How to Approach a Homeless Person for the First Time

The Four Faces of Homelessness Overcome: Transitional, Episodic, Chronic & Hidden

Written by Andrew Funk

First of all, you need to define what type of homelessness you are referring to because it’s much more than an individual suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues.

The main reason people become homeless is because they cannot afford rent any more or they are no longer welcome to live in the place they call home.
— Common Sense

1)     Work instability or lack of funds: A lack of income due to a low salary or too much debt makes it impossible to continue paying rent at the same price as before. Even worse, when an individual or family is forced to leave that home, they often don’t get their deposit returned and don’t have the economic resources to cover a 2-3 month deposit as well as the first month to enter a new home, so they get blackballed from the normal housing market, which only leaves the option to rely on friends, family and strangers. Once that network has been burned, which doesn’t take too long, these individuals and families end up in hostels and motels as well as renting rooms without contracts leaving them without any legal rights. Once these options have been burnt, they are forced to deal with social services and enter a long waiting list to enter social housing, which means vehicles and tents become the next best adobe before being forced to sleep under bridges, in parks and in the street.

2)     No funds at all: Unemployment leads to the same downward spiral as a lack of job stability or lack of funds.

The only force that keeps individuals and families away from this downfall is having a strong network of friends and family that can keep them afloat until they increase the income again. Some people fall into the trap of unhealthy relationships with undesirable boyfriends or girlfriends to stay out of the streets.

Uncertainty and timing play a key role as well as patience. This stress leads to reduced health for everyone included, but may allow the individuals and families to bounce back on their feet.

Now that you have a little more insight on how people become homeless, it’s time to learn about the four different types of homelessness (transitional, episodic, chronic and hidden) so you can address individuals and families according to their situation instead of general assumptions fueled by mass media and social media.

Transitional Homelessness

Maria Cruz successfully overcame transitional homelessness during COVID19 thanks to our Helpline, Voices & HELP program as well as the suport and training provided by IEBS Digital School and IBM SkillsBuild.

What is transitional homelessness?

Simply stated, an individual or group of people who are experiencing homelessness due to a significant change or crisis in their life i.e. divorce, death of a loved one, health related issues and losing one’s job. This type of homelessness is often a common, silent step back into a normal lifestyle, which goes unheard many times due to the sense of failure, helplessness, pride and embarrassment experienced by a person experiencing transitional homelessness.

People experiencing episodic homelessness have the least amount of knowledge of the assistance and empowerment-based resources for the homeless community and waste a lot of time trying to figure out how to get the right help.

How can you approach someone experiencing transitional homelessness?

Unless that person tells you, it’ll be very difficult to address this issue let alone help him or her. People experiencing transitional homelessness tend to hold onto their previous habits more and do their best to pretend that everything is ok. Same clothes, same routines, different smile…

First ask if the person is aware that he or she is experiencing homelessness. Then ask how he or she imagines improving his or her situation.Finally, invite that person to contact Homeless Entrepreneur or other organizations providing support that could empower them.
— Maria Cruz, Homeless Entrepreneur graduate

We recommend giving every single individual the same level of respect and love no matter what crisis s/he may be facing.

The first question should be “How are you doing?”

The second is “would you like to discuss it?”

If the person chooses to open up, which s/he isn’t obliged to do, please listen to his or her story carefully. When it is your turn to speak, we recommend asking questions to confirm the veracity of the story and understand his or her current situation.

Please do not make the mistake of trying to save someone’s life in your first interaction. You wouldn’t like it if someone pretended to fix your life in a conversation and the reality is that it’s not even possible, so don’t try to!

We strongly recommend you inviting the person experiencing transitional homelessness to contact our Helpline (+34 697 877 089) for further guidance and support. All Helpline beneficiaries are invited to share their story through our Voices program, so they can improve their chances of connecting with our community to improve their situation. All Voices beneficiaries are eligible to apply for our HELP program to receive intense support which lasts up to 9 months, which aims to help them become active, working citizens.

Amongst the resources and opportunities that Homeless Entrepreneur provides thanks to our community of donors and network support are free IBM SkillsBuild courses; our Voices program to share their story and improve their chances of connecting with our community to improve their situation; and the possibility of applying for the HELP program to become an active, working citizen again.

Episodic Homelessness

Marco Robinson successfully overcame episodic homelessness as a child and is currently an Award Winning Entrepreneur & Business Coach.

What is episodic homelessness?

