While working on one of my garden plots in Seattle this weekend, an old neighbor stopped to chat for a while and I was stunned to hear him regurgitate the same myths about homelessness I've heard over and over again. It was during this conversation however, that it occurred to me that homelessness isn't an invisible problem; it's a highly ignored and marginalized problem which ends up making the problem worse for homeless people. Most people don't do it intentionally; it's just that they live in a bubble away from the realities of what and who the growing numbers of homeless people are.
My old neighbor immediately pointed to the chronically homeless drunks along the channel not too far from where he lives and just assumed that's who all homeless people were. I listened as he went on about the garbage problem these homeless left all along the waterway and how he and his daughter couldn't enjoy the park because of the homeless living there. That's when I told him that not all homeless people are like the ones he likes to refer to and people like me do not appreciate being stereotyped. That's when his face went blank and he stopped talking to listen to what I had to say.
The first thing I asked him was this: "If the homeless had permanent housing and support services, would they be hanging around in parks and alleyways?" Give people something better to do and a better place to go and the majority will, I said. At this point he then said that many of these homeless could get welfare and a job to which I then said "Really? Where? How can you get a job without an address? If you're mentally ill, who will hire you?" Once again, a blank stare from my ex-neighbor. That's when I told him that if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem and the problem here is that too many people have the attitude that they don't have to get involved with anything so long as they're not affected. The truth is that everybody is affected by homelessness. When homeless people get sick to the point of having to be taken to the emergency room, who do you think foots the bill for that?
At this point, I told my old neighbor about not being able to keep a living wage job due to the fact that for me, full-time childcare is unaffordable and the only time I'd be able to work is when the kids are at school and even then, it would be part-time hours because there's no one to pick them up or drop them off in the mornings. I also informed my ex-neighbor that there's no such thing as welfare anymore and what's left of it is being stripped away. Although I don't agree with career welfare recipients, I do think there needs to be a better safety net for our citizens. It used to be that the Department of Social and Health Services could prevent homelessness but not anymore and if he thinks it does, try calling them as a needy person looking for help and see what happens. He was stunned to find out that Section 8 has been closed for years in this state. I then asked him to consider why there are so many more homeless people in the neighborhood than there used to be. Why did he think that was?
The look on his face told me that I had given him more to think about than he was expecting that day because he admitted that he hadn't thought about the homeless problem beyond anything outside of what he considered was an inconvenience, but that's the point, isn't it? People will continue to ignore homelessness until somebody steps forward and tells them what it's really like out here, especially if that somebody is an underemployed single mother that happens to be homeless.
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Ending Homelessness runs counter to many peoples ethos. Scare the Children? Keep a fire under the workforce, nothing for nothing , it also Gives us someone to compare to so we say we are better off than that. Our Housing system is purposely out of reach for many even though we know it's supposed to serve everyone.
Property Rights trump PAUPERTY RIGHTS for Human Beings constantly. Three Strikes and a vagrant in 1385 England could be put to death.Three strikes is easy to force upon the Homeless if the Police and ordinances make Homelessness a crime as it does in more places than we would admit to.
Like the Emperors new clothes ,the News is really an Entertainment diversion to keep us busy until a Politician gives us our new set of opinions.To much false hope in the our political rhetoric. A Free market is the same as any other Freedom. We must work to keep it on track.
We change the World by sweeping our own doorsteps first. Ending Homelessness is more important than ending the War . Homelessness is a War on upon ourselves.
The Republic (Roman Paganists) ,The Ceasar's, Assert their Divine Rights by their Gods decree and do not think for themselves. The unbridled Masculine Bull tramples the Democratic Herd of Cows following the real GOLDEN RULE of doing to others as you do unto yourself. The Feminine nurturing aspect of each Ha Mun being , as the Sumerian definition of Ha mun describes a Mutually Opposing relationship ,if and only if these OPPOSERS work towards the mutual Goal. So even the War on Women as Cows only for Breeding and Raising the Young comes to light . Bull versus Cow is not the edict given in the Parody of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The War is between our Ears. The Masculine domination of the Feminine receptive comes from our Physical Parents and the Instincts that get warped .
Politicians push those buttons and we knee jerk react. They know this simple truth. Only when we work two gather for a mutual goal do we act CIVILIZED.
So even maintaining the Homelessness serves to split the masculine Warriors versus the feminine Nurses. Physical Gender not representing Emotional values.
To get public housing here you must get a job that is at least 20 hours a week. I haven't been able to do that and I have been living out of my van after wearing out my stays at St. Francis and Salvation Army. A friend from Siddha meditation is now letting me stay with him.
Thank you for your comments on welfare. I once received SSI. It was in the 80's before the welfare reform. I was actually embarrassed to be getting so much money but grateful too. Maybe it seemed like so much because it was retroactive back to when I had started the application process. It was a mental thing that qualified me for it and I guess a mental thing that made me not show up to get it renewed. I didn't really realize how much my mom and my family really needed me to get help from outside the family. Now I do. Since my mom died nobody has come forward with money save one nephew up in Virginia.
So, once again, thank you. I only wish you and I could make a little money writing all this about being homeless.
Cars need so many fixes not to mention the constant gassing up that SUV's probably need like my van. It has been suggested that I do without my van and take buses. I'm 59 and I've always driven. Now my feet are hurt from having to walk so much because I couldn't make any gas money. I was also on the road illegally due to not paying my insurance and having an expired licennse plate. I have walked so much I think I have permanently injured my feet.
I thank God there is some help on health front. I am diabetic and I have gotten excellent medical help at a clinic called Helping Hands here in Alachua County, Florida.