Barriers for the Home Challenged "Why don't they just.......?"

 Barriers for the Home Challenged….”Why don’t they just……..?

N. Lunsford 07/01/2023

Part of what we do through Steven’s Home is educate the community, as well as advocate for change in regulations instilled that have created additional obstacles to receiving the much needed help for this population. 

We hope to answer the common question of “Why don’t they just…….?” here, in an effort to inform and educate the community affected by having a homeless population.

“ The main thrust of this issue is to illuminate the systemic barriers erected through governmental regulation and inflexible health care models ( and other resource models)  that prevent homeless people from accessing the care they need and, in the end, waste social capital by denigrating human worth, decreasing productivity, and eroding economic stability.” (Healing Hands Clinician Publication Vol. 14, No. 3 | June 2010 )

Here is a list and brief explanation of each for the most common barriers to the homeless population: 

• Lack of a street mailing address: While a person without a street address may be able to receive mail at the local post office, and only then after meeting specific qualifications, this does not work for things like their state ID card, Social Security cards. 
• Lack of state Identification card: without a form of ID, recent business mail to a personal street address, and a birth certificate or other official documents, obtaining identification cards are extremely difficult to obtain. 

• • Lack of a Social Security card; without an address to mail the card, and without a state ID it is almost impossible to receive a social security card. We, and other resources, have attempted to utilize the government website to achieve cards, and it proves to be complicated to navigate or return to later to finish work or check the status of the application for a replacement card.
  • Agency business hours and location. Many agencies do not have “after hours” access and are closed on weekends. Many other avenues of resources are “the third Thursday of the month from 2:00-4:00” or similar, extremely limited hours of availability. Steven’s Home is available 7 days a week and is accessible via telephone 24 hours a day.

• Resource criteria: If a person is not in active detox, they are least likely to be accepted into a recovery treatment program. Treatment programs tell us the person cannot self-detox and must be experiencing detox symptoms to be accepted for any length of treatment program. 
• Lack of Mental Health treatment medications and services. ( U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness)
• Lack of transportation: Public transportation is available, at a cost, however in our area it is not always reliable, or may not show up at all even with a reservation made a day ahead.  Transportation to interviews for employment or to scheduled employment, medical, legal, and mental health appointments is a large, un-met need. Some area resources provide limited transportation, however, more availability of transportation  is needed to accomplish scheduled appointments and getting to work in the evenings and on weekends.
• Lack of sanitary and temperature controlled food storage while on the streets. Food pantries are very willing to provide food to the homeless, however, cooking and cold food storage while living in a tent are strong barriers to healthy nutrition. Steven’s Home purchases ingredients, prepares and delivers nutritious meals to those living outside. 
• Criminal record; Regardless if it is recent, or in the distant past, this brings many challenges and a  criminal history can be a disqualifier to obtain employment and permanent housing resources.
• Chronically homeless people may have cognitive impairments (see our informational essay blog titled Chronic Homelessness) related to mental illness, alcohol or drug dependency, stress from previous traumatic encounters, or traumatic brain injury (TBI). They may not currently or ever have been employed, lacking ongoing work records or Social Security numbers. Others have lost their identification papers along the way or fail to seek treatment because of shame, stigma, and discrimination.(Healing Hands Clinician Publication Vol. 14, No. 3 | June 2010 )

(When someone has been chronically homeless for numerous years, as in the case of Steven, the person who inspired Steven’s Home, the social security administration no longer recognized his social security number. I was able to produce tax documents from our joint returns dating back to 1987!! To prove his social security number did in fact exist. Although diagnosed with four types of terminal cancer, and he  was fed liquids through a tube in his stomach, he was not eligible for any DSSI or SSI due to this obstacle-(N. McAdams-Lunsford )

Homeless Shelters and reasons why they are not always utilized:  

• Most shelters do not allow pets. Many homeless persons have a pet that is their family member. They will not abandon the pet or leave it outside alone. The pet provides comfort to the person. The person can give, and receive, love and compassion to/from the pet that they otherwise cannot give/receive with other people in the rough life on the streets. 
• The Shelters provide a MUCH needed service however, they simply cannot police the patrons and residents 24/7. There are often occurrences of violence, theft, mental health behaviors that cause this population to not utilize this extremely helpful service. 

A survey by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council shows that participants got asked if they had ever been the victim of a violent attack while homeless:

“Forty-nine percent of respondents reported being the victim of an attack. When victims were asked about the most recent time they got attacked, 30% reported receiving an attack within 30 days of the survey and 73% within the past year (this percentage is cumulative and includes those who reported being attacked within 30 days of the survey). Seventy-two percent of victims reported attacks 1–3 times while homeless”.

Most shelters lack the staff and funding to supervise active alcohol- and drug abusers overnight. They worry they can’t protect the team or other residents in the establishment. Ultimately driving them to refuse people who consume substances or even decide to close their doors due to lack of resources or proper security of the people within the establishment. (Quick Haven Transitional Shelters 2/24/82022; National Health Care for the Homeless Council )

Strict Drug-Free Rules:  A common reason for people to not go to shelters is that most places are drug-free or try to be, for obvious reasons.(U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness) Many of the chronically homeless have acquired substance abuse disorder. They were not addicts when they initially became homeless, however, hopelessness, despair and street life, are some of the causes why they turn to self medication and become addicted.