In other words, an individual or group of people who are experiencing homelessness at specific times during the year, but not year round, due to seasonal work or unstable jobs. This type of homelessness is often an unrecognized, frustrating step back into a normal lifestyle, which isn’t respected many times due to the popular belief that season workers and people with unstable jobs are lazy and don’t want to find other work. Many legal and illegal migrant workers become the brunt of political disputes found in the news, social media and social gatherings.

People experiencing episodic homelessness have greater knowledge of the assistance-based resources for the homeless community and optimize them accordingly.  Empowerment-based resources tend to be unidentified, but would be used if made available.

How can you approach someone experiencing episodic homelessness?

Unless that person tells you, it’ll be challenging to address this issue let alone help him or her. People experiencing episodic homelessness may have a harder time holding on to their previous habits or let some of them going during these periods of homelessness and may not accept they are homeless because they feel more connected with their lifestyle when they are doing well. Similar clothes, similar routines, different smile…

Make sure you are in the right state of mind to speak with someone who is feeling ashamed, guilty and embarrassed. Prepare for mood swings from someone experiencing episodic homelessness because they are scared, and many times don’t know how to recognize help. Don’t call them out on their situation. Remember, a smile is a great first interaction. Let them know you offer friendship and break the ice with a small gesture like inviting them for coffee or tea during a genuine conversation.
— Marco Robinson, founder of FreedomX, a homeless charity in the UK, and partner of Homeless Entrepreneur

We recommend giving every single individual the same level of respect and love no matter what crisis s/he may be facing.

The first question should be “How are you doing?”

The second is “would you like to discuss it?”

If the person chooses to open up, which s/he isn’t obliged to do, please listen to his or her story carefully. When it is your turn to speak, we recommend asking questions to confirm the veracity of the story and understand his or her current situation.

Please do not make the mistake of trying to save someone’s life in your first interaction. You wouldn’t like it if someone pretended to fix your life in a conversation and the reality is that it’s not even possible, so don’t try to!

We strongly recommend you inviting the person experiencing episodic homelessness to contact our Helpline (+34 697 877 089) for further guidance and support.

Amongst the resources and opportunities that Homeless Entrepreneur provides thanks to our community of donors and network support are free IBM SkillsBuild courses; our Voices program to share their story and improve their chances of connecting with our community to improve their situation; and the possibility of applying for the HELP program to become an active, working citizen again.

After reading this section, you may ask why it sounds exactly the same as the way you communicate with someone dealing with transitional homelessness… because it is! They’re people!

Episodic homelessness is a little bit trickier than transitional homelessness, since the people experiencing this type of homelessness become a little bit number to their situation. There is still hope to improve their circumstances, but there is also a danger of deteriorated mental and physical health leading to chronic homelessness.

Chronic Homelessness

Ramon Feiner is a successful Homeless Entrepreneur who overcame 14 years of chronic homelessness in Spain thanks to our Helpline, Voices & HELP program.

What is chronic homelessness?

In lay terms, an individual or group of people who are experiencing homelessness during the year due to a lack of opportunities or inability to take advantage of them. This type of homelessness is often a desolating, unthinkable step back into a normal lifestyle, which is highly criticized due to the popular belief that people experiencing chronic homelessness have no value to add to society and only leach off of it. Many individuals facing chronic homelessness become the brunt of political disputes found in the news, social media and social gatherings. In extreme circumstances, they may die to weather and personal attacks. Chronic homelessness also shaves off years or even decades of an individual’s life. According to Care Quality Commission: The average age of death among homeless people in the UK is 47 for a man and 43 for a woman. This compares to 79.5 for men and 83.1 for women in the general population.

People experiencing chronic homelessness have a complete knowledge of the assistance-based resources for the homeless community and chose the ones that they prefer and ignore the other ones. Empowerment-based resources aren’t attractive in this case because little-to-no credibility is given to them.

 

How can you approach someone experiencing chronic homelessness?

It’s easier to see, but hard to address because these individuals tend to be the most visible in the street. People experiencing chronic homelessness tend to have lost most if not all of their previous habits and come to accept that their home is homelessness. Different clothes, different routines, distant smile…

The first thing you need to do before speaking with a person suffering from chronic homelessness is observe from a distance to ensure that he or she is in the right state of mind, so you can have a proper conversation. If you decide that the person is receptive to small talk, strike up a chat and talk as long as you’d like to. If something doesn’t add up while speaking, feel free to say goodbye and wish him or her a wonderful day.
— Ramon Feiner, Homeless Entrepreneur graduate

We recommend giving every single individual the same level of respect and love no matter what crisis s/he may be facing.

The first question should be “How are you doing?”

