Homelessness & Affordable Housing
Note: The following summary was written primarily by the Community Education subcommittee of the St Cloud Area Homeless Concerns Group (click on name of the group for more information, either below in the text, or on the United Way website).
Vision of justice
Our vision of justice on this issue includes "home" and "community".
Our vision of "home" is a place of safety, of nurturance, and belonging-where one's name is known, one's efforts, gifts and dreams are recognized and supported, and one's needs are addressed.
Our vision of "community" is an environment in which the talents of all members are utilized, and the needs of all members are addressed. One image might be that of a human body-where all members contribute to the well-being of the whole.
We believe that the development of such "homes" and "communities" involve a blending of "personal" and "social" responsibility.
- personal responsibility: we believe individuals have both rights to have their uniqueness valued and needs met, and the responsibility to use their abilities for the well-being of others as well as themselves
- social responsibility: we believe that the community as a whole has the responsibility to create systems and make decisions that provide a supportive environment in which all members can not only survive but thrive
Who are people in our community who experience homelessness?
If you want to know what someone who is homeless is like, look in the morror." "They" are "we". Homeless people are in our area come in all ages and racial backgrounds, and usually cannot be identified by either physical appearance or behavior.
Nationally, the average age of homeless person is 9 years old. According to a recently released, comprehensive study by the Minnesota Wilder Foundation, 39% of all people who are homeless in MN are children and unaccompanied youth. Each year, St. Cloud District provides services to approximately 200 students struggling with issues related to homelessness.
Of the adults we work with, many are employed - some even in more than one job. The problem is that these jobs often do not provide enough incoming to pay fo rhousing. Of those who are not, there are often one or more signifcant barriers and challenges (such as mental illness; chemical dependency; or criminal history) to obtaining employement.
"Resilience", sometimes at heroic levels, is a common characteristic.
What might it be like to "be in their shoes"?
"Being homeless" certainly contains physical and financial challenges; but it also has deeper dimensions.
Consider the woman who write that "it felt like an ax did fall, severing us from the rest of real humanity, casting us adrift in a boiling sea of wasted lives."
Or consider the parent of a young child who described it in this way: "We had to stay warm somehow during the afternoon. I had enough money for us to go to a movie at the cheap theater. 'Lion King' was playing. After we watched it once, we hid out in the bathroom, so that we could stay out of the cold and see it again. . . . I remember a scene in the movie, when the lion cub Simba looks at his reflection in the water, and a booming voice sounded above him, 'Remember who you are.' At that moment, I realized that the process of becoming homeless had caused me to lose touch with who I am."
As these stories indicate, the experience of homelessness can:
- bring deep emotional and psychological challenges
- seriously effect one's relationships and sense of place and purpose in the community, and
- cause a crisis of spirit.
It is difficult to imagine the impact that the issues surrounding homelessness have on the development of children socially, emotionally, and educationally.
Key causes of homelessness
A Wilder Research Corporation study challenges a commonly-held belief that homelessness is primarily the result of bad personal choices. Their comprehensive statewide survey in 2003 documents that the largest common denominator of homelessness is a difficult start in life. Children who experience neglect or abuse, often requiring out-of-home placement, and a general lack of family support, are at a far greater risk of becoming homeless.
One way to explore the more immediate causes of homelessness is to look at three general patterns in our community - situational, temporary, and long-term homelessness. (Our reference to these patterns is not meant to categorize people who experience homelessness. It is only a way to think about the kinds of issues that they face.)
Some causes of situational homelessness include loss of job, loss of housing, a difficult health care situation, or divorce.
Causes of temporary homelessness could include the need for physical/mental health or chemical dependency treatment, poor credit history, or domestic violence.
Long-term homelessness often results from multiple factors, such as criminal history, chemical dependency, and mental illness, combined with a lack of a personal support system.
On a structural level, a common factor of homelessness in our community is the lack of affordable housing. The line between "those who have housing" and "those who do not" is often quite thin. Many households in our community are just one/a few paychecks and/or some kind of health emergency away from homelessness. Being at risk of homelessness is very stressful, affecting many areas of people's lives.
Key responses to homelessness
Situational homelessness: Typically, individuals dealing with these situations need assistance in identifying organizations and resources that can provide specific opportunities. Sometimes, a stay in an emergency shelter is needed. Once they receive support they tend to return to permanent housing. . An estimated time involved in such circumstances is up to six months.
Temporary homelessness: This kind of homelessness often includes entails a period of time in a Transitional Housing Program. Such programs provide professional case management, support and accountability to help participants move forward into stable sustainable permanent housing. Paying a monthly program fee (30% of income), working on life skills, addressing mental health and chemical dependency issues and financially restoring credit and rent history, allows people to demonstrate their resolve and gives landlords a good reason to rent to them. An estimated time involved is 6-24 months
Long-term homelessness: Emergency shelters and transitional housing programs cannot provide the long-term services that these individuals need. Programs providing permanent supportive housing are needed. Often times, individuals need extra supports to obtain and maintain housing. These supports include ongoing access to mental health and chemical dependency services, health care services, medication management, support groups, life skills training, and other community resources
Some of these services currently exist in the community, however accessing and staying connected to these services is sometimes a challenge for those experiencing homelessness. Expansion and creation of community resources is also needed. Having expert navigator/advocates is vital to assist individuals in staying connected to services, until they are able to do so independently.
