Human Trafficking and Homelessness

There are many reasons and ways someone can end up on the streets, with no home. Many of them are not fault of the individual on the streets, and yet, we tend to look at a homeless adult and see someone responsible for their own decisions.

In many instances, these people became homeless as child runaways. Some escaping violence, abuse, some lost children, the truth is that many children who end up on the streets or attempt to escape bad home situations are trafficked, or forced into trafficking.

The incidence of such is higher than one would think, and there is a relationship between those escaping trafficking and ending up without a pace to live.

In a study of homeless youth conducted by the Covenant House, nearly one in five (19.4%) of the 911 interviewed youth were victims of human trafficking, with 15% having been trafficked for sex, 7.4% trafficked for labor and 3% trafficked for both.

Those are big numbers. There are several issues we need to tackle as human beings, so many leaving people defenseless, resourceless and with no place to go. Next time you look at a homeless person and assume anything about personal responsibility or how they ended up where they are, assume the other way as well...we never know what we would do when faced with decisions they may have been forced to make.

For some information about the relationship between homelessness and trafficking in youth:

https://www.covenanthouse.org/homeless-issues/human-trafficking-study


For some information on what to do should you encounter someone you think may be a victim of trafficking, PLEASE check the link below for what to do and how you can help to save a life:

https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/identify-victim?utm_source=google.com&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=rg.search-fy20.states-traffic_OR&utm_content=trafficking&utm_term=human%20trafficking

When possible, always choose compassion.






Daphnie Williams

Thinking About Homelessness

Sometimes I wonder if there is a solution to our homeless crisis. I often wonder what could happen if there were more shelters and institutions for people to go to when they have no option. I think about the safety of shelters, or lack thereof that I've heard people talk about. My friend and I were talking and he mentioned that there was a study done about mortality on the homeless population when they were placed in safe housing. He said that the study that he read about said that since people didn't have the same fight or flight chemicals running through their body, their relaxed body from being secure was more susceptible to illness and mortality. I thought this was really interesting.

I was also thinking about ways we can do more for the homeless. One thing I think we should provide is more places to get clean needles. This would be good because it will reduce transmissions of any bacteria or disease. We also have lots of clothing options for the homeless, but it would nice to offer blankets and other sustainable necessities that make life easier.

The most helpful reform would come from having a better foster and adoption agencies in place. I have to question the ethicality of the programs in place as they are. There needs to be a better vetting process for people who want to adopt children, and there needs to be an easier process for adoption when there are really good parents waiting to care for a child. It is so upsetting to know there are children placed in bad foster homes where they are not treated well, and it's upsetting to know there are loving families waiting to adopt children that are waiting in a facility. It is painful to know there are homeless youth without their basic needs met.

I wonder how we can make these changes happen. I hope that for the sake of the homeless population, especially the homeless youth, we can make a difference sooner than later. 

By: Samantha High

Corona-virus outbreak puts local shelters in a difficult position

People experiencing homelessness are in an essential state of crisis at all times. Many of us would agree that shelter is essential to have a continuously sustainable and stable life. So what is someone without a home to do when the society they’re a part of is facing a pandemic that requires all citizens to severely limit their outdoor time and contact with other people? COVID-19 has been difficult to face and requires everyone to change their daily routines in order to subdue the spread of the virus. Things such as staying mostly isolated, washing your hands frequently and staying home when you feel sick are essential. All of these things can be a challenge for someone experiencing homelessness. In addition, most of the shelters in the area are fairly tightly packed with beds, not allowing for the recommended 6 feet of distance between people. Therefore, the houseless population is at high risk during these times. Especially considering many have underlying health issues. So what is there to be done?

Unfortunately one of the easiest solutions for shelters has been to offer beds to fewer people in order to meet the requirements of proper spacing between individuals. Shelters are given motel vouchers but are restricted to use them only in severe cases. In order to make a real impact in slowing the spread of the virus in a community as vulnerable as this would be for the local government to expand funding on these motel vouchers and loosen the requirements for when they are allowed to be used. Things such as this will only become more necessary in the coming weeks. 