The second is “would you like to discuss it?”

If the person chooses to open up, which s/he isn’t obliged to do, please listen to his or her story carefully. When it is your turn to speak, we recommend asking questions to confirm the veracity of the story and understand his or her current situation.

Please do not make the mistake of trying to save someone’s life in your first interaction. You wouldn’t like it if someone pretended to fix your life in a conversation and the reality is that it’s not even possible, so don’t try to!

We strongly recommend you inviting the person experiencing chronic homelessness to contact our Helpline (+34 697 877 089) for further guidance and support.

Amongst the resources and opportunities that Homeless Entrepreneur provides thanks to our community of donors and network support are free IBM SkillsBuild courses; our Voices program to share their story and improve their chances of connecting with our community to improve their situation; and the possibility of applying for the HELP program to become an active, working citizen again.

After reading this section, you may ask why it sounds exactly the same as the way you communicate with someone dealing with transitional and episodic homelessness… because it is! They’re still people!

Chronic homelessness is a much trickier than transitional and episodic homelessness, since the people experiencing this type of homelessness become a much number to their situation. There is little-to-no hope to improve their circumstances, unless emergency support and assistance-based solutions are provided. Once the individual is capable of taking control of his or her situation again, the empowerment-based solutions will play a key role in becoming active, working citizens again.

Hidden Homelessness

Andrew Funk overcame hidden homelessness in Barcelona, Spain thanks to his 35,000 contacts in social media, entrepreneurial spirit and desire to improve his own life. He created Homeless Entrepreneur to empower people made of potential out of homelessness.

What is hidden homelessness?

Hidden homelessness is exactly what it sounds like it is… hidden! This type of homelessness is a truly invisible, challenging step back into a normal lifestyle, which is extremely unknown due to its complexities. Many individuals facing hidden homelessness don’t receive the support they need because they consciously hide their situation from others. Hidden homelessness is not deemed to be problematic or an emergency, so the resources they may use to support them almost never arrive as quickly as they are needed. Hidden homelessness is also hidden because circumstances like coach surfing or staying with friends, family and stranger due to a lack of money isn’t considered to be homeless by mainstream society.

People experiencing hidden homelessness have little-to-no knowledge of the assistance-based resources for the homeless community because they do not see themselves as homeless nor are accepted as homeless by the main actors supporting the homeless community, which is synonymous for people experiencing chronic homelessness. Empowerment-based resources are attractive for people suffering from this type of homelessness, but they don’t normally receive them because they aren’t identifiable.

How can you approach someone experiencing hidden homelessness?

Unless that person tells you, it’ll be impossible to address this issue let alone help him or her. People experiencing hidden homelessness are normally able to hold onto their previous habits, but may let some of them go and may not accept they are homeless because society doesn’t label them as being homeless. Similar clothes, similar routines, hidden smile…

‘Homeless people aren’t invisible, society is blind.’ Overcoming the fear of showing your physical and emotional scars takes courage, so make sure you approach a person experiencing hidden homelessness in the same way you’d like to be treated if it was the other way around. Your first interaction should be showing true interest in their well-being because that’s what will help them become active, working citizens again.
— Andrew Funk, Founder President of Homeless Entrepreneur

We recommend giving every single individual the same level of respect and love no matter what crisis s/he may be facing.

The first question should be “How are you doing?”

The second is “would you like to discuss it?”

If the person chooses to open up, which s/he isn’t obliged to do, please listen to his or her story carefully. When it is your turn to speak, we recommend asking questions to confirm the veracity of the story and understand his or her current situation.

Please do not make the mistake of trying to save someone’s life in your first interaction. You wouldn’t like it if someone pretended to fix your life in a conversation and the reality is that it’s not even possible, so don’t try to!

We strongly recommend you inviting the person experiencing chronic homelessness to contact our Helpline (+34 697 877 089) for further guidance and support.

Amongst the resources and opportunities that Homeless Entrepreneur provides thanks to our community of donors and network support are free IBM SkillsBuild courses; our Voices program to share their story and improve their chances of connecting with our community to improve their situation; and the possibility of applying for the HELP program to become an active, working citizen again.

After reading this section, you may ask why it sounds exactly the same as the way you communicate with someone dealing with transitional and episodic homelessness… because it is! They’re still people even if they are hidden!

Hidden homelessness is easier to deal with than transitional and episodic homelessness unless the person is in denial of their situation. Depending on his or her mental health, there is a lot of hope or in difference to improve their circumstances. On a positive note, both assistance and empowerment-based solutions are the most effective for the group if s/he is willing and able to accept them as an opportunity to become active, working citizens again.

