Humanizing the Unhoused

Often times when we think of change, we think of the big shifts, but if we look closer we can see that big changes are the amalgamation of many little changes. Little things that are radical by virtue of being in opposition to the norm. Going against the grain, so to speak. 

This week I wanted to highlight the work of Leah den Bok, a photographer, who at 14 years old started a project that would come to be known as “Humanizing The Homeless”. She was influenced by the experiences of her mother, Sara Denbok, as a child orphan found injured on the streets of Calcutta who was taken in by Mother Theresa's orphanage until she was adopted. 

Sarah Denbok as a child at Mother Theresa’s orphanage (Denbok family)

She was also inspired by the work of Lee Jefferies, a photographer based in the UK, and started meeting and photographing people experiencing homelessness in Toronto, Ontario. The black and white photographs are accompanied by the conversations they share, and the stories told by people she meets. She eventually published a book called Nowhere to Call Home: Photographs and Stories of the Homeless Volume 1 followed by two more volumes and all of the profits are given to local shelters. 

Nicole from Fredericton and Vinnie from New Brunswick (Leah den Bok)

“With my book, I'm trying to portray two goals,” said the young photographer. “First of which is to shine a spotlight on the plight of homelessness because it is such a big issue in our nation and world right now that's only getting worse. And second, I'd like to humanize homeless people because so often they are seen as subhuman individuals.”

Leslie and his cat, McLovin (Leah den Bok)

It’s easy to walk by people and never know them, know what they value, know where they’re from, and how they came to be where they are now. Sometimes, it’s really just a matter of taking a moment to talk with someone and share some time and space with them to make a difference—no matter how small it may seem.  

 (CBC News)

If you’d like to see more of Leah den Bok’s work for this project check out the Humanizing The Homeless website. 

The PSU Landing at FUMC: A Safe Haven for College Students in Need

In the coming weeks, we will be discussing several notable support organizations and their efforts to assist the local community. To start, let's introduce the PSU Landing at FUMC. This group is a collaborative effort between Portland State University, First United Methodist Church, and local volunteers, all aiming to provide a safe and supportive community for PSU students in the midst of homelessness or transitional periods in their lives. They offer all the needs of a homeless shelter from their own local community resources. The church gymnasium is offered as a safe place to sleep, and food is provided through local food pantries as well as selections from PSU Eats. They've even begun construction on a study area for those in the midst of their classes, with free internet and computer access provided by local donors.

PSU Landing also emphasizes their general inclusiveness at every turn; anyone is welcomed to apply for this program regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion. For those of religious faith, they offer a worship service every Sunday, accessible remotely via their website's livestream tab or the FUMC Youtube channel. The PSU Landing at FUMC extends its reach to anyone in need. With their extensive shelter resources, their general inclusivity, and a supportive pool of local donors, they are no doubt a crucial cornerstone of Portland's community. If you wish to learn more or apply for their program, you can access their website via the links below. 

Official Website

FUMC Youtube Channel

Permanent Housing vs Shelters

 

Permanent housing versus shelters.  For a long while I had believed that more shelters would assist the homelessness issue, but with research towards homelessness assistance I came up on the topic concerning the effectiveness of shelters and permanent housing.  The main points are financial costs and path to self-sufficiency.  When looking up past instances of permanent housing projects it has appeared to be more effective in getting individuals to a point where they’re able to work again and self-sustain themselves.  

When in permanent housing, the claim is that with stable housing, it provides a sense of security and stability.  With that in mind it leads to a homeless individual being able to seek out more help and increases their chances of becoming self-independent.  How can one hope to get back on their feet if they have to seek shelter or necessities everyday after all?  In the video provided above, the housing solution shown contains a portion of the building where those who live there can learn skills such as in the cooking area that turns into a restaurant during the day.  This example is a fantastic illustration of just what these permanent housing buildings can do if done right.  Incorporating an environment that puts them into situations where they can be a working person and in this case even pay them for it (since it is a restaurant too) gives them some form of job training that they can take with them later on.  As they also say in the video it’s almost no different from an apartment and it’s flexible that they have different types of room options such as studios, or double rooms that can house siblings.  

They also bring up an interesting point that I think becomes a concern with these offers.  The goal of course is to get them back working and independent as soon as they possibly can, but they’re aware that some, especially young individuals may not be able to do it within their 1 year binding contract.  It becomes more effective to provide programs that will help them get there sooner, but while the effort is to in the future open up another room, it’s reasonable not to expect residents to leave after that year.

