For my each-one-teach-one teaching project, I decided to lead a workshop in Outdoor Programs to my fellow trip leaders and apprentices’. I chose this group of people because I wanted to speak with a group of people who choose to sleep outside willingly about groups of people that sleep outside unwillingly. I ended up leading two workshops. The first workshop was a quick overview of homelessness at our weekly Monday night meeting and the second workshop was a more in-depth conversation the following Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday afternoon, only four trip leaders from Outdoor Programs showed up to talk about homelessness which was disappointing but worked out well. We started off by discussing stereotypes, moved into causes of homelessness, and ended with ways to prevent homelessness. The stereotypes we talked about were the general stereotypes we think of when we think of homeless people: drug addicts, lazy, could work if they tried to get a job, that it’s their choice that they’re homeless, etc. Our conversation about stereotypes led into a brief conversation about the language we use surrounding homelessness and I told them that it was important to try and not victim blame and to search for the structural reasons behind homelessness. When we talked about causes of homelessness, I was surprised to hear that no one brought up affordable housing. Even without them taking our class, I assumed it would be mentioned since affordable housing is such a buzzword nowadays. However, most of the causes they talked about had to do with mental illness, high medical costs/lack of insurance, economic depressions, and systemic oppression against people of color. These themes came up again when we talked about ways to prevent homelessness as they brainstormed a lot of things that would require policy changes. For example, the idea of free healthcare or more affordable services for people who are struggling.

I enjoyed leading my two workshops but definitely liked the Tuesday one better, just because we got to have a small group discussion where everyone shared their opinions and ideas. It was exciting to be able to teach my peers and have them look at a social issue (homelessness) in a new way. I think they learned a lot about the lack of affordable housing we are facing and how easy it can be for individuals to become homeless. I encouraged them to not look away the next time they see a homeless person and to try and understand that everyone has a different situation that led them to homelessness. If we start acknowledging the homeless people we see every day, maybe the problem will begin to humanize itself again and we won’t hear people speak about homeless people in such a negative way. I would call this teaching project a success but I wish that I had more time to plan and prepare because I think I could have reached more people in Outdoor Programs, which would have been nice, but I’m happy with the outcome of the project regardless.

As my entire college career is winding down this week, I cannot help but reflect on this semester and acknowledge the moments in class that were most outstanding. Going into this class, I felt anxious to learn about homelessness. I knew that the conversations I was overhearing from family members about homeless people were wrong, but I didn’t know how to properly connect them. I mean, what do you really say when your outspoken uncle refers to all homeless people in Seattle as lazy, ungrateful people? Now I know that I have a multitude of responses lined up for the next time this conversation unfolds. Some of our most powerful moments in the class were when we all acknowledged that we need to humanize homelessness, but that doing just that won’t solve anything. Using our conversation from last class and reflecting on it, I think it’s important to keep in our minds that you can help people who are struggling and also fight against the structures that are making them struggle, all at the same time. Just because I want to “put band-aids on people” doesn’t mean I’m contributing to the same issue. I’m all about empathy and understanding and I think I will use those two traits moving forward when I continue to learn about homelessness and speak about homelessness with others. Breaking stereotypes and stigmas is one way that we can all start to change the conversation. While it’s not us fighting to change policy, it is a step in the right direction. I’m really grateful to have taken this class and to have learned so much in just a few short weeks!

Since this class started, I have become hyper-aware of all the homeless encampments I see when I’m driving in the area. Before this class, I’m not sure if I would have seen the tents hidden in the Santa Ana Wash or noticed the shelter-like structures off the 210 heading toward San Bernardino. I think this is a positive part of taking this class because it’s forcing me to actually see the homeless people in our area. The “out of sight, out of mind” attitude isn’t easy to hold when a daily commute involves recognizing certain homeless people/ popular homeless “areas”. Even this past Saturday I took a trip out to Venice and felt like I was seeing homeless people left and right. It triggered an interesting conversation with the friend I was with as we started talking about the different approaches to solving the homelessness problem. Her view on homelessness was very victim-centered and she had a worry about enabling the homeless by offering services. I encouraged her to think of the countless people who are homeless due to external factors, like job loss, and used our close friend as an example to show her how easy it would be to become homeless in L.A. Even though we disagreed on the fundamental contributions to homelessness, we were still able to have a conversation about it and could hear each other out. Even on our way back to Redlands, she pointed out several tents under freeway passes and acknowledged that whoever was living there definitely was in need of some help.

It’s so important to be aware of the problems around us that don’t affect us directly! We can all lend a hand and do something to help.

