Violence, US Dept. of Justice, Offi ce on Violence Against Women) One survivor shared her experience online: “Living in the shelter helped one feel safe because the location was kept secret. I parked my car in the garage all the time and kept it covered with a tarp so it was hidden. We had a locked entry gate and the police patrolled the area frequently. Having access to counselors all day helped one learn how to deal with the devastating effects of domestic violence on the spot. I was the only one in the shelter for a couple of weeks and it was diffi cult because I was also recovering from some serious physical injuries on my own. The police escorted me to and from work every day and kept an eye out during my lunch hour.” - (What Is Staying at a Women’s Shelter Like?, Quora) On the Street Transition to Permanent Housing Homeless shelters are wonderful resources that can help individuals and families fi nd permanent housing and exit homelessness. As a homeless family shelter, Leading Families Home offers safe, comfortable, and pleasant temporary housing to the homeless in Toledo, Ohio. (Take a look at photos from our shelter.) In a Domestic Violence Shelter Several women and children who fl ee abusive situations fi nd safety at domestic violence shelters. According to the Family and Youth Services Bureau, “between 22 and 57 % of all homeless women report that domestic violence was the immediate cause of their homelessness.” Emergency shelter can help survivors fi nd transitional housing. “Transitional housing programs give survivors the time and services they need to achieve goals for long-term safety and stability. Without these programs, survivors may have no other option than to return to their abuser’s home or face homelessness.” (Transitional Housing Programs and Empowering Survivors of Domestic When most people think of the homeless, they imagine a person who lives on the street. The street is a common place for unsheltered homeless people to live and sleep, and they are the most visible set of homeless people. According to The State of Homelessness 2019: ”Over half a million people go homeless on a single night in the United States. Approximately 65 percent are found in homeless shelters, and the other 35 percent—just under 200,000—are found unsheltered on our streets (in places not intended for human habitation, such as sidewalks, parks, cars, or abandoned buildings).” Living on the street comes with a series of challenges, including cleanliness, fi nding food, and being targeted by the police. A major challenge for those living on the street is staying clean. If you have no home or income, fi nding a place to shower can be diffi cult. Some people use public restrooms to wash up, others use water fountains or pay a low fee for a membership to a gym or fi tness facility, such as the YMCA. A homeless person who lives on a city street is in real danger of being arrested for doing things they need to do to survive, like going to the bathroom or sleeping in public. (My Family Is Homeless In Toledo: What Can I Do) The police in many cities routinely conduct “street sweeps” to remove the homeless from the streets. During these sweeps, the police may confi scate the (very little) material items that a homeless person owns. If the person lives in a tent on the street, the police may destroy it. Street sweeps are controversial and have caused concern among homeless advocates. In a legal primer published by the ACLU, “Homeless sweeps are costly and ineffective and make homelessness worse, not better. More importantly, courts have held that failing to give suffi cient notice before a sweep, so people can act to keep their property safe, or destroying property during a sweep violates the rights of homeless individuals.” Many parks in large cities have become homes for the homeless. Sleeping on park benches or in the woods isn’t unusual, but it often creates tension between park managers and members of their communities. Seeing unsheltered homeless people in public parks is met with concern and discomfort from the community, yet park managers do not have the time, staff, or resources to properly handle the issue. Many times park management views homelessness as a much more complex issue that requires longterm solutions. In a study conducted by National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), one park manager stated: “By and large, people tend to overreact about the impact of homeless camps on our property, and a large part comes from a somewhat irrational fear of people who are different because they don’t have a home. If we could just be a little more comfortable with the existence of homeless people in our society, we could put money into things that are more positively impactful for everyone.” Public support of park management is vital to fi nding a real solution to homelessness, versus “reactive, costly, short-term responses” to quickly remove homeless people from public parks. (Addressing Homelessness in Public Parks) On the Beach In places where beaches exist, homeless people camp. Much like those who camp in parks, homeless people who live on the beach are a very visible – and upsetting – reminder of homelessness. California beaches are those most affected, due to California’s high rate of homelessness. Unlike other states, 72 % of California’s homeless sleep outside or in cars versus shelters or temporary housing (California Healthline). As of January 2019, there were 6,680 homeless people living on the streets, under bridges, along beaches in Orange County and in and out of temporary housing (Homelessness Continues to Be County-Wide, OCR). This has created a huge issue for California communities who want to protect tourism and maintain public safety (California Homeless Flocking to Malibu Beaches, Dumping Sewage, Fox Business). Florida faces similar issues. The chairs of two Miami Beach citizen committees said they are hearing “growing concerns from residents and businesses… Continue to page 14 Page11
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