The National Low Income Housing Coalition has put together a document of things required for the houseless population to adequately respond to the onset of COVID-19. Policymakers are currently working on a spending package that addresses how public health will be affected by the virus. In order for this spending package to be beneficial to homeless populations, NLIHC recommends these things such as protections against evictions and relocations, medical respite care, and expanded outreach medicine. More information on NLIHC recommendations pertaining to the virus can be found here: https://nlihc.org/responding-coronavirus

Relating this to my last post (February 24th, 2020) about homeless youth in Beaverton, school being canceled due to the virus has created an especially difficult situation for this community, as well as low-income families. Many students rely on breakfast and lunch provided daily by the school. Fortunately, the district is providing a meal pickup service at many of their schools during the times when class was supposed to be in session. Remote learning isn’t as easily remedied, however. Many of the remote learning opportunities provided for students assume that students have access to the internet at home. This is an issue that has no simple fix as many community resources are closed through the end of the month. 

For more information related to the topics I discussed, check out the sources I’ve referenced here:

https://www.opb.org/news/article/covid-19-coronavirus-multnomah-county-oregon-homeless-shelters/

https://www.opb.org/news/article/portland-coronavirus-homelessness-covid-19-prevention-shelters/

https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/public-safety/emergency-preparedness/coronavirus

Written by Brody Jones

Homlessness stats around the world

Homelessness around the world? 


I thought I would share some stats around the world but mainly in America to emphasize how much of a problem this is, these numbers are rising and will continue to until we do something.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

It was estimated that by the end of 2017, more than 553,700 people were homeless on a single night across the US, according to the department of housing and urban development. This marked the first rise in seven years.

In September 2017, more than one in every eight Americans were living poverty (40 million, equal to 12.7% of the population). And almost half of those (18.5 million) were living in deep poverty, with reported family income below one-half of the poverty threshold (UNH, 2017)

COSTA RICA

The municipality of San José estimates that more than 1,800 people are homeless. According to the official statistics, around 5,300 families lived in slums in 2009.

ENGLAND

4,677 Number of people sleeping rough on any given night (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, 2018) Also 277,000 Number of people considered homeless in England in 2017 (couch surfing or accommodated in an emergency or temporary accommodation) (Shelter, 2019)

NORWAY

The number of homeless people in Norway has dropped from 6,259 in 2012 to 3,909 in 2016 (EOH, 2017). It is thought that a long-term focus on residential social work and viewing homelessness as a housing problem has been essential in reducing numbers (Norway Today, 2017)

Homelessness Relation to the Lack of Affordable Housing

(Laurel Kadas)

The situation around homelessness revolves around many variables. From opioid addiction, unemployment, and the steep rise in the housing market. Focusing specifically on the west coast, cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, have all experienced a rise in homeless over the last decade. The biggest factor with these three west coast states though, is the lack of affordable housing. 

According to a study by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2016, the estimated national average of homelessness was experiencing an overall decline in homelessness. Even so, California and Oregon, at the time of these studies, had the highest rates of unsheltered homelessness: California with 66.4% and Oregon with 60.5%. Overall, California, Oregon, and Washington combined for a total estimate of 152,207 homeless people.(1) In an article by Willamette Weekly, Nigel Jaquiss also highlights how in Portland, OR. more people are accustomed to living with their parents, showing a trend among young adults of staying with them for a longer period, or opting to live with roommates, in order to decrease the payment in rent they need to make.(2)

According to Juan Carlos Ordóñez, “a quarter of all renters pay more than half their income on housing.”(3) This leads to skipping meals, or avoiding doctor visits. This is a category that I fall under. Looking at my numbers as a college student, I make roughly 1000 a month. I am split pretty thin between classes and a part time job, where I work roughly 15-20 hours a week. I get paid just over the city minimum of 12.00 dollars, and I live in a house where the rent is roughly 2000 dollars. To be able to afford the rent, I live far from the downtown area, with 3 roommates. Putting my rent, not including utilities, at around 500 dollars. Leaving me with just half of my money for the month. But then include the gas bill, the internet bill, and the electric bill, which pushes close to 200, and then include the water bill that comes every 3 months, pushing it up to 300. All these numbers are split between the four of us, as well. So, I usually get left with roughly 100-200 dollars a month to spend on necessities, such as food and transportation to campus. That is from the perspective of a college. Now, let’s say I was working full time, but had a family, this issue would still be a problem that could affect even more people, and push them towards homelessness. 

The issues behind the increase in housing prices, and the struggle to keep up with has led to people not able to have a home, resorting to living in the streets, or looking for any sheltered homes where they could stay for a few days. It’s important to fund resources that could help people in gaining time to bounce back, and having people who volunteer towards helping them have something to eat for the day and having a shelter run well so that people could use it. Especially, since there are so many people who live paycheck to paycheck, where if one thing went wrong, they could potentially end up in the streets. 