This week we heard from Dan McGuire, the CEO of Homeless Solutions, a homeless organization aimed at providing housing and development programs for people facing homelessness in Morris County in the state of New Jersey. I found our conference call to be insightful and I learned a lot from Dan. Something that surprised me was the statistic that eight households get evicted each day in Morris County. It’s my feeling that if the county can recognize that statistic, then they can recognize that there is a housing crisis they need to tackle. Like Dan said, it’s all about the money and government support. Without that help, organizations like Homeless Solutions can’t accomplish much. I was curious to hear Dan say that in their Safe Haven program for those suffering from mental illness, Homeless Solutions does not house individuals with diagnoses of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. This left me wondering what help is out there for those individuals, who may be at a higher risk of homelessness. I loved hearing that Homeless Solutions is aiming to partner with fortune 500 companies in the area to create a positive pipeline from their shelter to higher-paying work! It’s a creative idea that allows Homeless Solutions to vouch for individuals that they know will become successful employees.

A side note: I found Dan’s advice for those seeking employment in the non-profit world to be really helpful. He reaffirmed my belief that any sort of experience can be marketed toward whatever company you’re applying to. He said it himself that secondary experiences are a value and that you should sell those in an interview. While I try to enter the real world, I will keep his advice in mind.

Since we have been spending a lot of our class time hearing about what local agencies are doing to combat homelessness, I set out to do some research on what my hometown is doing to solve its housing crisis. Portland, as we know, has a high population of unhoused people that has only gotten worse since rent has increased significantly.

When I typed in “Portland homeless” to Google, the first article I saw caught my attention. Apparently back in 2015, the city of Portland aimed to provide a bed for every homeless child in the area. The shelter was city-funded and had an obvious “no turn away” policy which they prided themselves on. By February of 2016, the shelter was at capacity and since the city had made this promise, they were spending thousands of dollars housing children and families in motels (the cost of housing a family in a motel was $3,000 a month while monthly rent was $1,800). The lack of beds and increase in cost led the city to break its promise of offering a bed for each child and blamed the “no turn away” policy for the increase in homeless families the city was seeing.

I felt frustrated when reading this article because it seemed that the city had been moving in the right direction by acknowledging the lack of beds for children. But when things got costly and the promise seemed impossible, the city turned to blame the policy of allowing anyone to sleep in the shelter. If the city of Portland really wanted to solve this problem, they would need to take a look at the rising costs of rent and the gentrification process occurring on the east side of Portland.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/oregon/articles/2018-03-16/portland-aim-to-house-all-homeless-kids-proves-too-ambitious

An article posted early this morning from the L.A. Times stated that Los Angeles city lawmakers are blocking the momentum of creating homeless housing projects, though it is unclear if the block is intentional or unintentional. The project needs to receive funding but before this can happen, city council members must send in a “letter of acknowledgment” to the housing department. So far, no such letter has been received. This news is frustrating on several layers. Los Angeles has worked hard in the past years to pass certain rules and regulations that would allow for the improvement of street life for their homeless population. Housing proposals have been submitted to the city’s department of housing but will be rejected until these letters get sent in. Homeless advocates say that this “letter-blocking” is a political move, while council members argue that they simply are waiting for the proposal that looks “right”.

Once L.A. gets its act together, however, the proposed housing projects would fit in well with the community. From my observations, the projects look like nice apartment buildings that you would see in any city. It is hard to imagine that people would have a NIMBY approach to these proposed buildings, but then again, it is hard to really understand neighborhoods that would want to push out the homeless in the first place. Regardless of the issue, I am hopeful that developers and city councilors will get on the same page to get these projects moving. The longer they wait, the longer their homeless population is living on the streets and not properly housed.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-council-power-20180312-story.html

It was nice to be able to sit down in class last Wednesday to reflect on what we’ve learned already in this semester. I think it’s so important that we come together and share our opinions, what we think is the most important piece of information we’ve learned, and what to do moving forward. A lot of my classmates stated they felt kind of sad to have learned the intricacies of homelessness and how there isn’t one quick fix. Maybe I’m desensitized to social inequality from my sociology major, but I have found myself feeling quite happy about the information we are learning. There are so many injustices in the United States that seem to have no solutions or even quick fixes. With homelessness, it’s nice to see that the main problem seems to be that there is not enough low-income housing to house everyone and that, in the meantime, the social service work is doing its best. Some of us also reflected on how we can continue the conversation around homelessness. I think we’ve learned that there are enough stereotypes out there that can really damage the homeless population. Now that we’ve learned that they’re not all drug addicts and alcoholics with mental health problems, it’s up to us to step up when we hear people make these generalizations. We will always be uncomfortable with things that seem out of place, and it is understandable why certain people don’t want to see homelessness. However, I think humanizing these people is a step in the right direction. I am looking forward to what the rest of the semester holds and what we will learn next.

