Homelessness
03/10/22 02:59
State and federal officials, along with the Red Cross, have reported that there are currently about 10,000 people in shelters as a result of hurricane Ian. The number is imprecise and it doesn’t account for people who have taken shelter with family or friends. Nor does it include those who have simply left the area of the storm seeking a new life in another state. Major storms disrupt lives in ways that are often permanent. One of the articles about the storm that I recently read estimated that only about 18% of homes in the path of the storm are covered by flood insurance. That means that 82% of the homes are without insurance to cover the damage caused by storm surges and flooding from torrential rains. Some entire neighborhoods have been declared uninhabitable by local authorities.
It depends upon your perspective whether you choose to call those displaced by the hurricane climate refugees. Their circumstances are different from those who have chosen to move because of drought, fire, or other conditions. Furthermore, it may not be meaningful to create a category that includes huge numbers of people with many different situations and conditions. Nonetheless, the storm has increased the number of people who are experiencing homelessness and that number is already very high in many parts of the country.
Homelessness is not new. Yesterday in worship one of the leaders of our church spoke of over a century of service to those without homes as part of the legacy of our congregation. Our church building houses a day shelter for youth experiencing homelessness and has hosted overnight guests as well. Before the shelter found its home in the building, there was a program that provided household items to those experiencing homelessness and those who had just found a place to live but have no resources for basic furnishings. There have been many different programs over the years, and there is enough institutional memory to document that there have been people who don’t have homes in our area for a long time.
However, the fact that homelessness has been a part of many communities for a long time, there is little question that the phenomenon is increasing. The number of people without permanent housing is estimated to be over 550,000 in the United States. That is a small percentage of the overall population, but homelessness is not evenly distributed across the states. Major cities tend to have higher rates of homelessness than rural areas. Washington DC has a higher rate of homelessness than any of the 50 states. New York, Hawaii, and California are the states with the highest rates and the largest numbers of people who do not have permanent housing.
Homelessness is caused by a complex combination of factors. The growing shortage of affordable rental housing is a factor. Recently we lived for 13 months in a rental home as part of our move from South Dakota to Washington. Now settled in a home that we are purchasing we recognize that our housing costs were nearly double in the rental house. For people who cannot obtain a mortgage or who have no means for a down payment rental housing is the only option. The high cost of renting prevents them from saving the money necessary to make the transition to owned housing. In addition to the lack of affordable rental housing, another factor in homelessness is an increase in poverty. While poverty doesn’t equate to homelessness in some parts of the world, in the United States, poverty is likely to result in instability in housing.
Statistics and a rudimentary understanding of some of the dynamics of homelessness, however, are insufficient to fully understand the stories of individual lives and circumstances. I have found a few stories about individuals and their circumstances in the coverage of the storm and its aftermath. One person left the Tampa Bay for Fort Myers area as the storm approached. When the storm’s track shifted south, she did not have the means to move once again and found herself in the path of the storm. Had she stayed in Tampa she would have been a safer place, but she did not have the means to make multiple moves and is left without resources to find another home. Another family had a disabled family member who would have required extensive resources, including an ambulance, to relocate. Faced with a family member in a hospital bed who needed round the clock caregiving, the family chose to stay put. Their home suffered extensive damage and will likely be declared uninhabitable when officials inspect it. They are currently living without power, water, or other essential services.
There are many other stories, most of which will never be reported while people face tough decisions with limited options. Initial reports indicate that Ian will displace fewer people than Katrina in 2005. The effects of that storm, including the large number of displaced persons, continue to affect families years later.
As a schoolchild I learned that among the essentials for survival are food, clothing, and shelter. In scouts, I learned that in a survival situation, one should prioritize shelter first. A person can survive for short periods of time without food. However, a lack of shelter can prove to be fatal in cold temperatures. People die of exposure before they have time to die of malnutrition. This basic survival information is reflected in the experiences of those experiencing homelessness. In many cities in the United States it is relatively easy to find enough food to survive. The challenge of finding adequate shelter is much more daunting. People shelter in vehicles, in campers and recreational vehicles, in tents and camping equipment, and in improvised shelters. Vehicles and temporary shelters are often subject to being moved.
