How to Help the Homeless in America

Written by Gregory Robinson, AKA Raven, a #HomelessEntrepreneur correspondent in Texas.

First off the reason for their homelessness is not the same. Yes some are due to addictions - both alcohol and drugs. Others have psychological issues. And then the fastest growing segment is those running from spousal abuse. And some simply have out spent their income and ended up on the streets with the downward spiral that leads to loss of job and loss of everything else.

Gregory Robinson, AKA Raven, in the streets of Texas.

My Name is Gregory Robinson, AKA Raven, I use to homeless till my friend ask me to stay with them let you it was by chose that I was homeless, I did not know what to do with my life after the death my father and the lost of my 3 boys, then my grandmother past away. My life was becoming a train wreck.

But since most people only want a short quick answer we will now comment on the ways to help the homeless deal with their everyday issues. Though these solutions are vital to them surviving they do nothing to help get them off the Street - they help them deal with the street.

What do you do when you see someone holding up a sign, "Will Work for Food"? Do you roll down your window and give them money? Do you pretend you didn't see them? Nobody likes to be confronted by the homeless - their needs often seem too overwhelming - but we all want to treat them fairly and justly.

The person you meet may be battered women, an addicted veteran; someone who is lacking job skills...the list goes on. Please do not treat them ALL as addicts - the addicted old homeless man we all pictures is only 25% of the population. So try and treat them with respect - remember they are still people too as you deal with them help them to help themselves. Take them to the appropriate homeless shelter. Most shelters offer immediate food and shelter to the homelessness through their emergency shelters. 

Many offer long-term rehabilitation programs that deal with the root causes of homeless. Many also offer "tickets" that can be given to homeless people which can be exchanged at the shelter for a notorious meal, safe overnight lodging, and the option of participating in a rehab program. Exposure to the elements, dirt, occasional violence, and lack of purpose all drain years from a person's life. God can use your prayers and the brutality and the futility of life of the street to bring many of the broken to Himself. So please pray for the homeless.

The homeless in America are growing at a rapid rate and we all need to pitch in and help. Listed below are some staggering facts in regard to the homeless numbers and their conditions

Barcelona Implements New Housing Policy

Background

In a move to combat the growing global need for affordable housing, Barcelona has implemented a new policy meant to utilize vacant housing infrastructure. The city’s housing department is telling property owners of vacant apartments and houses that they must rent out their spaces or face the possibility of being expropriated (forced to sell to the city) at as little as 50% market prices. In addition, property owners could face tens of thousands of euros in fines. This is an extension of a previous policy that allowed the city to temporarily rent out vacant housing and then return it to the owners after a few years. However, under the new policy any housing that has been vacant for more than two years could be subject to permanent forced sale. These units would then be used as low-rent apartments and public housing to meet the city’s affordable housing needs. The city claims that the objective of this forced sale policy is not to seize a large number of units but instead to pressure property owners towards renting out existing housing at affordable prices.

The Homeless Entrepreneur Perspective

We would like to applaud Barcelona for taking decisive action on such an important issue. Ensuring that there is adequate affordable housing available is a vital step in preventing homelessness and we are happy to see our organization’s home city recognizing this fact. This must be the first of many steps that Barcelona takes in continuing to stabilize its rental market moving into the future. Dr. Sergio Nasarre-Aznar, a Professor of Civil Law and Director of the Housing Chair at the University Rovira i Virgili, has stated that “The two main causes for [a poor rental market] are the bad state-of-repair of many dwellings in Spain… and the legal framework that makes tenancies a “risky” and “not-so-profitable” operation for landlords and an undesired option for tenants as most of them would become owners if they could.” With this in mind it is important that the considerations of both tenants and landlords be weighed as we move forward. The new vacant housing policy helps to combat a dangerous trend in the real estate community. Instead of viewing housing as an essential resource, large banks and investment groups have treated housing infrastructure as mere investment assets. As such rather than renting out properties to meet the desperate demand for affordable housing, these groups have allowed their property to sit empty to accumulate value or avoid risk. This practice of real estate speculation presents a clear danger to the availability of housing that should be treated as an essential human resource. There are currently an estimated 3.4 million empty homes in Spain that could be utilized to provide additional affordable housing to those who need it. People should not be priced out of being able to afford shelter while so much housing infrastructure sits unused. We encourage not only other cities, but nations at large to consider adopting policies similar to those in Barcelona and taking steps to create a more sustainable housing market. However, it is also important to weigh these practices against the rights of property owners to ensure the continuation of private investment in housing infrastructure. For this reason Homeless Entrepreneur believes that the current two year time frame presents a fair opportunity for property owners to make necessary improvements and find new tenants to fill vacancies. A shorter sixth month time frame has been considered but such a move could discourage private housing investment if property owners fear they may always face imminent danger of expropriation at below market prices.

What is Next?

While Barcelona’s new vacant housing policy is certainly a step in the right direction it is by no means an absolute solution to affordable housing. So where do we go from here? Well, we can begin by supporting the continuation and expansion of Barcelona’s new policy. Spreading policies like Barcelona’s will help to ensure that even more areas begin to treat housing as the essential resource that it is. Supporting this action will serve to push property owners towards renting out a greater number of housing units at more affordable rates. In addition, expropriation policies are by no means the only way of creating more affordable housing. If you are interested in learning more about the types of policies that you can support to help create more affordable housing and prevent homelessness, consider exploring our article on Housing Policy.

How to Help

The best way you can help to bring about housing policy reform is by showing your government representatives that you support these proposals. While the policies mentioned above are all steps in the right direction, they will not be successful without the active participation of local and national leadership. As Tom Baker, a professor of Human Geography at Auckland University puts it, “Decades of inclusive zoning and developer subsidies have not delivered a great deal of 'properly' affordable housing, both in relative and absolute terms. It is increasingly clear that improvements to affordability cannot be achieved without substantial state involvement in the housing sector”. 

