Street Outreach & The Importance of:
Meeting Them Where They Are:
N. Lunsford 10/26/2024
One of the core principles of Homeless Street Outreach is to meet people where THEY are. Not where it is most convenient to us, but most convenient and accessible to THEM. Street Outreach means we go to them.
- We do not meet those we serve because they came to us, we meet them by seeking them out. Our Meal Delivery Program has afforded many unhoused friends to contact us. Our meals (delivered to camps or any outside shelter) are clearly labeled with our name, logo and phone number across the 6 x 8 inch lid of the foil pans that hold the full meals. Many have called and said “I ate your food and got your number from the meal.” The meals are a successful engagement and trust building opportunity.
Street outreach by definition it pretty simple:
- Street: the streets, woods, encampments, vehicles used for shelter, abandon homes or buildings, laundromats, train stations, or any of the other many places that the unhoused find some form of shelter; and;
- Outreach reaching OUT to them, not waiting for them to arrive at our office or other brick and mortar location. These initial meetings are often unplanned and sporadic, but we take the time to hear their story, do an informal, initial assessment of immediate basic needs (medical or mental health urgent care, food, clothes, camp gear) and provide the items needed to survive until a deeper assessment and possible referral to shelter can be made.
- Offering services that are only attainable if the unhoused person must walk, or find transportation, to reach the location where the services are provided, actually causes an additional burden and struggle to the unhoused person, and can defeat the purpose of the help or services. They must now determine how to physically get to the location, and if a scheduled appointment, they have to be on time, only to then carry or transport any supplies provided back to their camp, or other outside shelter. Public transportation is very limited in our area.
We recognize the human beings in the people we meet, and who live in tents. We know many who may know how to play an instrument, are very talented artists through paintings, are mechanically inclined,are amazing cooks, are knowledgeable about animals and birds and gardening, or have spent a lot of time studying the constitution.
- We meet people living outside who have long histories of work, who have served our country, who have very high IQs, who are always concerned about other people in need, or are looking forward to being housed again. We meet people who have great senses of humor.
We meet people who have experienced one life event (loss of a spouse from death or divorce, job loss, medical or mental health diagnoses) that caused the loss of their traditional home, and they cannot believe how they “got here”.
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Nationally, only about “1/3 of people who are homeless have problems with alcohol and/or drugs” some have mental health issues, others have consistent medical needs. With current national homelessness reaching over 585,000, one-third is not a large number. (americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/homeless)
Many of those we serve have very little options on where they live. Many have been rejected for rental tenancy by landlords, or shelter services due to shelter intake criteria and restrictions. We meet people who have an eviction on record, or a criminal record, from several years ago. Even when there is consistent employment or income to satisfy a small monthly rent amount, they are rejected by landlords. Yes, there are laws protecting this act, however a landlord does not have to cite a specific reason for rental rejection.
- The unhoused person with a legal past, but no recent legal issues, police contact or miscellaneous legal incidents in recent years, are also often rejected tenancy and shelter services. These are called “high barrier” shelters. “Low barrier” shelters accommodate these past issues, including active addiction.
- HUD funded shelters are given standards and guidelines to follow the House First model”
“Choosing not to serve people with a criminal record with CoC or ESG Program funds is not consistent with a Housing First approach. ESG and CoC recipients are allowed flexibility in designing their programs, which means they have the discretion to establish their own policies regarding individuals with criminal histories and sex-offenders. However, HUD encourages providers to not exclude or deprioritize households on the basis of criminal history, with the exceptions of restrictions imposed by federal, state, or local law or ordinance (e.g., restrictions on serving people who are listed on sex offender registries). ”
SO, WHERE ARE THEY TO LIVE, SURVIVE, THRIVE, GET BACK ON TRACK?
“The reality is staggering. As this report documents, Illinoisans experiencing homelessness DIE almost 18 years earlier than their housed counterparts.”
(illinois.gov/data-statistics/homelessness-mortality-morbidity.html)
One of the blessings of street outreach is that when we go to meet our unhoused friends, we consistently encounter strength, resilience, kindness, worth and dignity in the people we meet. We frequently have people express concern for us, wishing us well and telling us “be safe out there,” as we see them again. Almost ALL give us a warm, tight hug. We hear “I love you” often.
We respect them as human beings. Mutual respect and recognition of our humanness is the basis of a relationship that can become a path out of their homeless situation. This is fundamental to who WE are and WHAT WE DO at Steven’s Home.
Word of mouth is another common method in which new folks reach us. Those we consistently serve, share our contact information and refer others to us. Sometimes, a new person has been told by an existing client that we will be at their location and they are waiting to introduce themself when we arrive.
Some people may not want to be immediately sheltered, and that is ok. It is their life and decisions, NEVER OURS. However we find them, that is how they are at that moment. Situations change, and our job is to provide them the assistance THEY WANT at THAT time.
In street outreach work, we recognize the trauma of homelessness and the VALUE, WORTH & DIGNITY each human being has. We treat their choices with dignity, never our agenda. We inform them of the areas of help and services we can provide, and let them decide.
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