Where Homeless People Live Reprinted with Permission Leading Families Home Homelessness is a complex issue that affects over a half million people in the U.S. Families and individuals experience homelessness in different ways and for different reasons, but they all need to fi nd a place to live and sleep. The homeless living on city streets are the most visible population of homeless, but not all homeless people live on the streets. Many live with family, friends, in a vehicle, or in needs. Many students are runaways from crowded, doubled-up situations because the atmosphere has become insufferable, they’re in danger from domestic violence, or they’re chronically hungry or depressed.” (Homeless – And Doubled UP, ASCD) In a Motel Room Many families who fi nd themselves without a home, whether due to an eviction or another circumstance, go to a hotel or motel to live. While living in a hotel or motel isn’t considered “homeless” by HUD, it does put the family at risk for homelessness. shelters. Others who do live on the streets may fi nd shelter in parks, on beaches, or even under bridges. With Friends or Family Although not considered a homeless situation by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), many of those who fi nd themselves homeless go to a family member’s home or crash on a friend’s couch. This is called “doubling up” – a type of homelessness basically defi ned as living in crowded dwellings with extended family members or friends because of economic hardship. This type of homelessness is dangerous for families, especially children. The nonprofi t Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development states that “living doubled-up is perhaps the most precarious form of temporary housing and is often followed suddenly and unexpectedly by life in a shelter, in a car, or on the streets.” The ASCD instructs educators to look for signs of children living in these conditions, such as “references to crowded conditions, panic attacks in class, chronic hunger or food-hoarding behaviors, sleep deprivation, unkempt clothes, inadequate personal hygiene, and unmet medical or psychological Paul Leon, the chief executive of the Illumination Foundation in Orange County, notes that most families who live in a motel “eventually end up living in their cars… Then they get towed or they can’t pay the registration, and they are forced into tents or onto the streets.” (Motels and the modern face of homelessness, America Magazine) Although living in a hotel may seem like a favorable option compared to living in a vehicle or on the street, it still comes with major challenges. One challenge is hotel management. Monica Potts, a freelance writer who lived in a hotel as research for a story, noted that families living in hotels were not treated like hotel guests. “They were treated with a kind of a lack of respect… kind of a condescension, very distancing… a little bit rude.“ (Hotels Hiding The Homeless, NPR) Another hindrance to living in a motel is the cost. While a motel room is cheaper than living in a house, the costs still add up. The weekly cost can be $200 to $300, depending on the location and time of year. (Hotels Hiding The Homeless, NPR) In a Van, Car, or RV Living in a vehicle is called Vehicular Homelessness (Vehicular Homelessness and the Road to Housing During and After COVID-19, National League of Cities), and it’s on the rise in cities across the United States. In Los Angeles, more than 16,000 people live in their vehicles, which is almost a quarter of the nearly 60,000 homeless people there. “There isn’t really a place for them in the shelter system, they’re moving into these vehicles long term and living there that way,” said Dr. Graham Pruss, a lecturer at the University of Washington who has been studying vehicle residency for the past 10 years. (Seattle’s Lack of Housing Forces Families to Live In Their Cars, CBS News) “As rents have doubled in metro Denver over the past decade, more people have moved into their cars, occupying a blurred boundary between being housed and unhoused.” (Safe Parking Sites Could Steer Homeless to a Better Future, Westword) According to homeless advocate Merideth Spriggs, “An expensive parking ticket, a towed vehicle, or a citation for expired car registration or insurance could each land them on the street.” Another worry are car break-ins, because most homeless people who live in their vehicles cannot afford repairs if the vehicle is damaged. They also worry about their safety. Illegal to Sleep In Your Vehicle Many cities have passed laws to combat the homeless sleeping in their cars or vans overnight. In a 2019 report from The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 64 new laws restricting living in vehicles were enacted, representing a 213 % increase since 2006. Other cities recognize the need to offer a safe place for the vehicular homeless to park for the night. Dreams for Change, a non-profi t in San Diego, operates two parking lots for people to park overnight. Roughly 70 families and individuals park overnight and have access to services that can help them fi nd permanent housing and other needed support.” (Homeless People Living In Cars, Invisible People) In a Homeless Shelter Homeless shelters offer shelter, food and supplies for homeless men, women and families. Many people fi nd support to transition from homelessness to permanent housing at homeless shelters, others, however, choose to live on the streets. In an interview with NPR, one man discussed the reason why some people may choose life on the street over staying in a shelter. “…you hear a lot of terrible things about shelters, that shelters are dangerous places, that they’re full of drugs and drug dealers, that people will steal your shoes, and there’s bedbugs and body lice.” (Why Some Homeless Choose the Streets Over Shelters, NPR) This can be a misconception that frightens people unnecessarily. “[T]he quality of homeless shelters varies from region to region and from shelter to shelter. Some are run by great people who know what they’re doing. Others are run by well-meaning folks who don’t have a clue, and still others by people who are downright malicious.” (What Is It Like to Stay in a Homeless Shelter?, Invisible People) Page10
11 Publizr Home