Housing ends homelessness, but then what?
posted: March 10, 2008 | category: homelessness, mental health, substance abuse
tags: housing, stories
Giving homeless people housing ends homelessness, but it’s just the beginning of the answer to the crisis of homelessness, because homelessness is not the real problem, it’s just a symptom of the problems that land people on the street.
Recently, a number of my chronically homeless friends have moved from homelessness to housing, and that hasn’t been an easy transition. Although they are grateful to be off the street, they continue to struggle with mental health problems, substance abuse issues, and the difficulties of living in relationship to others.
Here’s what some of them have to say:
“I can’t sleep inside.”
“My apartment echoes. My tent didn’t.”
“I used to have my own place, just like this. One day I walked away from it. This is making me remember why I left.”
“Sometimes it feels like the walls of my room are closing in on me.”
“There’s people all around me, on the other side of the wall, every time I open my door. On the street, I could just walk away — get away from people. I can’t do that here.”
“This is hard to get used to. You get adjusted to surviving on the street.”
All of my friends are receiving services to help them with the mental health, substance abuse and relational issues they’re struggling with. And they all have supportive friends who care about them and are involved in their lives. I’m thankful for the housing first program that moved them off the street. Housing may end homelessness. But the real work of rebuilding lives has just begun.
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4 Responses to “Housing ends homelessness, but then what?”
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Not being homeless doesn’t end hopelessness. A heart that feels alone still doesn’t have a home. I’m getting this…We have so much work to do learning to love people. We just have to be filled - let our fill spill over -and keep walking in the mud…We know that God is true to His promises - So, we let God be God while we do His work.
We don’t need a new jail because as Sheriff Barnes once said 1/3 of the inmates on any day are there because of substance abusive or mental illness. Hope people vote down the jail bond and then that the County Commissioners give very serious thought to really solving the [problem of jail over crowding. Because you are so right and getting them, under a roof is just the very beginning.
Government funding is providing housing and supportive services. But to help people rebuild lives, rejoin community, that takes FRIENDS. I am so thankful that God is allowing us to be part of what He’s doing in the lives of our friends. And you’re right, Audrie, we have a lot of learning to do! I’m just glad we’re all in this together — and in Christ!
Brenda, I’d rather see people get treatment than go to jail, too. But people need access to those services before they get in trouble and law enforcement gets involved. I don’t know all the Commissioners, but I know that some of them are listening…
Definitely the biggest problem people experiencing homelessness face…falling through the aftercare cracks.
It really makes me wonder if more people would remain ‘homed’ if funds were diverted from so many programs to get people IN homes to services that help people become stable AFTER they get in those same homes.
Danged if you do, and danged if you don’t.