P.S. Hope everyone is having a nice Spring Break!

Earlier this week, the Trump administration proposed a vague new idea on how to combat hunger. The proposal issued stated a plan to replace more than 40% of SNAP benefits given to recipients with a “Harvest Box”. These boxes would contain non-perishable foods selected by the government (for the people) and would be distributed monthly. While my initial reaction was positive, it changed quickly after reading certain criticism. The plan offered no specifics on what would be in the boxes and if they would consider food allergies, fussy eaters, SNAP recipients whose addresses often change, and people finding themselves temporarily homeless. I also found myself wondering if the contents of the boxes would require kitchenware like a functioning stove, a microwave, or some type of refridgeration post cooking. What happens near the end of the month when the contents of the box have been used up and no funds are left in benefits?

While the U.S. government should be taking action to fight hunger, I do not think that “Harvest Boxes” are the way to go. They are focusing way too much on agribusiness and less on the people who are actually going hungry. Welfare recipients already have to accept that they’re receiving welfare, and at least they have the power to choose what they buy with their food stamps. By taking away that ability, it offers less control in the lives of welfare reliant individuals and allows for the government to fully take over. The government needs to focus on the wellbeing of the people, not the industries they own.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/02/15/trump-food-stamps-harvest-box-blue-apron-snap-217004

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/02/12/585130274/trump-administration-wants-to-decide-what-food-snap-recipients-will-get

Even though Governor David Ige declared a state of emergency in Hawaii to deal with homelessness in 2015, 51 out of every 10,000 Hawaiians are still homeless today. On an island chain that thrives off tourists, it is understandable to know that state funding is going toward the tourism industry and not low-income housing projects. The matter is, however, that “Hawaii is the worst state for per capita homelessness in the country, and ties with California for the second-highest percentage of unsheltered homeless youths”. A study done on the island of Oahu showed that youth homelessness starts as early as the age of 14 with more than half the interviewees having parents with substance abuse problems or parents who are incarcerated.

The article I was reading about Hawaii reminded me of a privilege that many of us have in the continental U.S. If we aren’t happy where we are located, most of us can easily get up and move to a new location by car, plane, or train. Traveling expenses through the United States do not amount to too much. Hawaii has a different story, however. The youth that find themselves homeless may have family members on the mainland but no means to pay the $500 plane ticket to resituate themselves. Instead, they are left to make ends meet on an island with an incredible cost of living. This leads to these homeless youth to engage in “survival sex” and carrying out other acts in exchange for food, shelter, or money.

While Hawaii’s government has announced plans to make homelessness a priority in 2018, I’m left wondering how anyone is supposed to survive in Hawaii when the cost of living is so high and most of the focus is on the tourism industry. I often vacation in Hawaii and will be viewing their situation a little differently the next time I go.

http://www.newsweek.com/youth-homelessness-age-hawaii-802825

I came upon a heartbreaking article on Twitter about photojournalist Ted Jackson and his search for ex-NFL player Jackie Wallace. Wallace played in two super bowls during his prime and was released from the Rams 30+ years ago. When Jackson first came in contact with Wallace, it was under a freeway overpass in New Orleans where Wallace was living. After leaving the NFL, he had become homeless and battled severe drug and alcohol addictions. The article highlights his recovery and success over the years and his failures once again as he gives in to his addictions. Wallace has not been seen since July of 2017.

This article made me reflect a lot on how we treat our athletes and it’s really worth the time to read. We put professional athletes on a pedestal when they’re in the continuous spotlight, expect them to perform at their highest capacity, and even bet our livelihoods on them, and then forget about them the moment the big game ends. To think that at one point, Jackie Wallace received thunderous applause as he played on Super Bowl Sunday and then was left alone and forgotten about is sad. This article shows how fragile life can be and how easy it is to succumb to temptation when life gets hard. For Wallace, it was the death of his mother and a cousin who introduced him to crack. For us, it could be anything. Homelessness and addiction do not go hand in hand, but they certainly compliment each other.

http://www.nola.com/living/index.ssf/2018/02/jackie_wallace_ted_jackson.html#incart_2box_nola_river_orleans_news