Interviews
Real Stories: Meet Dennis
Published July 22, 2009 @ 08:26PM PT
Dennis says he's not homeless, just "structurally challenged."
At 53, he's worked all of his life. When he lost his job in Oregon, he moved to Phoenix to find work. Turns out, the economy isn't faring any better in Phoenix, and neither is Dennis' housing situation. To make matters worse, he developed a muscle disorder.
Special thanks to Phoenix Rescue Mission and Joy Junction.
Dennis from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Cliff
Published July 18, 2009 @ 05:12AM PT
It was 116 degrees when I met Cliff on the streets of Las Vegas. The sight of him bothered me; he was so malnourished and skinny.
I really feel for Cliff. He's 59 years old. He's been living on the streets of Las Vegas for several years. Like many older homeless individuals , he doesn't really have any job prospects at this point in his life. He sees no other options but to stick it out on the streets for the next three years until he turns 62 and qualifies for Social Security. That's, he says, when he'll finally get a "nice place" of his own.
We can do better than this.
Click here for my behind the scene story from InvisiblePeople.tv's Road Trip, U.S.A.
Cliff from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
What's Inside the Homeless Assessment Report
Published July 13, 2009 @ 01:13PM PT
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When it comes to homelessness research, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress is the big dog. It's arguably the most comprehensive and anticipated reports on homeless released each year.
At a data-dense 150 pages, it's no surprise that only a few points are picked up by the media. The story this year, for example, is that suburban and rural homelessness saw increases. While this is an important finding, it hardly captures the depth provided by the report.
In order to gain a more complete understanding of the complexities and stories behind the numbers, I caught up with M William Sermons, the Director of the Homelessness Research Institute at the National Alliance to End Homelessness to learn more about how this report advances our understanding of homelessness in the U.S. and- more importantly- how the numbers can help us end it.
Why should people care about this homelessness data?
As a researcher, I think that there are lots of reasons, but one finding of the report that your readers may find sobering is the finding that more families are showing up in homeless shelters directly from housing that they were buying or renting and other traditionally stable situations. For anyone who has ever said (either seriously or jokingly) that they were one paycheck from being homeless, this data says that this is more true for more people than it was a year ago.
Complete the sentence: "The one thing that people should take away from this report is..."
The one thing people should take away from this report is how swiftly things have changed. When I started as Director of the Homelessness Research Institute last October, my first task was figuring exactly how to document and communicate the large decreases in chronic, family and overall homelessness from 2005 to 2007. Of course, the economy has gotten worse and worse since then and the results of this report reveal a screeching halt to the progress that the homelessness assistance and community had been making prior to the current economic realities.
You're the expert - what surprised you the most after crunching the numbers?
I think that one of the biggest surprises is that the decreases we had begun to see in chronic homelessness didn't continue. Communities across the country are implementing permanent supportive housing programs that permanently end homelessness for many chronically homeless Individuals. In the first half of this year, we've seen a series of studies in prestigious academic journals documenting how cost-effective these programs are. The articles show that people stay housed and use fewer community resources. Because this report also suggests that there's been lots of new permanent supportive housing created since the last report, I would have expected a decrease in chronic homelessness.
What's missing from the report?
What's desperately needed in is information about performance. The current report is essentially a report about inputs and process. It tells us how many shelter beds there are, who used them, and how many homeless people were counted across the country at a single point in time. While you might not know it from reading the report, there are innovations happening in communities across the country. Many communities have implemented programs to keep people from ever entering shelters and those efforts aren't captured in this report. To be able to use the data effectively in the fight to end homelessness we need performance information to tell us what's working and what isn't.
Clearly, this report provides some insight into some recent trends. But now what happens?
Now, the work begins- or should I say continues. Communities across the country have been responding to the situation long before any data was available. In addition to serving more people, those communities have been gearing up for months to implement the new federal Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program. That funding is now making its way to communities, so the next thing to look for is evidence that the prevention money has prevented the big increases we anticipated without it.
Real Stories: Meet Richard
Published June 30, 2009 @ 11:53AM PT
Richard has slept on the streets, under freeways, in parks, and on sidewalks. But today, he is a proud resident of Nickelsville, a tent city named for Seattle's mayor.
From the moment I walked into the "city limits", Richard made me feel welcome. This interview is taped in front of his home. Richard does a nice job explaining the ins and outs of Nickelsville, such as the rationale for giving each tent an address.
I like Richard. Although his future is uncertain, he has a plan, hopes, and aspirations. He is trying to improve his life. Trying, he says, "to get myself into a more solid structure, a house, and a full-time job." In fact, out of all the stories I've shared on [invisiblepeople.tv] and [change.org], he was the first to know exactly what his three wishes were.
I hope they come true someday.
Richard from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Bruce and Donna
Published June 25, 2009 @ 03:21PM PT
Donna and Bruce are like any other couple... except their relationship began on the streets.
Domestic violence landed Donna in the hospital. When she was released, she had nowhere to go. Bruce says he wound up on the streets due to a few bad decisions. The two met in a park and spent their nights in doorways and under bridges. I can only imagine how difficult this experience was for them.
Today, Bruce and Donna are residents of Nickelsville, a tent city outside of Seattle. Since settling there, life has started to improve for the couple. Here, they have found a sense of community, structure, and a feeling of permanence.
Rather than write anything about Nickelsville, I urge you to learn about this tent city from a resident's perspective. Bruce's comments about Nickelsville and re-integration into permanent housing will open your eyes.
Bruce and Donna from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet James
Published June 21, 2009 @ 01:13PM PT
Seattle's homeless encampment (dubbed "Nickelsville" after Seattle's mayor) is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Sure, it's a tent city. But it is also a community in every sense of the word. But, unlike most communities, Nickelsville is at the mercy of the city of Seattle. Already this year, Nickelsville has been bulldozed seven times and forced to relocate. When I was there, they had been in the same location for ten days straight (a record). At their last location, they were only there four days before being forced to move.
If you think it's hard to remain cheerful when you're constantly being uprooted, you're right. Which is why I found James so interesting. When I met him, he was building a kitchen table out of shipping pallets. Although he moved here from Jackson, Mississippi looking for work, James was still unemployed when we spoke. If not for Nickelsville, he believes he'd be up living under a bridge.
I am so happy to tell you that James did find work the day after this video was filmed. He found a job working as a forklift operator (and he didn't even have to move to Alaska... you'll have to watch video to smooth that one out!).
This is just the first in a series of interview with residents of Nickelsville. If you'd like to learn more about the this tent city community, take a look at this whrrl story.
James from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Jennifer
Published June 17, 2009 @ 08:45AM PT
For the last four years, Jennifer has lived on the streets of Skid Row. Most of that time she has been heavily addicted to drugs.
Getting clean is enormously challenging when you're living on the streets, particularly in an environment like Skid Row. The day we met Jennifer she had been sober for three months, but this wasn't her first attempt at sobriety. Last time, she was clean for 13 months, only to relapse on Christmas Day.
I asked Jennifer what she thinks the solution to homelessness is, and I think her response was spot on. She said it depends on the person. I admire Jennifer. She's courageous, tenacious, and optimistic. She is trying her best to survive through the absolute worst circumstances imaginable.
When I asked Jennifer where she's from, she said a place where you don't see people sleeping on the streets. I wish that was true for all of us.
Jennifer from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Photo credit: Wm. Mac Salsberry