Local resource people and organizations
The following organizations belong to the St Cloud Area Homeless Concerns Group.
The group provides a forum for homeless service providers, clients, policy makers and citizens to accurately identify existing resources or services, local gaps in services, and obstacles to housing.
The group enlists the efforts of all involved to create a "continuum of care" that includes the systems and resources necessary to offer every person experiencing homelessness an achievable opportunity to secure stable housing and supportive services appropriate to their needs. [Add short explanation and diagram re: continuum of care]
The organizations within the group meet as a large group on the second Wednesday of every month (September - June). Various members also participate in many subcommittees - addressing issues related to "medical needs", "tenant/landlord relations", "homeless youth", and others.
Organizations involved include:
Salvation Army Dream Center Place of Hope Housing Coalition Anna Marie's Alliance SAIL/SHY program Journey Home DOMUS Transitional Housing Project HEAL - Mid MN Family Practice Center New Beginnings TriCAP Brotts Housing Independent Lifestyles, Inc. District 742 Central MN Mental Health Center St Cloud Hospital - Behavioral Health Services VA Medical Center Central MN Council on Aging |
The Man for Advocacy United Way 2-1-1 St Cloud Area Faith in Action St Cloud Area Legal Services Stearns County Social Services City of St Cloud - Community Services City of Sauk Rapids Stearns County Benton County Sherburne County St Cloud HRA Central MN Housing Partnership Inc Housing Minnesota Salem Lutheran Church Great River Interfaith Partnership (GRIP) Bremer Bank |
Ways that youth can be involved
Many of the organizations in the St Cloud Homeless Concerns Group have volunteer opportunities. (Click on those with links)
The group also has information about a variety of other opportunities - including examples of actions done by youth in the St Cloud area, which are listed on the United Way's "Volunteer MN" website. See www.UnitedWayHelps.org for more information.
Resources available through the Center
It's Not Called "Houselessness" - It's Called "Homelessness" A curriculum guide about homelessness in the St Cloud area (published by the St Cloud Area Homeless Concerns Coalition)
Outriders A video documentary of a bus tour around the US taken by members of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (people who were homeless, including youth and children) to document violations of the economic rights contained in the UN Declaration of Human Rights. (60 minutes)
Summary of student actions
Speaking before City Council
The Housing Coalition of the St Cloud area, which is involved in a variety of responses to issues of homelessness and affordable housing, was approaching the St Cloud City Council to request rezoning for a site for a possible new emergency shelter for homeless people. (The Coalition's existing shelter was too small to meet growing demands, and in serious disrepair.) The Coalition invited students who had cooked and shared evening meals with shelter residents over the years to attend -- and, if interested, to speak at -- the council meeting.
A group of 15+ students responded by developing a group statement (with feedback from their school's administrator as well as their faculty advisor), which they then read at the meeting.
While City Council voted down the rezoning request, it sparked greater and deeper interest about the issue of homelessness among some students and adults at CHS/J23, "preparing the soil" for action by students and adults in future years. (See story about "Seeking HOPE" below) One of the students who attended the council meeting, after graduating in June, 1995, became a volunteer at the Housing Coalition and contributed to the process of surveying possible alternative sites for a new shelter.
Note: A text of their statement, a videotape of their presentation of it at the City Council meeting, and a written reflection from the student who volunteered after graduating, are available from the Center for Service-Learning and Social Change.
Public Consciousness-Raising
Students concerned about homelessness and affordable housing decided to attend two neighborhood meetings about possible sites for a new emergency shelter to be built by the Housing Coalition. They decided to "just listen" during the first meeting. Following that meeting, they said, "we went this time to listen and learn--and we thought that would be enough. But now we want to go again--and this time, we want to speak." At the second meeting, in a room of 100+ people (including 15 students from the group), three students rose to speak--experienced the fury that can come from stereotypes and fear--yet spoke sincerely and compassionately. When the formal meeting ended, pockets of students and adults remained for another half-hour of conversation. Coalition staff expressed deep appreciation for the students' courage and support.
Rather than become discouraged, the group decided to continue meeting. More students began to join; the group became involved in a wide range of activities, including: cooking and eating at a local emergency shelter, attending and speaking at neighborhood and City Council meetings about sites for possible new emergency shelters, speaking about these issues in classes at their school and a local university, lobbying the state legislature, and (along with staff from two other area high schools and six community organizations) a two-day, two-night public consciousness-raising event. They called their group, "Seeking HOmes for PEople" (or, Seeking HOPE) [link to this story on the Center's website]
This group's efforts inspired the development of another group with the same focus two years later (called "Seeking HOPE -- 2000"). Students in this group also did a variety of activities, including: cooking and eating at a local emergency shelter, providing child-care at a local shelter for survivors of domestic violence, lobbying state legislators about homelessness and affordable housing issues, participating in a City Council meeting regarding discrimination in housing, and (along with students and staff from four other area high schools and with support from several community organizations) creating and staffing a two-day public consciousness-raising display at a local mall.
Note: A video documentary of the initial Seeking HOPE event, produced by students at St Cloud State University, and copies of a couple of newspaper articles, are available from the Center for Service-Learning and Social Change. The story about Seeking HOPE also appears in Living Justice and Peace, a high-school social justice textbook published by St Mary's Press (Winona, MN).
Other Resources
Homelessness Game Flash