This isn’t the first time I have reflected in my journal about problems for which I do not have solutions. I don’t have an easy ending for this post. I do not know the solutions to the problems of those who are left without adequate housing. I’m sure that there is no single solution. I cannot, however, ignore the problem simply because I lack a solution. There is much work that remains.
It depends upon your perspective whether you choose to call those displaced by the hurricane climate refugees. Their circumstances are different from those who have chosen to move because of drought, fire, or other conditions. Furthermore, it may not be meaningful to create a category that includes huge numbers of people with many different situations and conditions. Nonetheless, the storm has increased the number of people who are experiencing homelessness and that number is already very high in many parts of the country.
Homelessness is not new. Yesterday in worship one of the leaders of our church spoke of over a century of service to those without homes as part of the legacy of our congregation. Our church building houses a day shelter for youth experiencing homelessness and has hosted overnight guests as well. Before the shelter found its home in the building, there was a program that provided household items to those experiencing homelessness and those who had just found a place to live but have no resources for basic furnishings. There have been many different programs over the years, and there is enough institutional memory to document that there have been people who don’t have homes in our area for a long time.
However, the fact that homelessness has been a part of many communities for a long time, there is little question that the phenomenon is increasing. The number of people without permanent housing is estimated to be over 550,000 in the United States. That is a small percentage of the overall population, but homelessness is not evenly distributed across the states. Major cities tend to have higher rates of homelessness than rural areas. Washington DC has a higher rate of homelessness than any of the 50 states. New York, Hawaii, and California are the states with the highest rates and the largest numbers of people who do not have permanent housing.
Homelessness is caused by a complex combination of factors. The growing shortage of affordable rental housing is a factor. Recently we lived for 13 months in a rental home as part of our move from South Dakota to Washington. Now settled in a home that we are purchasing we recognize that our housing costs were nearly double in the rental house. For people who cannot obtain a mortgage or who have no means for a down payment rental housing is the only option. The high cost of renting prevents them from saving the money necessary to make the transition to owned housing. In addition to the lack of affordable rental housing, another factor in homelessness is an increase in poverty. While poverty doesn’t equate to homelessness in some parts of the world, in the United States, poverty is likely to result in instability in housing.
Statistics and a rudimentary understanding of some of the dynamics of homelessness, however, are insufficient to fully understand the stories of individual lives and circumstances. I have found a few stories about individuals and their circumstances in the coverage of the storm and its aftermath. One person left the Tampa Bay for Fort Myers area as the storm approached. When the storm’s track shifted south, she did not have the means to move once again and found herself in the path of the storm. Had she stayed in Tampa she would have been a safer place, but she did not have the means to make multiple moves and is left without resources to find another home. Another family had a disabled family member who would have required extensive resources, including an ambulance, to relocate. Faced with a family member in a hospital bed who needed round the clock caregiving, the family chose to stay put. Their home suffered extensive damage and will likely be declared uninhabitable when officials inspect it. They are currently living without power, water, or other essential services.
There are many other stories, most of which will never be reported while people face tough decisions with limited options. Initial reports indicate that Ian will displace fewer people than Katrina in 2005. The effects of that storm, including the large number of displaced persons, continue to affect families years later.
As a schoolchild I learned that among the essentials for survival are food, clothing, and shelter. In scouts, I learned that in a survival situation, one should prioritize shelter first. A person can survive for short periods of time without food. However, a lack of shelter can prove to be fatal in cold temperatures. People die of exposure before they have time to die of malnutrition. This basic survival information is reflected in the experiences of those experiencing homelessness. In many cities in the United States it is relatively easy to find enough food to survive. The challenge of finding adequate shelter is much more daunting. People shelter in vehicles, in campers and recreational vehicles, in tents and camping equipment, and in improvised shelters. Vehicles and temporary shelters are often subject to being moved.
This isn’t the first time I have reflected in my journal about problems for which I do not have solutions. I don’t have an easy ending for this post. I do not know the solutions to the problems of those who are left without adequate housing. I’m sure that there is no single solution. I cannot, however, ignore the problem simply because I lack a solution. There is much work that remains.
