeless meet HUD’s definition of ‘unsheltered homeless’? Did you know we literally meet new people experiencing that type of unsheltered homelessness on outreach every single day? So do you consider the people within the shelters still homeless? What about the people doubled up or couch surfing with a friend or family member? How about the people currently in the hospitals or jails without a permanent address or home to go to when they are released? What about those that live day to day, week to week, and month to month at hotels and motels?”
Example 6:
Person: “Oh, y’all are employed to do this? So y’all must be doing this just for the money?”
Us: “Oh, so you must not really know any of us that well? You must not have witnessed us pouring our hearts, souls, bodies, blood, sweat, tears, and energy into every ounce of this work we do each day? You must not realize the blessings we get to experience from knowing these special people experiencing homelessness in our community that far outweigh the money we get paid for having the jobs we have to serve them? Did you know most of us could be making more money being a manager at a grocery store than being where we are? Could it be that this is way deeper than money?”
#ROCAndRoll
#ROCRetrospective
#Questionable
