Homelessness: Facts Matter When Talking About Crime & People Experiencing Homelessness
Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 7:58AMArticle by Claudia Kittock
Facts matter. Experience matters. Opinions must be treated as just that, opinions. The recently expressed opinion that “Many of Downtown East’s problems are ‘crimes of opportunity’ and stem from homelessness, substance abuse and mental health issues," is just that, an opinion. Is it based on facts? Is it a helpful narrative, or is it an opinion, masquerading as a fact that will cause real harm to the most vulnerable among us?
If you are someone experiencing homelessness you are more likely to be the victim of crime than to be a perpetrator. Opinion? In December, the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) concluded homeless individuals are far more likely than the general population to be victims of violent crime. In their latest report, “Vulnerable to Hate: A Survey of Bias-Motivated Violence against People Experiencing Homelessness in 2016-2017,” the NCH documented at least 112 anti-homeless attacks that occurred in the United States in 2016 and 2017, and analyzed 1,769 reported acts of violence committed against homeless individuals from 1999-2017. Of the 1,769 violent acts, 476 victims lost their lives as a result.
NCH studied attacks that occurred in 48 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
A 16-year-old young man I have known for several years was thrown out of his home for being gay. His parents wanted nothing more to do with him. He slept on the light rail for 4 months with a suitcase that contained all his worldly goods. As difficult as it was to sleep, he fell asleep one night only to find his suitcase had been stolen while he was sleeping. Sixteen, alone, without anything but the clothes on his back. Should I be scared of this young man because he is experiencing homelessness, or should I be horrified at the circumstances that led him to that moment?
A new report by homeless charity Crisis has revealed the shocking level of violence and intimidation homeless people face.
Researchers speaking to people sleeping outside found:
.
People experiencing homelessness are often pulled into the criminal or juvenile justice systems for misdemeanor offenses related to attempts to survive on the streets. They may be prosecuted for things like shoplifting or for publicly engaging in basic life activities like standing or sleeping — activities that would never be an offense when done in one’s home. Unhoused people are often segregated from society; are subjected to laws that make it illegal to be poor or have their property legally stolen; receive a criminal label; refused a place to sleep; denied food, bathrooms, and healthcare; are verbally abused; have their existence denied; and sometimes, are attacked by housed community members with a bias against homelessness. This dehumanization leads to the marginalization of people experiencing homelessness and leaves these groups unprotected.
$2.50 is the difference between a loitering charge or not. I can spend a day in a coffee shop because I can afford to pay for coffee. Someone experiencing homelessness that came into a coffee shop to try to warm up but cannot afford a cup of coffee, can get charged with loitering and then may likely be trespassed from the premise. When I meet some of my homeless friends for coffee, they are afraid to arrive before I do because they are quite certain they will be asked to leave if I am not there to make sure they get a coffee.
What about the concern that having people experiencing homelessness in your community makes you less safe? In a recent analysis of 11 city-sanctioned homeless villages of tiny homes in Seattle and Portland, Ore., it was found that crime rates went down in five of those neighborhoods, stayed about the same in four and went up only in two. A 2013 randomized controlled trial in a housing-first program in Vancouver, British Columbia, showed that providing market-rate apartments around the city to homeless mentally ill people reduced crime. A Washington Post analysis of research concluded, “On average, researchers have found supportive housing facilities servicing the homeless and other vulnerable populations rarely lead to higher crime rates.”
The irony is that housing for the homeless isn’t the cause of crime; it’s the solution to it. Study after study shows that even those homeless individuals with severe mental illness or suffering from addiction have lower rates of criminal behavior once they have a roof over their head. Building shelters and housing will deter crime and protect lives, not cause crime.
The vast majority of people who have substance abuse, mental or physical health conditions, criminal records, etc. are housed. While there may separately and collectively be things that people experiencing homelessness deal with at a high rate, they are still a small minority of people to struggle with specific conditions. We have compassion for housed people who struggle with addiction and mental health issues. Why not for people who are too poor to afford housing or to access health care?
Have you noticed the language I use - people experiencing homelessness, as opposed to homeless person? It is deliberate and taught to me by people far wiser than I. I would be horrified to be defined by the worse moment of my life. Being homeless tends to be transitory for the vast majority of people. It is a moment in time. Imagine being known as “drunk John" for the rest of your life based on your time of excess drinking in college. We wouldn’t stand for it. It isn’t accurate and it isn’t relevant.
Friends of the Mill District recently began holding a series of Community Conversations throughout the Mill District. The three leaders of this conversation are people who work to provide support for people experiencing homelessness. Lieutenant Grant Snyder, police liaison for people experiencing homelessness, Katie Miller, mental health advocate with the police department, and Joe Kreisman, chair of Align Minneapolis, formerly the Congregations to End Homelessness. Each of these experts about their work, but most of the sessions are question-answer format. We have had two of these conversations in two different condo buildings, and the reviews were glowing. Once the Coronavirus concerns pass, we will resume these conversations. In the meantime, if you are interested in being part of these conversations, contact Claudia Kittock at cjkittock@gmail.com. It is not too early to begin to schedule a conversation in your building.
We need to have fact-based conversations. We need to decide who we want to be as a community. We need to create the neighborhood we want to live in, one filled with kindness and compassion with room enough for all.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
About Claudia Kittock
