VENDOR WRITING

Housing First?

BY VICKY B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

I was never sure just what Housing First was but I’d hear that it’s just “free housing” and “No one will build free housing.” It’s really not. It’s really not even about housing, but recovery. You may be thinking it’s about the addicts and alcoholics and it can be, but it’s much more than that. It’s recovery for you as well as me. It’s recovery from abuse, sexual abuse and yes even homelessness. It’s a more client choice program that puts the client’s needs first instead of trying to fit the client into a mold. It also makes for a more successful housing, instead of what I did and just went for the first thing that came up and figured I could work with it. I was so tired and done with being homeless that anything would be a welcome change. Housing First would have allowed me to have a choice of what neighborhoods I’d like to live in along with activities I’d like to be near and transportation options I was looking for.

It would have allowed me to get into recovery from the trauma of being homeless.

In 1980 President Ronald Reagan stopped investing in housing and put money into corporations with the promise of new jobs and better pay. Of course this didn’t happen. It simply made the rich richer and the poor deeper in poverty. President Reagan had said that the “homeless problem” is because people are lazy. The stigmas that surrounded homeless people then and still do today.

“Homelessness is just the absence of a job.”

“They’re just lazy and don’t want to work.”.

“They’re all addicts and alcoholics.”

These are the stigmas homeless people have lived with for years and years and there’s no public relations campaign to change anyone’s mind. So it’s up to nonprofits and homeless people themselves to change the stigmas.

I love the concept of Housing First, but more so I like the team effort of the social workers. The concept is to develop a relationship with the client via weekly visits, telephone calls, etc. This is real caring on the part of the social worker. Homeless people are tired of feeling like just another person. Providing this relationship will help build trust, respect and start the clearing of the cobwebs. The cobwebs occur when you get into housing and can easily feel overwhelmed with everything to do. Having someone who you know and they know you, can help with the clearing of those cobwebs. I’m not sure if Housing First is the answer but, I’m in love with the wrap around services that social workers would give. Maybe taking a part of the Housing First approach along with affordable housing and the wrap around services would be worth looking into.

Ukraine, Your Problem is Our Challenge

BY DANIEL H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Have you ever woken up in the morning wondering what your day will be like? Or gone to bed asking how blessed you are because something good happened? Unfortunately, our neighbors in Ukraine are not as blessed.

As a homeless person, in the past I would ask myself where I could find food, how I would get from one place to another, or even where I would sleep without being run off. You may say “what does this have to do with Ukraine?” Maybe even turn off the TV so your children aren’t traumatized by what they see.

When you have money things look different. You may hear yourself say I would never want to be them. Sometimes you are not given a choice over a day’s event. I can remember telling the people of Nashville at a homeless memorial that any one of us could be homeless. It was right after the tornado struck Nashville and East Nashville, leaving people without homes or work to support their families.

Now close your eyes for a second and instead of a tornado it was a bomb. All you want to do is survive. You look around to see everything you consider important is gone. Next, you check on your family to see if they survived. All you can hear are people screaming as they try to make it to safety. This is the real life and world of Ukraine.

We take for granted what is given to us freely. The smiles that come as we watch our children grow. The neighbor’s invitation to dinner to celebrate a birthday or anniversary.

Please remember when driving or walking down the road and you pass a homeless person, treat them with kindness. You may not always have a choice what your day will be. Being kind should not be a choice, but a humane thing to do. After all, if not for Poland and other countries reaching to help the people of Ukraine it would be unthinkable.

Be kind to a stranger. You may be blessed in so many ways.