We hope that this article makes it easier for you to interact with people experiencing homelessness when you have the first opportunity to have a real conversation with him or her.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

We’d love to hear stories about your interaction with the homeless people, so we can improve our understanding of it.

If you’d like to include anything to this article, please send us a message and we’ll consider doing so.

Thanks for empowering people made of potential out of homelessness with us!

A Yearly Review of Homeless Entrepreneur in 2023 in 10 Pictures, 2 Videos & 1 Song

Some say pictures speak louder than words, so we've decided to put that to the test, so everyone can see how we've sped up the process of creating sustainable work and dignified housing for and with homeless people in our program once again in 2023 thanks to our growing international community.

January

Life without masks returned, which also meant that the World Economic Forum would be held in January again. Homeless Entrepreneur celebrated our 5th annual WEF Sleepout in Davos in our effort to empower people made of potential out of homelessness thanks to public-private partnerships.

February

Homeless Entreprenuer’s commitment to end global homelessness has been recognized around the world. Our founder president, Andrew Funk, was invited to speak about our work on a smart cities panel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the second edition of LEAP, which was the most attended in the world. It welcomed +172,000 attendees from 183 countries.

March

Thanks to IBM SkillsBuild, Homeless Entrepreneur is providing free digital training in STEM, computer study, cyber, information technology and other sciences through various courses to empower people made of potential out of homelessness and poverty.

April

Our research in Europe develops faster than ever! Homeless Entrepreneur visits European cities in order to carry out its Assistance vs Empowerment report and builds partnerships in the process.

We’d like to thank all of the interns, volunteers and partners making our EU Report possible!

May

It all started with an invitation to join a dinner at the Wisdom House in Davos thanks to Marcelo Garcia; then I spoke with Will.i.am and then Gino, a Nueroscientist from Hong Kon who would eventually introduce me to Tony, an Australian chef experiencing homelessness in Nice, France.

Tony contacted our Homeless Helpline (+34 697 877 089), and then participated in our Voices program, which ultimately led him to get off of the streets and into a job doing what he loves: cooking!

June

Contrary to what you may see on social media, ending homelessness takes more than 1 post or 1 day! Homeless Entrepreneur is committed to accompanying our beneficiaries as far as they’d like to go with us.

One example of a success story is Hoshang, who has overcome many obstacles throughout his journey out of homelessness thanks to our HELP program and, most importantly, his commitment to improving his own life.

July

A social impact blast from the past! We are proud of our growing community of HELP program graduates, who become active, working citizens again. Luis is one of many success stories!

August

Homeless Entrepreneur partnered up with the Hostal Grau, an eco-sustainable boutique hotel, to create social impact thanks to tourism and the commitment of our partner network.

The Social Impact Room is an initiative where 100% of the profit of 1 room per week will be invested in local programs and projects led by Homeless Entrepreneur to empower people made of potential out of homelessness and poverty.

September

To speed up the process of empowering people out of poverty through our European Report on Assistance vs Empowerment, Homeless Entrepreneur has partnered up with Guillem S. Benet, a minimalist catalan pianist, to sonify the obstacles and opportunities of homelessness and poverty in Twelve European cities, which will help us strengthen our community through musical inspiration.

Enjoy his piano piece called “Brussels.“

October

Homeless Entrepreneur celebrated World Homeless Day by doing a sleepout with James Melville, Marco Robinson and Simon Miln in London, England on October 10th to raise awareness and funding for our sleepout in Davos during the World Economic Forum. Thanks to these three amazing men, our WEF sleepout has grown into what is now called THE Great Sleepout!

November

Nothing beats the smile of a Homeless Entrepreneur with a new job! We are proud of each and every individual who participates in our HELP program. It’s not easy because the commitment is intense, but seeing our beneficiaries advance professionally makes every single stakeholder smile =)

Clinton is one of many inspirational individuals who have successfully graduated from our HELP program this year.

December

We’ve grown so much that we even out grew our logo! Thanks to Lift Consulting’s pro bono support and Max Leal’s strategic branding advisory support, Homeless Entrepreneur has a new logo, which represents where we are and where we are going!

*We’d also like to thank them for emphasizing that every homeless person is made of potential, which will be included in our communication, which you might already have recognized ;-)

Summary

Thanks to everyone who has been involved, we've provided support to +1,000 beneficiaries in our main programs in 2023 and hope to empower +2,000 people made of potential experiencing homelessness in our programs in 2024.