If you are interested in learning more about how you can help, consider lending support to non-profits like Homeless Entrepreneur who seek to advocate on behalf of homeless and low income individuals. In addition to the Homeless Hostels Work Program mentioned above, Homeless Entrepreneur also operates: 

The HELP Program:

The HELP Program works by matching individual participants with nine managers in the key areas of: professional development, education, health, housing, finance, legal assistance, communication, sales, and a mentor. This creates a support structure of individuals all working together to help participants achieve housing and financial independence within twelve months. 

https://www.homelessentrepreneur.org/en/help-program

Homeless Voices:

Homeless Voices provides insight into the lives of homeless individuals to connect them with their community along with housing and employment opportunities, so they can grow their income and build their assets. People are given the opportunity to tell their story and expose the ways in which our current system is failing to meet the needs of many.

https://www.homelessentrepreneur.org/en/he-voices

Homeless Helpline:

The Homeless Helpline collects real-time data from and about homeless people or those about to become homeless and connects them to available resources. By acting as an information hub Homeless Helpline aims to prevent and reduce homelessness.

https://www.homelessentrepreneur.org/en/he-helpline

Vanlife after Harvard: "From Harvard to Homeless"

You've had a long day at school. Not just at any school, considering the fact that you're studying at one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States, Harvard. With your textbook in your hand, you jump in your vehicle, whether it being a car or a van and begin to drive home. 

We have a new solidary project called #FromHarvardToHomeless! ✅Check it out, donate & support! https://www.homelessentrepreneur.org/en/solidary-projects/from-harvard-to-homeless #HomelessEntrepreneur #Harvard #Homeless #homelessness @harvard

Now, picture this. What if your car was your home? Sounds a bit odd when you first think about it but really, being able to live in your own vehicle has been the solution to an easier and safer lifestyle for people, especially for young ones, students to be exact. Living on your own while pursuing a higher education is not an easy lifestyle. Not only is it expensive but the amount of stress involved in such a situation is sometimes not even bearable for some, making people drop out of college or losing their homes. 

However, the fact that there is alternative housing options like living in your own vehicle for students and young homeless people, gives the chance for them to pursue a higher education, as well as being able to pay off their student loans, find a job and have a home to come to at the end of the day without worrying about the excess amount of bills to pay for. Yet, people are unaware of this solution.

Franklin Lee, former Harvard student himself, explains his own experience on what it's like living in a van and the kinds of opportunities he's been able to discover thanks to being able to explore different housing options.

Franklin wasn't always "homeless." He grew up in L.A with his family until things got rough with his parents after coming out to them. It got to the point where he had to find his own means of living. His turning point, however, was when he spent one night homeless on the streets of New York City. Once he pondered over his situation and how complicated it was to secure his apartment at the time, he decided to explore different housing options, thus discovering the wonders of van life and the doors it could open if it were more implemented in the community. Yet, due to overregulation, it hasn't been simple. 

Franklin gives us the chance to join him on his journey into van life in his book, " From Harvard to Homeless." The objective of this book is to inspire people to look for creative solutions to their housing problems as well as any other community problems that can be related to homelessness. For example, young ones who are struggling to live at home due to strained circumstances but can't afford a place on their own as they are studying at Harvard. Maybe these young ones got kicked out due to, once again, complications within the family and are stuck on the streets. Perhaps the ones who are already homeless have given up on trying to find someplace safe to live, as obtaining a home in their circumstances seems impossible. Or even, they are simply drowning in debt due to student loans and therefore, cannot pursue the life of freedom and independence we all desire. 

One of the things that Franklin promotes in his book are safe parking lots. This idea could have a positive rippling effect on the community. Homeless people, especially the young ones, would be able to secure a home for themselves, which would be their vehicle instead of a bench or a building entrance. They would have somewhere safe to leave their car where they know they won't be getting hurt, mugged or assaulted, a common issue in the homeless environment. They would have access to basic amenities, such as water and electricity. They would have a place to heat up their food or even obtain food if provided by the government. Mostly, they would have a safe place to sleep.

According to https://www.whitehouse.gov, over 550,000 people were counted as homeless and currently, 0.2% of the U.S population are made up of homeless people, a fraction of them being minors. 1 out of 30 youths experience homelessness at least once during their lifetime in America. Sadly, deaths have increased 22% over the last year. Being stuck on the streets, especially a massive city like New York, is dangerous. They tend to become a vulnerable target and with changes such as safe parking lots, it could really save homeless people from experiencing traumatic events on the streets.

Also, with safe parking lots, more job opportunities would open up, such as security guards, janitors, etc. This would give people the chance, perhaps people among the homeless community, to gain a job. It could also open the door to possible business entrepreneurs who are looking into investing into an idea and running it. However the case, ideas such as these could have a big impact and become a solution to such a popular problem. This would not only apply to the homeless community, but to those who are curious and want to try things on their own as well. For those who need their independence, who need to keep studying their higher education yet, can't live at home anymore or for those who simply are looking for a new project. 

Franklin uses his own personal experience to motivate people to find solutions, explore options, and to inspire those to pursue their curiosity, especially if they haven't necessarily succeeded at whatever they're passionate about. Sometimes, having options and trying them is better than pursuing a passion that doesn't seem to work out in the end. Either way, the more support we receive, the more chances we have on creating awareness as well as helping people. 

Please click on the link below to donate and support Franklin’s upcoming book, which will also destine part of the proceeds to #HomelessEntrepreneur programs! 

Written by a proud content writer, Natasha Dilena, who is volunteering to speed up the process of ending homelessness via work and active citizenship with #HomelessEntrepreneur.