Counting the Homeless

In the Reclaiming Tradition of Witchcraft we talk about the tradition being built on a three-legged stool. The legs are an earth-based spirituality, personal development, and political activism. There are many debates in the tradition about what makes up political activism, but for years I have been participating in my own activism based on the work I do professionally.

After finishing graduate school the first time in 1990, I became the Director of the NC Lesbian and Gay Health Project. LGHP did a lot of basic HIV/AIDS prevention, lesbian and gay community organizing and referral services for sympathetic health care providers. After that I was a Development Director for two organizations that did community organizing around race and class related issues. In 1996, I became the Executive Director of a transitional housing program for homeless families. Each year since that time I have participated in the Point In Time Count. This count is required for communities receiving federal support for homeless programs.

In past years, I participated in Durham's count, usually finding up to 3 different folks who were homeless. This year, I went out with a team from Raleigh. We counted 24 folks on our team only. It was amazing. Three of the folks I talked with were 23-25 years old. Two of them were a couple and refused to be split up and as a result didn't have any access to shelter. They had been on the streets for six months. The 25 year old had been on and off the streets for the last 5 years. He had a physcial disability, and based on some initial observations, perhaps mental illness. Later we went to a camp in the woods and found two gentlement in their 50s. They had been drinking, but it was clear these two had adjusted to life in the woods. They had a barrel that functioned as a wood stove with stove pipe directing the smoke about six feet up. They were difficult to talk to because of their inebriation, yet all we could do was tell them to take care of themselves and try to stay warm. When asked if they needed any help, they were quite content to say they were doing all right tonight.

I'm incredibly priviledged in what I do. My role is to work with all three counties in the Triangle in the creation and implementation of each county's 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness. True activism in that I'm constantly interacting with local officials and advocating for better resources to serve those who are the hardest to server. It can be frustrating as I know that many people would say that the folks I talked to that night were choosing to live in the street. Yet, those people are making many assumptions. Assumptions that say the mental health system was functioning and accessible to all of these individuals. That drug treatment was readily available when they wanted it. These assumptions, based on my own experiences are false, and it is a system that fails the individual and they in turn feel better off alone, in the woods and out on the street, as opposed to being in a warm place.  

Comments

[celeste]

Right on, Stan. Especially your conclusions about how the system fails people.