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A pal asked for my opinion on the #Seattle homeless encampment sweeps (to help him be more informed in a convo w/his mom) so I'll share what I told him. I've worked at a shelter for ~2 years but haven't personally experienced homelessness, so I certainly defer to those who have.
First of all, shelters are currently operating at a massively reduced capacity to allow distancing between guests. I don't know how this compares to other places, but the shelter I work at normally has 100 people and right now our max is 50. There simply just aren't enough beds.
But apart from that, there are a bunch of really good and understandable reasons why a person might not want to go to a shelter. Shelters they can be really crowded, meaning it’s loud and probably smells bad and also people get their stuff stolen ALL the time at shelters.
When you're homeless and your backpack gets stolen and it had your wallet inside with your ID and social security card and food stamp card inside it, you're so EXTREMELY fucked - especially now that those offices are closed and it's really difficult to get replacements.
Someone’s trauma or mental health conditions might make them anxious in crowded spaces and b/c of trauma or mh many homeless people prefer to be secluded. Homeless people face so much violence in their day to day lives and as a result have disproportionate rates of trauma.
Most shelters are sex segregated (note: WA law requires shelters to honor a person's gender identity) so someone might choose to stay outside rather than be separated from their partner. Someone might also stay outside because they wouldn't be able to bring their dog with them.
On the note of pets: remember how I just said that homeless people have disproportionate rates of trauma? Pets are a HUGE source of emotional support. Additionally, dogs offer real protection outside. People's reasons for not abandoning their pet are super valid and practical.
There also aren’t enough shelters for women that don’t have kids with them - most women’s shelters are family shelters. I'm really bummed that the shelter I work at recently switched from being co-ed to men only because that means 20 fewer beds in this city for women. Boo.
Some people who are trying to avoid drugs may avoid shelters because the drug use there might be more in their face than if they were on their own.
Lots of shelters have finicky rules (curfew, max number of nights out per month, tidiness requirements, etc) that someone who struggles with executive functioning as part of a mental health condition just can’t adhere to.
Or, they might be capable of adhering to the requirements but just decide that they're bullshit and that they'd rather not be treated like a child.
Last thought for now and this one's a little tricky. Working at a shelter is a stressful, poorly paid job and doesn't usually require or offer training. There are a lot of really shitty shelter staff who treat guests terribly. People leave shelters all the time because of this.
That last one's a little more complicated than that... but it's all I'll say for now
Sweeps of homeless encampments are violent, expensive, traumatizing, and just plain unnecessary in the best of times and even more so during the winter in a goddamn pandemic. https://twitter.com/eyesonthestorm/status/1339971031981682690?s=20
All this is to say that "but why don't they just go to a shelter?" is an understandable response to seeing sweeps in the headlines but it is ... incorrect. Shelters are necessary and they are deeply imperfect.
#Seattle #Seattlesweeps #CalAndersonPark #CalAnderson
#Seattle #Seattlesweeps #CalAndersonPark #CalAnderson
