Homelessness & Poverty: Understanding Populations We Work With

1. Homelessness & Poverty: Understanding Populations We Work With A presentation from Community Transportation Association of the Northwest Presented by Ryan Acker, Executive Director

2. WARNING This presentation contains adult-oriented language.

3. Why is understanding homelessness and poverty important? • Community and specialized transportation services are designed for people with specialized transportation needs, including those who because of age, income or ability, are unable to transport or provide transportation for themselves. • Homeless populations and people living in poverty are among the most vulnerable in our communities. • Within the homeless and lower-income communities, there are many other people who can face accessibility challenges, including people with disabilities, veterans, seniors, and people living with a mental health condition.

4. At the Crossroads Homelessness, Poverty and Community and Specialized Transportation • Customer service • Service coordination • Policies

5. Customer Service

6. Customer Service

7. What are some common beliefs you’ve heard about people who are homeless or living in poverty?

8. Important This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

9. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Think about these as we go through

10. Shelter

11. When someone becomes homeless

12. How many people like pooping in public?

13. You need to know… • When a person is at a place where they must poop outside they have had to surrender a part of themselves; • It is humiliating; • It is survival.

14. Homeless People are Lazy!

15. How many people have ever had a toothache? • Your brain starts a loop.

16. Think back to a time when you moved… • Stressful, yes? • Unpack • Get the cable, phone… • Where am I going to do my laundry? • Where’s the closest store? • Brain loop – Question, decisions… • About 6 months to a year • What if you had to move/process that EVERY SINGLE DAY: • I don’t know where I’m going to sleep tonight • I don’t where I’m going to pee in the next three hours • I’m on my period and I don’t know where I’m going to get pads • It is a continuous false start. • Cannot get feet planted. • I can’t think about anything further, because I don’t have this very basic need met.

17. It takes a LOT of energy to be… • In Survival Mode • To be homeless • To be living in poverty

18. Write this down! This is harder than it looks.

19. With your dominant hand, snap • Every time you snap, this is something that you need, but you don’t have • With you non-dominant hand

20. This is harder than it looks…

21. Some People Choose to Be Homeless • Why are there more homeless people in Washington and Oregon? • Ohio • Funding specifically for homeless programs and mental health programs; Taxes directed towards those • Friends, family – You know people are going to die. • The weather is nice in WA/OR Coastal areas • But – do these people choose to be homeless? • Never: • 1) Human beings make decisions-based on the information available to them at the time of the decision. • 2) Can seem to be better options based on information and opportunities available; • 3) False Options

22. What might seem like benefits?

23. I’ve seen people on food stamps with cell phones, nice shoes and a big screen tv! • Individual circumstances • Prized possession • Gift/opportunities • People help how they can • Basic Needs • Belief that people should suffer/Doesn’t meet expectations of what “poverty” looks like • Comparing unknown apples to unknown oranges

24. How many people use any of the following? • Coffee • Soda • Sugar • Cigarettes • Alcohol • Prescription medications • These are all “substances”

25. $3.00 • Today’s list (View from a “helper”) • Out of toothpaste/toothbrush (.50) • Out of toilet paper (.98) • Need to find a place to sleep tonight • Can’t find ID – Need to get a new one ($20.00) • Have to get across town (food pantry); need a bus pass ($1.25) • Would really like a soda/beer/candy bar (@1.98) • Decisions: Auto Pilot • Essential to immediate survival? • Which of these will bring me joy? • Causes me stress? Can I handle the stress?

26. Homeless people are “drug addicts”

27. Impacts of homelessness and poverty

28. Impacts… • Cycle of catch-up versus preventative • It costs A LOT to be poor • Impact on mental, emotional and physical health • Higher rates, late fees • No credit • Government paperwork • Dental/physical health • Bills • Housing • Impact on meeting basic needs + future goals • Student loans/past debts • It takes a long time.

29. Impacts… • Shrinks time-frame of decision-making • Minute-to-minute • Day-to-day • SAVINGS? • Hoarding • Emphasized Prioritization • Kids • Certain material things • Changes behavior – Can become a driving force/fixation

30. Impacts… • Impacts relationships • Isolation • Diminished boundaries • Self-exploitation • Manipulation • Coercion • Anger – Explosive

31. Need to know… • Person is NOT operating at highest and fullest potential; • But they are doing the best that they can at this moment.

