By
Elena
Cleaves,
Staff
Writer
Homelessness, deemed a public health crisis, is only a crisis
because we continuously fail to treat the problem at its source.
Severe stigmas surrounding homelessness suggest that a person
living on the street is there of their own accord, asking for
handouts to repair the damage they brought upon themselves
through poor decision making. Coffee mugs and cardboard signs
begging for spare change and blessings are met with disdain and
worry that any charity will be spent frivolously, despite a growling
stomach or sole-less shoe.
To "solve" homelessness, we construct emergency shelters and
donate socks, toiletries, and cans of food. In urban areas like
Kansas City
and St. Louis, recent efforts have housed homeless
populations in hotel rooms among continued negotiations and
concerns. However, these short-term solutions only treat the
symptoms of homelessness, not the root of the issue.
While a roof and warm bed may offer relief during cold months, it
does nothing to address other factors which contribute to
homelessness: joblessness and financial instability, food insecurity,
lack of transportation, lack of access to health care, physical and
mental health concerns, among others. Offering a short-term
solution to one facet of the whole issue does more harm than help
as it places the burden of responsibility on those struggling to
figure out how to fix the rest and shames them for not having
done so already.
The unique challenge is that homelessness is transgenerational.
Children and youth raised homeless or in poverty often struggle to
establish themselves as financially independent adults with stable
housing, thus continuing the cycle as they grow up and attempt to
raise their own families. Putting the responsibility of solving
homelessness on the individuals experiencing it also places blame
on children raised in it and incapable of escaping it alone. To truly
solve homelessness, we must destigmatize the idea of handouts
and personal failure and instead recognize that radical support
including increased public funding, improved health equity, and
expansion of community resources are necessary.
How Does the Cycle of Homelessness Continue?
Homelessness is affected and perpetuated by several factors: lack
of affordable and accessible housing, food insecurity,
transportation deserts or lack of a vehicle, and job loss or financial
instability. While none of these concerns are new, the COVID-19
pandemic and onslaught of job loss, economic stress, and adults
leaving the workforce to care for family has certainly exacerbated
these factors.
Any of these challenges can negatively impact a person's physical
and mental health, and combined, they create an endless cycle of
needing something that can't be physically obtained for one reason
or another. A person experiencing homelessness, especially
someone with children, may have to sacrifice what little funds they
have to meet more urgent needs, such as sacrificing health care or
shelter for a quick meal. Failing to address other needs, especially
over prolonged periods of time, worsens health problems as well
as decreases the likelihood of being able to break the cycle of
homelessness and poverty.
The problem isn't a lack of housing, but a lack of affordable and
accessible housing. Since 2000, rent prices have increased as well
as the number of people who need low-income housing. Cost-
burdened households, those who spend more than 50% of their
income on housing, raised from 2.1 million to 11.4 million between
2008 and 2014 following the 2008 housing market crash. In rural
areas, almost one of every four renters is cost burdened. Despite
this, mortgage and rental requirements have also increased.
Nearly half of all mortgages go to borrowers with credit scores
upwards of 750, compared with 2001 when more than two thirds
of mortgages went to borrowers below 750. Higher credit scores,
incomes, and more are needed to afford housing, yet even
moderate-income households are struggling to keep up, let alone
those below the federal poverty threshold.
To even obtain a place to live, someone needs sufficient income,
credit history, among other things depending on the specific rental
or purchasing criteria. To have an income one must have a job, to
have a job one must have reliable transportation to and from their
place of work, to be able to work and afford transportation one
must have even the free time to be away from home – which is
unfortunately not a reality for many single parents and why they
are at increased risk of homelessness. Even providing necessities
for oneself and especially one's family requires multiple steps. As
for those who do not have access to or support for these multiple
layers of need, the cycle becomes too overwhelming and tangled
to escape.
Finland's Possible Solution
In a radical experiment, Finland attempted – and succeeded – to
solve homelessness by simply providing housing first, a concept
introduced in the 1980s by Canadian psychologist Sam Tsemberis.
Through its Housing First program, Finland began eradicating
homelessness by offering homes without preconditions to people in
need. In an interview highlighting the Housing First project's
success in Finland, Juha Kaakinen summarized the project's goal to
prioritize housing as a human right. Kaakinen is the CEO of
Finland's largest housing nonprofit, the Y-Foundation, and one of
the architects of Finland's national Housing First plan. "You are not
required to solve your problems or get sober, for example, to get a
permanent home. And then, when you have this home, you can
get support to solve your issues."
Finland's approach to solving homelessness is successful because it
is driven by unity. "What has been crucial in Finland is that there
has been a political understanding and political consensus: this is a
national problem that we should solve together," Kaakinen said.
Since 2008, several governments and coalitions have partnered to
deliver programs and resources aiding people transitioning out of
homelessness. Housing First provides service centers where people
can go to request help. An assessment is made to determine
needs, such as rehabilitation and detoxification for substance
users, and then they are provided housing as well as connections
to community resources and services for any other needs.
Temporary shelters and existing structures were renovated and
converted into independent housing with onsite staff for support.
Not only does following in Finland's footsteps provide a safe
starting space for those experiencing homelessness to begin
addressing other needs, it also eases the cost of homelessness on
taxpayers. Despite arguments that solving homelessness carries a
large price tag, Finland found that keeping people homeless was
more expensive due to use of public services including emergency
health services, calls to police, and justice system expenses for
criminalizing homeless populations. The Housing First program and
its related services showed great savings compared with the prior
cost of homelessness on the public.
Solving Homelessness Requires a Reckoning
To solve homelessness, we must be willing to admit there is a
problem and acknowledge the scale of it. Anyone is vulnerable to
becoming homeless but the populations most at risk are those
already facing disparities in social determinants of health in rural
areas. Black and Hispanic families and children, especially families
with single parents, and those struggling with substance use and
mental health issues are most vulnerable to homelessness and
poverty. Children raised homeless are more prone to substance
use, dangerous and risky behavior, and family conflicts resulting in
school problems, running away, entering the foster care system, or
becoming a victim of human trafficking.
Solving homelessness begins with protecting our most vulnerable
and prioritizing the most severely in need. Finland has proven that
stable housing is the first step and can be accomplished by
assessing the existing infrastructures available and accommodating
them for those who need them most. Sustainable housing
solutions need to consider the affordability and accessibility of
housing. But solutions don't end with addressing gaps in housing –
where there is homelessness, there is also gaps in access to food,
health care, and transportation. Communities need to assess these
gaps and determine what solutions can be made with existing
community resources and supplemented by public funding.
For instance, the Missouri Rural Health Association (MRHA) helps
rural Missouri communities establish HealthTran, a community-
driven transportation service connecting existing community
vehicles and volunteer drivers with people needing rides to and
from health and wellness appointments. To help address health
care access gaps, the Health Care Collaborative (HCC) of Rural
Missouri holds annual Project Connect events in Lafayette and
Eastern Jackson Counties providing free health services, vouchers,
insurance assistance, and more to those in need. Area food
pantries have been integral to meeting the needs of those who are
food insecure. And organizations, like the Missouri Valley
Community Action Agency, have long been activated to fight the
good fight to eradicate poverty. They provide utility assistance,
housing support, and other safety nets to support those in need.
Helpful Resources
For information about where to access support for basic needs and
preparing for the work force, visit the Missouri Resource Guide. To
find food pantries, food banks, school meal programs for students,
diaper banks, and more, visit the Missouri Service Navigator. To
see a full list of public programs available for those in need in
Missouri, visit https://labor.mo.gov/DES/Claims/public_programs.
PAGE 11 June Issue 2021
