4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS HOMELESSNESS HOUSED: How housing changed John's life JOSHUA LEE Groundcover contributor Housing is more than just a roof over one’s head. It is a source of stability, security, dignity and hope. For many people who have experienced homelessness, getting housed is a life-changing event that opens up new possibilities and opportunities. For this article we interviewed John, who recently moved into permanent supportive housing (PSH) in Ann Arbor. PSH is a type of affordable housing that provides long-term rental assistance and supportive services to people who have disabilities and/or chronic homelessness. We asked John how housing has impacted his situation, and what are the things that eased or hurt the transition from the street. John’s story John, 54, was homeless for over 10 years. He used to sleep in a tent near the Huron River where he faced harsh weather, harassment and isolation. He suffers from bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, which made it hard for him to find and keep a job. He moved into his PSH apartment in February 2023, after being referred by the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County. He said that housing has given him a sense of peace and comfort. “I feel like I have a home now. I can sleep better, I can cook my own food, I can watch TV, I can relax. I don’t have to worry about where I’m going to sleep or what I’m going to eat. I don’t have to deal with the stress and danger of living on the street,” he says. Housing has also helped him improve his mental health and access other services. He receives case management, counseling, medication and transportation from Avalon Housing, the nonprofit organization that operates his PSH unit. He also attends a peer support group at Home of New Vision, where he meets other people who have experienced homelessness. He said the most helpful thing for him was having supportive staff who cared about him and his well-being. “They treat me like a human being, not like a number or a problem. They listen to me, they help me with my goals, they encourage me. They are like family to me,” he said. ment living. Still, it was hard to adjust to apart“It was hard to get used to having neighbors, rules and responsibilities. It was hard to trust people, to open up, to ask for help. It was hard to feel like I deserved this." One thing that changed for him was his friend group. He used to hang out with other homeless people who shared his struggles and interests. “We would talk about basketball, especially old school early 2000s basketball. Rip Hamilton was my favorite player from that time; he was a great shooter and defender who played for the Pistons from 2002 to 2011. We would watch highlights of his games on YouTube. We would admire his skills and compare his achievements to other all-time greats. We would also share tips on where to find food, shelter or other resources,” he recalled. After he moved into his apartment, he lost contact with most of his homeless friends. Some of them were happy for him, but others were jealous or resentful. “Some said I was lucky or privileged. Some of them said I was betraying them or forgetting them. Some of them said I was no longer one of them.” He still misses his homeless friends sometimes but he also made new friends at his PSH unit and his peer support group. They also share his passion for basketball. “We still talk about basketball. We still watch highlights of Rip Hamilton’s games. We still admire his skills and achievements. But we also talk about other things, like our health, our goals our challenges,” he says. Another thing that changed for him was his ability to follow his current favorite team. The “Lebron-James-led” LA Lakers. When he was homeless, he had a hard time following his team as a fan, due to lack of access to coverage. “It was frustrating not being able to watch their games live or catch up on their news and stats. I had to rely on word of mouth or public sources, which were often unreliable or outdated. I felt like I was missing out on a lot of excitement and joy,” he said. Now that he has a TV and an official address, he can watch his team play on his own screen and receive newspapers and magazines that cover their see HOUSED page 14 NOVEMBER 3, 2023 Factors of homelessness, part one For years, I was stewing about how people treated each other, particularly how people treated the poverty-stricken and the homeless. I didn’t want to see people suffering. But at the time I didn't want to be part of the solution, either. While stewing in disgust at the way humans treat other human beings, I posted a rant on Facebook. I then decided to jot down ideas on factors of homelessness, shelter issues and the money behind it all. Here is my initial list: Reasons for Homelessness 1. Job Loss/Low Wages, • Financial instability/job loss (Living wage vs minimum wage) • Insufficient federal/state aid • Lack of sustainable wages meeting cost of rent, 2. Abusive Relationships • Insufficient mental health care 3. Substance Use and Abuse • Drug promotion vs rehab and recovery • Lack of affordable one-year drug rehab centers for the poor 4. Parenting/Disabilities, JAMIE CAMERON Groundcover vendor No. 612 end homelessness 9. Selfishness • Human to human selfishness, 10. Where is the HUD money? • Private companies, organizations and shelter CEO profits I will save shelter issues and the money trail for later articles of this series. I selected three websites for background research: HomelessResourceNetwork.org, generated 17 points. HumanRightsCareers.com, • Relationships of an abusive nature • Abusive and neglectful parenting • Chronically homeless children of homeless parents 5. Incarceration • Institutional mindset • Incarceration and recidivism • Lack of public bathrooms leading to CSC violations and incarceration 6. Transportation/Car Issues, • Cost of repairs 7. Talent Development, • Lack of development of individual potential 8. Governance, • Politicians unfufilled promises to ArlingtonLifeShelter.org yielded ten factors each. People Housed First The first item is that of wages, job loss, not enough federal/state aid, unemployment/ underemployment, and a lack of sustainable wages such as a living county wage. A minimum wage is for children, not adults. Minimum wage combined with part-time hours will not meet the cost of living. We’ve had chronically unemployed people without personal or job development programs. Jobs are at will, and so workers are subject to job loss at any time, for any and reason. Poverty means being a lost paycheck away homelessness. Current Temporary Assistance for Needy Families combined with EBT/ Bridge card does not meet the needs of those at the poverty level. In fact, for a family of three, it barely covers one-third of the cost of living. The main problems with wages are threefold: low and stagnant wages, consumer price indexing and non-sustainable wages to meet an individual’s cost of living. At the same time in history as low and stagnant wages, we have an ever-widening canyon between wages and housing costs. Housing requires credit checks, income verification and deposit of up to three months rent. Rent-to-income ratios lead to housing discrimination. In every state, fair market rent combined with minimum wage equals no housing for many. As for those with disabilities, housing is often difficult to obtain and maintain, due to stagnant SSI or SSDI wages not being adjusted for the consumer price index. For many frontline workers, it’s not a game. Job loss due to see FACTORS page 15
5 Publizr Home