Is it really cost saving?  For Multnomah county, there was a claim that it would cost $8000 per household to help an individual attain permanent housing whereas $8000-1000 to maintain one bed in a shelter.  I think the cost savings eventually come in the effort that’s provided to get them off the streets and become no longer homeless where the success rates of shelters being less than 10% just has them going back.  In combination due to permanent housing taking more time to build as well as housing a smaller number of people at a time, shelters however still provide a very temporary solution to housing bigger numbers.  This will only improve as more permanent housing solutions are built over time.

Some statements from calcoast that I think summarize the idea is that instead of getting them ready to move out of homelessness, you give them a roof and services which will then make it easier for them to assess their problems.

RESOURCES

Housing First

Coalition for the Homeless

Home for Hope

Coping with COVID-19 while experiencing homelessness

 

Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels

COVID-19 has touched every corner of this planet, affecting the lifeways and practices of almost every person. Masks, face shields, social distancing, frequent handwashing and cleaning of surfaces are increasingly commonplace. 

But what happens when you don't have access to running water? What happens when you share an encampment with many others, with no way to socially distance? Where do you get masks if you can't afford them?

Protests in Portland: How civil unrest affects the unhoused

Photo by Taufiq Klinkenborg from Pexels

Protests in Portland, Oregon, have garnered much media attention, and have been a consistent presence in the city for over two months. Police tactics from the local Bureau as well as Federal agents have sparked both outrage and support, mostly depending on one’s political leanings. People are risking their health and safety to be out in the streets, practicing their First Amendment rights and taking part in civil disobedience in response to police brutality. 

But the people in the streets each night- protestors and police alike- get to go home and wash off the tear gas afterward. What about the people who don’t have a home to go to? 

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

Supporting the Large Population of Houseless Youth in Beaverton

Beaverton School District has the largest population of houseless minors in the state of Oregon. According to the district, in 2018 they had 1,799 students enrolled in school with no permanent home. This includes any student who doesn't have a permanent residence, and ranges from couch surfing to not having anywhere to sleep but outside. 361 of those students were considered “unaccompanied youth” with no parent or guardian. The McKinney-Vento Act’s Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program ensures that any student in Oregon is provided with appropriate public education regardless of their residential status. The McKinney-Vento Act requires at least one liaison per district to help families in need. The Beaverton School District has three liaisons that already hold other positions within the district.

HomePlate is a nonprofit organization that operates in Beaverton for people between the ages of 12 and 24 that find themselves unable to secure housing. They operate Monday through Thursday and provide essentials such as food, clothing, showers, and laundry. In addition, they provide resources such as housing assistance, employment connections and have information for other social services. According to their website “HomePlate is Washington County's only non-profit provider of drop-in centers and street outreach for young people experiencing homelessness.” Volunteer work and donations are an essential part of what makes the organization work.

HomePlate is an invaluable resource to Beaverton and Washington County at large. Unfortunately, the Portland metro area (Beaverton included) is lacking the resources necessary to support the large population of underage individuals facing homelessness. For all of Washington County, there is only one shelter in Hillsboro that provides an overnight place to stay for minors. This makes the necessity of HomePlate receiving and redistributing donated items such as clothing and blankets all the more necessary. Donating to HomePlate (homeplateyouth.org/donate) is really easy. Their website has details on all of the ways to help out and lists current monthly needs. Their website states that nearly 25% of their income is non-cash, and is essential to the function of their organization. 

By Brody Jones

FOX 12 Staff, “Beaverton School District sees the highest number of homeless teens.” FOX 12 Beaverton, 18 Feb. 2018. https://www.kptv.com/news/beaverton-school-district-sees-the-highest-number-of-homeless-teens/article_d85c69d7-f2ae-5960-a4e3-4e37c043f276.html

“McKinney-Vento Act: Homeless Education Program.” Oregon Department of Education : McKinney-Vento Act: Homeless Education Program : McKinney-Vento Act : State of Oregon, www.oregon.gov/ode/schools-and-districts/grants/ESEA/McKinney-Vento/Pages/default.aspx?fbclid=IwAR09Fj2ciuwB9x7ky11pdpFnbtVoJGcZBLDROxNKchb_21aFJC44EDzMgOU.

Vespa, Maggie and Jared Cowley, “Beaverton bans homeless camping on city streets.” KGW8, 13 June 2018. https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/beaverton-bans-homeless-camping-on-city-streets/283-564092315