Sources

1. https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2016-AHAR-Part-1.pdf

2. https://www.wweek.com/news/2019/10/10/portlands-housing-crisis-would-be-a-lot-worse-if-so-many-20-and-30-somethings-werent-living-with-their-parents/

3. https://www.ocpp.org/2018/03/20/epicenter-oregons-housing-crisis/

Homeless Veterans Need More Help

The U.S. military has been tracking suicides annually since 2008, and the survey shows that of the 23 million veterans in the United States, 45 percent are mentally ill and as many as 200 thousand are homeless. On average, 22 veterans commit suicide every day, about 8,000 a year which is 50 percent more than civilians.

Once out of the army, veterans often face a special social environment. First, they will lose their old social security (pensions and health care). More than 1.2 million of America's 23 million veterans are now uninsured, but some will need long-term hospital treatment. Second, after veterans get used to the army life, it is difficult for them to return to normal social life. Most of them also struggle to find work, because some companies see America's veterans as an "alien species", they fear they will have a sequela of war and struggle to understand how their fighting skills translate into the ability to serve civilians. Some veterans also suffer from severe stress disorder, commonly known as "veterans' disease" caused by job trauma. 45 percent of veterans in the United States are mentally ill and feel isolated, which is why they are reluctant to restart their social lives, become homeless or commit suicide.

Under pressure, in 2017 the department of veterans affairs (VA) launched the millions of veterans suicide prevention demonstration program to find a solution. VA is the only federal agency that provides substantial hands-on assistance directly to the homeless. The country's largest network of comprehensive homeless assistance programs provides a wide range of services and initiatives to help veterans recover from homelessness and live as self-sufficient as possible. These services include the provision of transitional housing, mental health, and technical assistance in areas such as education and employment opportunities for the homeless. If you need help, please use this link to get more information. VA:https://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits/homeless-veterans-programs.html

Written by: YingQi Huang

Resources:

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/news/2008/04/09/4249/homeless-veterans-by-the-numbers/

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/01/14/thousands-of-housing-vouchers-for-veterans-went-unused-last-year-hurting-efforts-to-end-homelessness/

https://dworakpeck.usc.edu/news/why-do-veterans-become-homeless

http://nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics/

The Tech Mecca is Becoming Homeless's Home

Homeless people on the streets of the bay area, especially San Francisco, have become a phenomenon that Americans and the media have become accustomed to. According to the latest statistics in 2017, the number of homeless people in San Francisco has reached 7,500, making it the city with the highest proportion of homeless people in the United States, and it is getting younger, with more people under 24 becoming homeless than in previous years.

When you walk through downtown San Francisco, you'll be surprised to learn that the place known as the "mecca of technology" is one of the most homeless cities in America. The rise of high-tech companies is invading other professions. While the tech boom has brought huge wealth to San Francisco, it has also attracted more homeless people. High wages have pushed up housing prices, and limited land development in the San Francisco area has squeezed out housing space. The vagabonds were different ages and colors. You will never walk down the street with curiosity and presence like in a zoo. Instead, you will intuitively feel the danger of being mugged at any time. Some of them will stare at you or even yell at you suddenly, and pedestrians are usually in a hurry to get out of the way. From their disgusted and disgusted eyes, you can see the dark side of America's strong economy and advanced technology.

These people may have affected the appearance of the city and frightened the pedestrians, but we always sympathize with them, because they are vulnerable people, victims, and have no choice in their fate.

Resources:

https://invisiblepeople.tv/could-automated-jobs-increase-homelessness/

http://hsh.sfgov.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2017-SF-Point-in-Time-Count-General-FINAL-6.21.17.pdf

Homelessness for LGBTQ+ Youth

Oftentimes when we encounter homeless individuals on the street, we judge them based on ideas that we make due to stereotypes. We judge individuals and see them as lazy, addicts, mentally ill, or even criminals. These stereotypes are harmful and don’t always hold the truth. Yet, sometimes, there is no other choice for them but to live on the streets and do what they can to survive. LGBTQ+ youth struggle to face this issue everyday. According to a study done by True Colors United, 40% of all youth who are homeless identify as LGBTQ+. Many of these young individuals are kicked out of their homes just because of their sexual preference or identity. Not only are they facing homelessness and being unaccepted by friends or family but they face serious threat on the streets. If other people disagree with who these young individuals identify as, they face assault, trauma, violence, doing anything it would take to survive, or facing early death. 

