Washington Post Opinion - Shelters aren’t the answer to homelessness

Note: This image is from the San Francisco Tenants Union - Not the Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/shelters-arent-the-answer-to-homelessness/2018/01/05/80cede56-f0ba-11e7-95e3-eff284e71c8d_story.html?utm_term=.388954e75224

January 5

Regarding the Dec. 30 Metro article “Choosing the cold”:

In my experience as a social worker for more than 30 years, people who are homeless, including those who have serious mental-health challenges, want a home but not a shelter bed. I encourage anyone who sees shelters as havens to spend some time in them. Imagine feeling suspicious, hearing voices telling you not to trust, feeling depression so overwhelming it’s virtually immobilizing or having your thoughts race so quickly that it’s difficult to think clearly. Then, you’re invited to sleep in a place that feels risky, often isn’t very clean, has many people whom you don’t know sleeping very close by and generally feels very unsafe.

We have built a shelter system but clearly have not done enough to build an affordable housing system. When I’ve worked in large cities, I’ve had no one refuse his or her own space but clearly have had people refuse a shelter bed. We must do a better job of finding housing — and supporting people in their own housing space, in their own homes — to end homelessness. Let’s stop seeing the shelters as any sort of answer to this heart-rending problem and do what we know and can to provide ongoing, stable housing and supports.