Special Thanks to our Partners

We’d like to thank all of our partners in 2023 who have placed their trust and support in our work because it wouldn’t be possible without them!

We need your support for 2024!

If you appreciate our work and would like to help support us, please do.

A donation that comes from your heart, which is coherent with your interest and possibilities is the difference between more or less homeless people made of potential becoming empowered out of poverty.

A huge hug,

Andrew Funk

Founder President of Homeless Entrepreneur

Growing Homelessness in France and how Strasbourg is Addressing it

Written by Drexel Osborne

Homelessness is a global issue affecting millions of people, however, in recent years it has been on the rise in France. Before 2020 there were 143,000 recorded unhoused individuals, but, in 2021, that number ballooned to more than 300,000. While increased costs of living and inflation are two of the usual culprits, the pandemic has also placed additional strain on social services leaving many individuals struggling to find housing. 

Photo Credit: BAINVILLE Anatole (Click to follow photographer on Instagram)

Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament, located in northern France near the border with Germany. As the official seat of the European Parliament, Strasbourg’s policy decisions are particularly pertinent. In France, emergency housing is managed and funded at the national level, which encouraged Strasbourg to sue the government for its failure to provide adequate shelter services to those in need. 

Although Strasbourg mayor, Jeanne Barseghian, did not provide a timeline for when the suit will be filed, she clearly stated "shelter is a matter for the state, there is a deficiency, I decided that the city of Strasbourg would sue the state for damages due to this failure."

Photo Credit: BAINVILLE Anatole (Click to follow photographer on Instagram)

Covid-19 and Homelessness

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, France issued one the strictest lockdowns in Europe. Overnight many people who relied on certain social services found themselves without them. The metro, public bathrooms, and restaurants known for distributing leftover food were all shut-down, which left many unhoused individuals without their usual access to basic necessities. 

Not only did the pandemic bring a decrease in available resources but it also negatively impacted the mental health of many of the people accessing shelter services.  

In July of 2020, the City of Strasbourg signed the Declaration of the Rights of Homeless Persons. This declaration affirms the fundamental rights of unhoused individuals and recognizes their full citizenship regardless of housing status. By signing, Strasbourg has committed itself to implementing new strategies to increase access to housing, public services, social services, emergency services, and sanitary facilities for people experiencing homelessness.

Photo Credits: BAINVILLE Anatole (Click to follow photographer on Instagram)

Rights of Children 

Child homelessness is a particularly pressing issue in France and Strasbourg. France was the second nation to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which proclaims all children have the right to an adequate standard of living, healthcare, food, and education. However, according to UNICEF’s yearly report, the number of children sleeping on the streets of France has increased by 20% in the last year. In October 2021, the international NGO Human Rights Watch reported a deterioration in living conditions of unhoused migrant children in Northern France. 

Children experiencing homelessness experience anxiety, sleep disorders, and language difficulties at higher rates than their peers, and a lack of secure housing can lead to an inability to fully engage in learning. 

In response, ordinary citizens and non-profits have begun organizing. Open letters have been written to local authorities asking for more emergency housing. In addition, teachers, parents and members of the community have banded together to raise money to secure housing for students in need.    

Homeless Entrepreneur is helping to engage children in the fight against homelessness with the Social Impact Club that supports the Social Impact Room. According to Janpol Grau, The first Social Impact Club, which has members from 12 to 17 years old at Benjamin Franklin International school in Barcelona, will “help youth realize how to create and provide social impact for their city.” After developing their communication and project managing skills members of the club will create their own projects to help alleviate homelessness.  

Migrants 

A 2017 statute allows French police to carry out immigration status checks within emergency shelters. In Strasbourg, two of these checks have been done at Branly gymnasium. Families without the proper paperwork were taken to The Centre de Préparation au Retour (Return Preparation Centre, or CPAR) to await deportation. 

Walter, a migrant from the Cayman Islands and Homeless Entrepreneur, who moved to France in 2013 had a difficult time finding paid work upon moving to France. 

“At first, I worked without an employment contract because I did not have papers and the companies did not pay me.” The lack of a consistent salary made it difficult for Walter to pay his rent and he had to ask for social assistance and accommodations from the state. 

Homeless Entrepreneur’s Helpline (+34 697 877 089), which allows free phone calls via WhatsApp, helps migrants as well as anyone experiencing homelessness or at risk of doing so by collecting real-time data from and about those at risk of becoming homeless and connects them to available resources, to prevent and reduce homelessness.

Photo Credits: BAINVILLE Anatole (Click to follow photographer on Instagram)

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