It is heartbreaking and tragic to know these kids are forced from their homes and onto the streets because who they are or who they love. It’s also disappointing to see that we are still living in such a society that perpetuates it. Family rejection is such a common occurrence and that can have lasting effects on these individuals such as depression, substance abuse, and attempted suicide. Rejection has a much higher mental and emotional effect on LGBTQ+ youth and it 60% of the time, it likely leads to suicide.  

Fortunately, there are many resources out there to help LGBTQ+ individuals get back on their feet, get jobs, get food, get housing, get guidance, or just someone there for them to talk to. The Trevor Project has always been there to defend LGBTQ+ youth, here is their link to learn more about what they can do: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/

Others: https://nationalhomeless.org/issues/lgbt/

https://www.lambdalegal.org/sites/default/files/publications/downloads/fs_resources-for-lgbtq-youth-by-state_1.pdf

https://www.hrc.org/resources/lgbt-youth-homelessness

Resources:

https://www.covenanthouse.org/homeless-issues/lgbtq-homeless-youth

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/trevor-advocacy/homelessness/

Written by: Brianna Clifford

Homelessness in Rurality

How does one’s location affect their status of being homeless? Both rural and urban cities have homeless individuals, but they both face different challenges. Geographic location dictates the weather, the topography, and whether or not there are resources available to an individual. 

Some things that people don’t realize, is that there are plenty of people who live in rural areas, and face difficulties finding shelter and help- since the literal physical difference between them and help is further, than a city that has accessible buses and streetcars. Those in rural areas may struggle with a helping hand, as well as stay homeless because of little opportunity in their area, that’s not dictated by driving a car to work. They also may face issues finding adequate nutritious food near them, which is often called a “food desert”. 

People are more likely to live in urban areas and downtown, rather than rural areas statistically. But, people in rural areas are often less accounted for, just because of the lack of services for those without homes. Many homeless individuals tend to congregate in downtown areas, but this may also be because the more people live in an area, the more amount of people will be homeless. If the homeless rate is 1%, for example, would you notice 1 person out of 100 in a rural area, or 100 out of 10,000 in an urban area?

Homelessness happens in other places than cities, and there are little resources to combat it. We don’t even know how many people outside cities are homeless. This is something that needs to change, to combat America’s homeless crisis.

Written by: Danny Hall

Resources-

1. https://nationalhomeless.org/about-homelessness/

2. https://www.voa.org/homeless-people

3. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/services-integration/1/high-needs-populations/homeless

4. https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/October2001HealingHands.pdf

The High Risk of Coronavirus Outbreak Within Homeless Communities

With the global outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), “Doctors say the country’s more than half-million homeless people are at higher risk of catching and dying from the virus (New York Times,2020). The symptoms of the virus include fever, cough, shortness of breath and may present itself in 2-14 days after exposure. Since these symptoms are similar to the common cold and flu, those infected may not know they’ve become infected until the virus is full-blown. Highly contagious and easily spread from person to person and with no vaccination available, the Coronavirus threatens those in close quarters. With nearly 550,000 homeless people in the United States, those displaced are more susceptible to spreading the virus. With 33% of people within the community currently suffering from lung disease, they are at a greater risk of dying from the virus. Since members of the homeless community often share utensils and lack accessibility that grants good personal hygiene, this large population is at risk for contracting and spreading the Coronavirus.

            With no known cases of the virus outbreak in the homeless communities, should we be worried? The Center for Disease Control sites washing hands often, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, avoiding contact with those who are sick, and disinfecting surfaces as preventative steps against the virus. How can these seemingly easy steps be extended to the homeless communities who cannot self-quarantine? Without access to proper healthcare and a limited supply of tests “The lack of a coordinated Coronavirus strategy for homeless communities could be catastrophic for sick and older people already struggling to survive in tents and overcrowded shelters” (The Guardian,2020). Currently, emergency medical funds are being extended to increase sanitation in shelters, but unfortunately these measures won’t help those living in their cars or in the streets. The lack of preparation could potentially result in thousands of deaths in the homeless community once they have been affected by the outbreak. Though the risk for an outbreak seems high to medical professional, the resilient community does not have the accessibility or luxury of prepping for a massive outbreak or quarantine. The global outbreak of the Coronavirus threatens a largely silent population, a community that isn’t cared for until “it’s too late”.

Meghan Fulgenzi

March 11,2020

Related Articles: Coronavirus Outbreak Has America’s Homeless at Risk of ‘Disaster’ 'We're not prepared': coronavirus could devastate homeless communities