Coping with Homelessness

In this episode of the Recovery Rebirth Podcast, we discuss how we’ve been affected by homelessness, either personally or within our family system. There is an undeniable intersection between people experiencing homelessness and struggling with addiction and/or mental illness. The pandemic has exacerbated the experience of people being precariously housed along with a surge in alcohol/substance use and mental health crises. We tackle the biases and victim-blaming that are endemic to the issue of homelessness. The dismissive and damaging notion that people should just “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” is entirely tone-deaf and ignores that this is a systemic issue. We also work to debunk myths about the percentage of people without housing who are struggling with mental health issues. The causes of homelessness are complex and include many intersections such as: lack of affordable housing, domestic violence, a high concentration of people in the working poor category, addiction, and mental health struggles. We discuss the need for wrap-around support for those who are experiencing homelessness and struggling with addiction or mental health struggles. We also touch on residents of the encampments within the City of Kalamazoo being evicted with no notice or alternative housing options. This issue needs to be viewed and addressed holistically. While a stereotype persists that people experiencing homelessness are mostly adults struggling with alcohol/substance abuse or mental illness, the reality is many people without consistent housing are children. There are also (primarily) women fleeing abusive relationships with their children and in need of housing. There are challenges for families experiencing homelessness in Kalamazoo where they can all be housed together in temporary housing/shelters. We realize language is ever-evolving and endeavor to be compassionate with our verbiage because we are passionate about breaking biases and stigmas. That said, we may use outdated terminology at times during this episode. We are learning as we go and apologize if our language ever comes across as insensitive. We’re sharing resources not only for our listeners’ benefit but also to help us learn and evolve. We believe that housing is a fundamental right and homelessness is a systemic issue. Regardless of why people find themselves without housing, everyone deserves to be treated with compassion and respect. Local Resources Housing Resources, Inc https://www.housingresourcesinc.org/ YWCA of Kalamazoo | Transitional & Permanent Housing https://www.ywcakalamazoo.org/what-we-do/caring-for-victims-of-abuse/emergency-shelter-housing Open Doors Kalamazoo https://www.opendoorskalamazoo.org/ Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries https://www.kzoogospel.org/ Recovery Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC) – Recovery Housing https://www.gryphon.org/substance-recovery/ National Resources National Alliance to End Homelessness https://endhomelessness.org/resource/housing-first/ Reference Materials/Articles https://soarworks.samhsa.gov/article/definitions-homelessness Published by the National Coalition for the Homeless, July 2009 https://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/addiction.pdf Current Statistics on the Prevalence and Characteristics of People Experiencing Homelessness in the United States, July 2011 https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/homelessness_programs_resources/hrc-factsheet-current-statistics-prevalence-characteristics-homelessness.pdf Mlive Article on Pods for Kalamazoo Community Members Without Housing https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2021/11/pods-to-house-homeless-in-kalamazoo-could-be-available-by-mid-december-possible-site-identified.html Time to Retire the Word ‘Homeless’ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/homeless-unhoused The Language Around Homelessness Is Finally Changing https://archive.curbed.com/2020/6/11/21273455/homeless-people-definition-copy-editing