32. 3 Days to decompensate… 3 Years to restore…

33. In Customer Service… • Hope • Access to basic needs • Getting from point A to point B • Friends, family as important as medical care and social services and jobs • Affirmation of dignity and worth and respect as a human being • How you speak to the person • How you interact • Everyone is a VIP • Information • Clear expectations • Transparency • Opportunity

34. Service Coordination

35. What are some services you think a person who is homeless or living in Poverty Might need

36. What are some services you think a person who is homeless or living in Poverty Might need • Shelter/Low-Income Housing • Court house/probation • Grocery/food • Hospital • Mental Health Facilities • Department of Human Service (I.E. Food benefits, social security income, • Social Security Office • Jobs • College/Education • Clothing Store

37. Homeless people in your community • Need you at that table… • There will sometimes be people at a table who will say “they’re just a bunch of drug addicts” or “they’re just a bunch of crazies”. • It’s offensive and it’s a lie. And it strips people of their dignity and worth. • They need you to stand up for them, because right now, they can’t stand up for themselves or else they wouldn’t be in the position they are in.

38. Knowing your stuff • Why are people homeless? • Domestic Violence • Suddenly lost job/income (can easily get another one or more soon) • Mental health condition impacts ability to work, emotional stability, ability to form relationships (CAN BE THE CAUSE OR HAPPEN BECAUSE OF) • Addiction impacts prioritization • No friends, family, support • Physical abilities or health impacts ability to earn meaningful income • Housing prices too high • “Criminal” background makes it challenging to meet financial/housing needs • Transportation makes it challenging to meet housing/work needs • Support network unable to provide enough support for person

39. Knowing your stuff • Did you know? • Disparately impacted communities: LGBT (up to 40% of homeless youth), Veterans (13%), People with Mental Health Condition (up to 25%), Isolated individuals, People who have faced discrimination (Black/African American – Up to 38%)), trauma • There is a loss (or never was); Trauma that impacted their Maslow’s • Social services intervention can sometimes only focuses on one or two issues – Not the underlying factors. Housing First/Medical First/Employment First/Transportation First – It needs to be integrated. Individualized • Assessments must be individualized; Intervention must be appropriate and address issues.

40. Service Coordination

41. To Do’s • Siting of facilities, routes and services – How are they going to get there? • Accessibility, availability and affordability of transportation • Fee waivers? • Links to other services (as identified) • Coordinated services and efforts – benefits all people • MOU’s with shelter, food, medical, mental health and social services • Training front-line staff

42. Policies • We CAN control own policies • Human-Centered Policies in Transportation

43. Policies • ID Cards • Fee waivers • Sleeping on Transit • Public restrooms • Congregation • Anger/Disruptive Behavior • Enforcement discretion

44. Sleeping on Transit/Bus Stops • Rationale for policy • Applied Equally • How would you treat a person who appeared to be a college student who nodded off? Or a business person on their way to the airport? • Enforcement discretion/Protocol • I.E. Provide tools/resources • Set-up a partnership with a shelter specifically • MOU to make your passengers a priority • Drop-off at shelter end of trip? • Kindness, fairness, sound rationale and policy

45. Public restrooms • Public/private partnerships • Reasons for having it; Worth the investment • Alternatives • Disease • Death • Kindness, fairness, sound rationale and policy • Unnamed Department Store

46. Congregation • Okay – It’s a bus stop • Behaviors prohibited… • Harassment • Violence • Talking to people???

47. Anger/Disruptive Behavior I need a volunteer who wants to cuss!

48. Desperation = Raised Voice = “Fighting Words” • I am in pain – And I don’t know what to do about it • I am not getting my needs met, and I don’t know how • I am fighting for me, because no one else will • I’m signaling my boundaries (I don’t like your shoes) • I’ve run out of ways to communicate • Remain calm – It’s not about you (if it is, address that) • Empower people: Affirmation, information, opportunity. De-escalate/re-direct. And affirm personal and agency boundaries. • Red = listen to • Blue = human interaction (we can all do better)

49. Policies that… • Recognize/honor human emotions and conditions; • Also recognize and respect those in service/employment.

50. Closing Thoughts…